Transcripts For CSPAN2 Key Capitol Hill Hearings 20240622

And but a saint candidates took the stage to answer questions from the union leader in New Hampshire and other media organizations and other states. You can watch it on our companion network, cspan. Coming up next, the board in New Hampshire in the review, and the states role as the first in the nation primary. Coming up next, an announcement of new rules that include carbon emissions. Coming up next efforts to combat human trafficking. Plus your phone calls please the comments and more. Washington journal is live at 7 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan. A measure to define planned parenthood failed in the senate. Only two democrats voted for the legislation while two republicans and Mitch Mcconnell voted against it. The bill was fast tracked to the floor after the release of videos that show planned parenthood officials discussing fetal tissue from abortions. Rom planne there are democrats and senator speaking on the floor before the funda votes. Ques the revelations that we have seen from planned painrenthood are deeply disturbing i want to thank the senators. The legislation that they were to develop is all about restoring americas commitment and it was fun Womens Healthr wen. Not fund planned parenthood. And we will take a vote to advance it tonight. This would protect Health Services for women instead of subsidizing Political Groups this bill would ensure funds many continue to flow to Community Health centers that provide more comprehensive Health Services and they have many more facilities nationwide. Prenatnd and instead of subsidizing a Political Group, this would help women receive health c servicesservic imm like screenings prenatal and postnatal care, wellchild care,r. Preside diagnostic laboratory and Radiology Services immunizations and other care that they need. Ion. That is a true commitment tod parenood Womens Health. Mov that is real compassion. Ust b democrats have relied upon thisbeen on recently, and they must be care abo shocked by the utter lack of compassion that has been on orgion. Display. They must care about womensight im health as much as they care reflect about some scandal plaguedant. Political organization. That is why n tonight im askingh them to reflect on what isical important. Im asking them not to block the funding for Womens Health, justette to protect some Political Group mired in scandal. N Women Deserve better and our country deserves better. Here is an excerpt sarah started going to planned parenthood when she was in her late teens in need of Birth Control. She had gotten care there ever since. Without them she wouldnt have aclose doctor q to see an amendment ithood for wouldnt get the care that i needed. Sarahith millions depend on planned parenthood and muchneeded services. Every year they help womenth just b like sarah with things such asrica Birth Control. But its more than just that. Here are a few of the health789 services that planned parenthood provides american women and they did it in 2013. 400, half a million women went to c planned parenthood for breast sta cancer screening. 4. 5 400,000 women received care from the planned parenthood medical staff and 4. 5 million were treated and surgical operations were performed. Yet here we are again was an par attempt to limit womens access to healtht care. We will vote on a planned parenthood built to defund it in just a little bit. Lets understand what that means. It would limit us access to critical Health Services likethis legistion contraception and this includes access to this or other critical the Health Services. Five our nation is are in rad facing a shortage of care providers. Es for many women this is the sometim preferred medical provider. R of in this includes Services Performed at some point during their lives. To and it would reduce the success of good health and more the importantly access to care,exist, b there w which is part of the point in t this includes for many women h planned parenthood could be the the only point of care care that they could receive. In this includes a senator from texas and i am surprised. Uess the distinguished member of the senate and the longtime of the planned texas marine corps would Say Something like that. He and others will pick up the slack and we have billions of dollars in that. H this has been in existence and has done so much at immunityenters eve Health Centers. But we stilln have a long way toe go. T and this includes increasing our m ability to meet the currentod demands and that includes women women healt it will be millions of women as and i qte well. Across the director of health policy. Ta across the nation Community Health centers rdi capacity. Ican lea takingde a look at the Republican Leaders in the home state of texas texas. Detailing what it would take for other providers to replace planned parenthood. Taking for example 537 . [inaudible] we would see an increase of 250 make and that includes a heavily populated dallas county. With a republican United States does in may it nearly impossibled to get the care that they need. And if women cant go where do they go . Take a look at what happened ind the state of indiana when thenter states. Legislator wrote about health t centers. And that includes other Health Care Providers that would bridge those the gap with planned parenthood for patients. And that includes the othersrepublic that would take care of it just fine. Tate so what are the other Health Care Providers for women. Prisons, juvenile detentionese are centers and homeless shelters. Wouldant and there are certainly dghters opportunities where people would away plan want to sendne their daughters sisters, or wives for care. Need. And w omen would have no abilitys what to access care and most would go without the care that they need. Pa the republican fromre maine agrees our and she says the problem is in my state and many others that this is the primary provider oft Health Services in certain partsd of b the state and so im not surea, plann this would include this in where nevada. The planned parenthood area serves about 20,000 patients pere year. Ns are b where they go with the works, ifair to ame dontrica know. The they wont get the care that they need that is for sure. Ure tha they are trying to shift the responsibility to someone who does not t exist. And its our responsibility toranddaugers assure that we have access to care. Its our obligation to protect our wives and sisters and daughters and granddaughters and protect them from absurdood bill policies. The Republican Party has lost its moral compass today. They will do just that. D. The Senate Democrats will fight vigorously. N madam president , the officer knows that we will have a veryelimin taxpa important vote about an hour and a half from now on a bill that. Aw. Would eliminate taxpayer funding for abortions consistent withnts what decades of u. S. Law and ke that s contrary to the comments made by our friend from organa just spoke, rather than withhold those funds it would take that he same amount of money and redirect it and give it that are access to help services at the but n same time and in other words this legislation is going to i pticu la fund Womens Health care but not sator abortions on the taxpayers dime. Th is i particularly want to thank the senator for their leadership on this issue and this is the beginning of the fight to regain 4 americas consciousness and the fight to restore the law thatheldhat has been on the books for 40 years when it comes to taxpayer funding of abortions. We all understand that the that Supreme Court has held thatonsensus abortions has been right. But we also know that theres ad that ie rare area where there is a consensus between prochoice and prolife people like myself. And we draw the line and we have h since 1976 when it comes to taxpayer funding of abortions. By and of course what brought us here to this point, most immediately because our conscious was shot by videos depicting planned parenthood executives discussing the harvesting and sale the organs of unborn babies and a disgusting practice that we of cannot ignore. The only thing more shocking than the actual dismembering of unborn children for sale is theo little cavalier attitude by the planned l parenthood staff that seemif to have sacrificed their humanity and show is a little regard for d the sanctity ofem human life. What was shown in these videos our is col an outrage and the demands own are action. Pportuni many of the colleagues from across the aisle have decideedet o their own disapproval of what is this presented in these videos. They will be given an opportunity at 5 30 p. M. To get report, on this bill to demonstrate that the actions match their words. And according to one report the junior senator said that he foundd the comments in the video disgraceful. Ary of and similarly the junior senator says that he has found this also extremely troubling. The former secretary of state Henry Clinton also called on disturbing, and they are in soicking madam, like our recent the successful bipartisan efforts to fight the scourge of human nnot def trafficking, we have a rare t opportunity to make a difference and address the moral imperative to defend those that cannot defend themselves. And it is important because ive everybody heard some of our colleagues misrepresent whats in the billm to remind him of what itortion actually does. First and foremost it eliminates federal funding from one of the nn countrys largest abortion per providers, planned parenthood. And in fiscal year 2014 they timlanned performed 327653 abortions. Om federal at the same time they received 528 million from federal taxpayers and they reported revenue in fiscal year 2014 of 1. 1 billion in another words. Almost half of the income came from tax dollars from the 653 federal government. At the same time they perform 327,653 abortions. So you will hear some of our that friends that were defending them saying that this is differentrnment can because the money is k kept on a separate. But we knownd that the money that comes from the federal government can keep the lights on and keep the doors open and condu so that the abortions can continue to be performed and its simply a fiction to claim that federal tax dollars are not supporting on the for the last 40 years. And we dont stop there when it comes to this legislation. E as i mentioned at the outset wenow go would actually redirect the money to ensure that the healt taxpayer dollars that once went. To planned parenthood now go to provide for Womens Health likehealth in thousands of Community Health Centers Across the country. Im a big fan of Community Health centers because they is really represent one stopally shopping when it comes to primary health b care needs. F the ironic thing is that we can actually provide that are access and more access for women by example in transporting the money from planned parenthood to community eight Health Centers and otherity h nonAbortion Providers. Inears my state as an example we have as many as eight times more to Community Health centers as their are plannedea parenthood providers. So we can provide women with a the times more opportunities to see that their Health Care Needs are taken care of and at the same to time respect the law that the prohibits taxpayer dollars to support abortions. And in fact according to david from 2014 the most recently available nationwide everytion all 50 state in the country has moreere Community Health centers then planned parenthood clinics. I since i didnt want to mention all 50 of them and that would betistic overwhelming and hard to read at the same time. And he would still be able toample, ind provide primary Health Care Services tiao women under this anin t legislation. But if you look at indiana indiana you would have youre provide times more providers under this legislation. Th and in the state of virginia 20ney times more providers by definingnters. Planned parenthood the Abortion Provider, using tax dollars and transferring that money to Community Health centers in the you could provide greater access for Womens Health care. A lot so let us be clear because i need suspect, as i have are deterred when i came to the lord thathealth there would be a lot of misrepresentation about what is in the bill. Serv so this defends Womens Health many and it ensures women accessec across the country to essentialts Health Services. As i said a few moments ago thenamed aft debate we are having has already decided in 1976. Some re which is something that my colleagues all know prevents taxpayer dollars from funding abortion in rare circumstances. We talked about that during the e course of the humannc trafficking bill and this has been the law of the land for 44 years. So i would strongly encourage all of our colleagues to get on vulnerable this bill and an organization that callously reduces the most busess horrible has no business fro receivingm any money from the raise federal taxpayers. Su what people want to do their own money where people want to raise dolla money from other private sourcesd shoul to support this effort, let them do that. Practice, the tax dollars are not available and should not be available to fund the abortion of our practice. Col th the largest single Abortion Provider in america. Many of the colleagues on the having other side agree with the vile practices that we have witnessed and they say they are disturbing, some have tried to put off having this discussion at all. And i think what would be theerlying biggest failure on our part no matter what the outcome of the vote on the underlyingn legislation is would be to fail to have this discussion in this be debate for the American People so we can get their input. Ote that would be a true travesty as again we shut off the debate becausehour 60 senators didnt see the fits. To vote again on the bill and that will be having a vote and bl there are others that say we have more important things to do really and tha . T includes wasting valuable time and that includes budget negotiations. An and so includes a guide how have could you not turn around to get if on this legislation so that we y can have that discussion and if this your conscious and shot and itideos has somehow become so no longer desensitized to these barbaric practices depicted in a these chancen videos, that it no longer stimulates us tto act. But today we have a chance on behalf of the American People thereom and that includes to act in aeople must way that is the most horrible. Ether or n there comes a time in the history of nations when theomet civilized people musthing stand up methin and decide whether or not life is important and whether itskens not Something Special or whether or not there is not osomething greater than just a that have to do with this. That i it sickens me to see what has wer been going on with plannedrn. We parenthood. S some of my first memoriest can d include those that are born. And it includes these techniques can be used to manipulate theut baby into a position to harvest the babies organs. And i think that all america should be sickened by this. Time but it should also trouble us if to we are a society that is not sickened by this. And i think the time tong come is to have a full throated debate over this and the time has come to end all taxpayer funding for planned parenthood. Some are going to say where will people get their help . Is we have 9000 Community Health abortn. Centers in 700 planned parenthood clinics and the only difference is abortion. You can get many things at a get Community Health center that you cant get at planned parenthood. The only thing that you get planned parenthood if you cant get anywhere else is in their abortion. But this debate is not justand i. About abortions,t. This debate isountry abo about little babies who havent given their consent. Uestion i can and its about time that we had a debate in our country abouton long this and about time that we said enough is enough. Human i so cannot long endure that doesnt respect lives . End we lose Everything Else about what makes us human if we are ask my unable to protect lives . Ors to can we defend our other rights if we are not able to stand up and defend the most basic of. Rights . I come here to askic my fellow lik senators to votee should be funerchange planned parenthood and i hope that theyol will. Thank you, mr. President. Are sumac i would like to speak he with you b about senator danes,ssue this is an area that is. Passionate to many ofno us here in the body. Th is a and this includes the basic th issue about children, spun multiple different ways. This is not about a lot of othereen issues, this is about children a that are recognizable that are carved up so that this can be plainly seen. So my conversation today is just circling around what we do and where we had and what is thisut what about this evening and what should begin here in americanes i about what happens with planned senator parenthood. So i would like to entertain are this conversation with the senator. I want to thank the senator from oklahoma. Thank you for having us here today. Ote because i do believe that we are at a crossroads. Each o with this vote that we will have must in about 20 minutes, we have a choice t before us one that each one of us must make as a senator and one that each american have to make with us. With a yes vote the vote is to healt be found planned parenthood we reaffirm our dedication to Womens Health and we recommit every dollar made available to support things like well baby care, cervical and Breast Cancer screenings prenatal and postpartum care, immunizationsng. Like Family Planning Services Including contraception like sexually transmitted Disease Testing and relevant diagnostic laboratory and radiology we services. This bill does not take a single dollar away. Oesntet i think its very important as facts they debate this position inthis front d of us. Ur ethics. And, most importantly and i say this as a daddy of four children two boys and two girls this is about the value of our children. Because over the last few weeks weve seen these videos. Americans have been horrified of highlevel highlevel planned parenthood executives who are callously discussing the price of baby organs harvested from the tiny bodies of aborted babies. In fact, just last week we witnessed an abortion doctor poking through the pieces of this tiny and broken he woi we have witnessed an abortion doctor poking through the pieces of this tiny and broken body. He was pointing out the heart and the lungs and discussing what each of them should cost when sold. In the meanwhile exclaiming that it is a baby. We want to and weve heard arguments here today, this is about the womans body and we respect the body of the woman and we want to makeferent sure that the Proper Services are allowed to protect a womans health. This is about a different body with a different dna and a little baby. A baby that now has a price not pla just on its headce but on every cldren, part. Vize when we place a price on the wou outcome of the destruction of our children, we incentivize it. Rangemen in atnother setting we would call tep this price per specimenal arrangement the bounty scheme. Are 149 with potential for such adoptio financial gains there is little abortion wonder why one every other option referral, 149 abortions to everyone adoption referral at exc these clinics. Ood. This includes even the action of i a single clinic, then systemic issue within planned parenthood we heard direct testimony that clinics act in concert with the alone consent of the corporate headquarters. To. Layers of defenses so that no one clinic is left holding the bag. Such a culture shows little regard for Womens Health. This is a culture that has been embroiled in a number of lawsuits about making false reimbursement claims to the federal government and helping to facilitate the covering up of sexual abuse and statutory rape. In fact, just last week a complaint was filed with the Colorado Department of regulatory agencies against one of these clinics regarding a little 13yearold girl who was sexually abused, had an abortion and was returned to her abuser. No report was made by the clinic or the abortionist. Her parents were not contacted all in violation of the laws of colorado. So a no vote on this bill supports this culture. It devalues both the woman and that tiny, little bab and because the yes vote would be directed to keep the facts straight to be separate from the rhetoric it does redirect the funds from planned parenthood to provide that money for women Health Services to communities centers you heard 9,000 in Community Clinics for 700 planned parenthood that provide the dollars to the clinics 48 server majority of women and i was deeply disturbed in the most recent video the doctor pokes around the aborted baby parts until she found the lakes and exclaims is another boy. There can be no denying what she was saying to hear those words for the first time from a a doctor during an ultrasound or that is static phone call coming from the expect a mom or of bother taking the newborn son into his arms. That dr. Was the save one to say its a baby. No doubt this is whats a little boy is. It is the baby a cannot support an organization to place a dollar amount on body parts that would incentivizes and that is why i will vote for this bill and it will be a vote for Womens Health it will not touch 0. 1 of funding for Womens Health not 0. 1 that means it is for one thing only if we will vote for women and children and i would urge my colleagues with this approach for children and vote yes. These ongoing conversations of what we are up against talk about Womens Health is the accusation this is cutting off access to Womens Health that all of planned parenthood licensor aerogram facilities if you look to close you would see it there is not a single one but the accusation is to have been anagrams they have to go to planned parenthood but they refer to other locations they recommend it you get one but they dont do any of that. Ad of the 8,000 and facilities which could potentially get a mammogram so were taking funding from a location that refers to wit to a location that actually does it this is about Womens Health but also the health of children and have a very difficult time to talk about Early Childhood education on the floor with those individuals but to be just a couple of years yonder to have no issues to be aborted with body parts that is the same child that was passionate about Early Childhood education and women and infant and children funding for proper nutrition never than the same child the only difference between eating in the womb or a preschooler is time. Nt incredibly divisive issue that we treat them seriously as a nation what happened with these videos coming of for the first time in a long time it is not invisible and in secret now it is happening where people can see it. And their culture has to deal with the reality is it possible that this culture has been wrong that really is a child . Board and a 14 oz wine yearago. 14 now says was the birthweight board very, very premature the child is now 14 pounds one year later and doing extremely well. F14 ounce child is the child that everyone sees but that is exactly what it chahar planned parenthood was harvesting to crush the head to gather the organs to sell them. We as a culture have to deal with with though one simple reality this is not about wailes says the world it is about children that we need to slow down to a answer the one simple question but at this moment with the organization that a couple of things are haiti over there right now theyre very serious. It is not legal to sell the parts of the cuban for profit per fred of a human for profit. But to change the timing or procedure or method of the abortion to gather organs to be sold. That is very clear in federal law as well. Is the procedure is changed to harvest organs that is not legal and in the videos over and over again do your doctors talk about how they used the ultrasound they used to different for a dash technique because it wanted to gather for sales of these are serious accusations we think it is entirely reasonable to say take the funding committed to planned parenthood the single largest Abortion Provider in the country 40 percent of their revenue comes from the federal taxpayer. For this single largest provider of abortions in the country to say stop take the funding committed to organizations that do whole lives in self like mammograms and contraceptives not just recommending to others. But i would like to be able to yield to the senator from louisiana. And my colleague from california. Was going to ask unanimous consent to begin then it 11 months for the you can join the conversation. Date you for your generosity and i would rather work with you on transportation i gave birth to two premature kids thank god they made it. I am prochoice and i just have to say using pregnancy as a political football does not sit well with the people i represent and the people of this country we have to respect one another i respect your view entirely. Keeps a uncle sam atom of mine private life families make these decisions and 97 percent of the work planned parenthood does has nothing to do with abortions it is primary health care to open up my entire statement of the record on that point and in 2011 of a threat to shut down the government with planned parenthood planned parenthood was not funded. Webers serious. Shut down the government . To deny health care to men and women every year . This is to read from california i went to planned parenthood she gave me a referral for i had a mammogram and a biopsy. I was scheduled for the of lumpectomy and gsa go to Community Health care centers i find that ironic we wanted that with obamacare and reduce said no. There is a cutie Health Care Center that says they cannot take any more patients those 700,000 patients so you say go to the committee Health Care Centers and they say now we are sorry we cannot do it. Planned parenthood does a great job so oh the continuation of a war on women consider the bill about to come our way. Thank you. Without objection from the senator of california. I want to continue this conversation but just to make a couple of comments i a of a data and two daughters i had something to do with the birth as well and was also there during those sonograms my wife and i are extremely close and to be a dad of two daughters i am very passionate battle the about my a a alrich wife was a multiple time cancer survivor, my daughters to have every single opportunity this is a mens issue as well because it is a family issue and they are extremely important to all of us but i will say it is committed a Health Service dont serve 2. 3 million they serve 23 million there are 650 locations there are 9,000 committee all centers the planned parenthood facilities refer people the committee centers actually do the testing that actually do the mammogram not that you should get one. Is also about what we are about. One other thing the issue about obamacare committed the Health Centers are not the intention of obamacare they have been around for decades and decades they are extremely efficient form of health care i would like to recognize the fellow from the vienna louisiana. Over the last 25 years i have worked in hospitals so as my friend then sinn steadied to insure access to those who might not otherwise afford that is what i attempted to do my medical practice and as a practicing physician first is a do no harm that these figures demonstrate some do and i share that perspective that when patients see their doctor they want the honest and objective opinion but planned parenthood but it their profit ahead of the interest of the whitman. The time for the vote of 5 30 p. M. Has arrived you to ask unanimous consent. I have unanimous consent for another two minutes . Without objection. For 30 years i am working to get health care and it is important we insure access to Womens Health care currently 500 million of federal funding if levy directs this funding to the committee Health Centers and i have worked with 30 years there are to planned parenthoods in the vienna there is 160 but the Community Health centers are all over the state so for every american whos troubled they should be equally troubled the fact that planned parenthood provision of health care is geographically centered in some areas but not as broadly as the Community Health center also the planned parent model of care is outdated talking about clinics not the only have the silo a provision of Birth Control pills and the planned parenthood abortion to provide a full range of services it is time for congress to act to close the door to better insure womens access to health care i yield back. I ask unanimous consent for one additional minute. I o will not object if you can respond. The questions before us today is clear. Whod to grieve want to be as a nation . It is hard for anyone to defend the morally reprehensible video as planned parenthood callously harvested the organs of unborn babies to be sold at a price. The American People republicans and democrats alike are horrified by the blatant disregard and lack of compassion shown by planned parenthood for the women and their babies. It is wrong and the American People although it they should not be asked to foot the bill we should no longer turn a blind eye to human life and planned parenthood this symbol largest provider of Abortion Services is harvesting baby body parts. So now as a critical opportunity to protect the most bold verbal in our society and find Womens Health. That measure failed end the senate did not get the 60 votes needed to move forward. It could derail a government funding bill is a temper to say it will refuse to vote for a spending bill and there must be approved by september 30th to avoid a shutdown today the plan at the white house. [applause] [applause] [applause] that is so cool to be able to do that. [laughter] this says said jan incredibly wicked cool moment to stand here right now it would not effected come close to describe how i feel it means a lot to fate everyone who has worked so hard and waited so long for this very day to come. [applause] looking around this ruth many of you have been planning this fight for a long time we baby too old remember just how old for how long that is but has not tampered our enthusiasm such talking about what needs to be done and what we could do with a good understanding of how it can make a difference but today we are actually doing it. [applause] the road has come far to look at how many new faces have joined in this by as obama will tell the Climate Changes were the most important issues reface as a country and citizens of the world that affects everything we know and everyone breathed of our ability to earn a decent living our safety and the likelihood that one thing is Crystal Clear acting on the climate is a moral responsibility a and thankfully no leader in anywhere has understood that better or articulated that more forcefully than our president nobody has read on this as fearlessly as he has from date never one to see as what it was as the core American Values as communities to safeguard those that our most full verbal he did not back down from the challenge because of his leadership and trust of the people at the epa to get the job done right and they got the job done right. [applause] we now have a shot at protecting the beautiful planet of ours. It is a historic moment we are forging ahead and there is no turning back i am confident they huge steps forward were taking today to show what is possible to encourage countries to join in the fight because Climate Change is a challenge we can conquer together. [applause] i could not be happier we have the right person leading this charge for us. With that, i am honored and humble am proud to introduce our president , barack obama. [cheers and applause] they give so much. Thank you. Everybody have a seat. The afternoon. The queue not just for the introduction of vat the incredible work you and your team have been doing to make sure we have clean air and clean water today called of members of congress as well who has been fighting at great collides with others with the willingness to do take on a the key challenges and also our Surgeon General was doing outstanding work to make that connection between the critical issue in the health of our families. For six and a half years, i you take on the toughest challenges of our time from rebuilding our economy after a devastating recession and warning and the billboards and bringing almost all the troops home strengthening security through diplomacy but i am convinced that no challenge posed the greater threat to our future and future generations than the changing climate and that is what brings us here today. Not everyone here is a scientist but seven you are among the best of the of world as you add your colleagues have been showing us for years that human activities are changing climate in dangerous ways. Levels of Carbon Dioxide that heats up the atmosphere are higher than in 800,000 years. 2014 was the plan its warmest year on record and we are setting a lot of records in terms of for messrs. Over the last decade. One year does not make a trend but 40 now the f15 has fallen within the first 15 years of this century. With the future we are predicting for children or grandchildren but to live with every day. We cannot say any single weather event is caused by Climate Change we have seen stronger storms and droughts and long for wildfire season now miami floods at high tide. Shrinking icecaps force National Geographic to make the biggest change in its dallas since the soviet union broke apart. Nationwide data rates have more than doubled said Climate Change puts those americans at greater risk of landing in the hospital we are the first generation to feel the impact of Climate Change than the last generation to do something about it. That is i commit to the davis challenge because there is such a thing as being too late. Most of the issues that i deal with across my desk i dont deal with issues that easy to solve because somebody else is already sold them. Samara car door frustrating but most of the time and to anticipate things Getting Better but we have to plug away. Even incrementally this says day rare issue because of the magnitude and the scope that if we dont get it right we may not be able to reverse. Oh or adapt. There is such a thing as to be too late when it comes to Climate Change. [applause] there is nothing we can do about it. We can take action and. America has been working to use more clean energy throughout our economy and to to set new fuel economy standards to go twice as far on a gallon of gas combined with lower gas prices was 700 to accomplish your to double down on investment of Renewable Energy to generate three times as much wind power 20 times as much solar power in 2008. These steps are making a difference over the past decade as the economy continues to grow we have cut total Carbon Pollution more than any other nation on earth. [applause] but i. M. Here to say to protect our economy and a Childrens Health we have to do more. With the focus of the past six years and there and i guess well talk about the extraordinary progress to generate clean energy and how we can boost that even further to be the First American m president to visit where the fellow americans have seen communities devastated by melting ice of the notions of the impact of marine life. To get the worst impact and today we are here to announce the clean power plant three years in the making the single most important step america has ever taken in the fight of global Climate Change. [applause] cry now with Carbon Pollution for the airplanes and the homes generate combined. That is the air the kids period there has never ben federal limits on the amount that they can jump into the air will limit the toxic chemicals like mir better off for it all existing power plants dump of limited amounts of pollution into the air. But for the sake of our kids and health and safety of all americans, that has to change for the sake of the planet. Three years ago i directed the epa to take on these challenges. With the First Nationwide standard with the pollution of power plants. [applause] betty each state has the chance to put its own plan for reducing emissions. With some natural gas this plan reflects that not everybody is starting in the same place so the time and the flexibility day need in a way that works the best for those that take action sooner rather than later because time is not on our side as they work to meet the targets they can build on the progress theyre already making. To reduce emissions and sang create new jobs in the process nearly one dozen states have set up the market based programs and half of the states have us set Energy Efficiency targets over 1,000 years signed an agreement to cut Carbon Pollution in their cities and 13 of the Biggest Companies including gm to cut emissions to deploy a more clean energy. The idea virtus set standards is not new or radical but what is new that starting today washington and will catch up with the vision of the rest of the country and setting the standards we can speed up to a cleaner and safer future of Carbon Pollution from power plants would be 32 lower than one decade ago. Tsa were keeping a hundred 70 million tons of car ben dioxide pollution out of the atmosphere. [applause] this simple way to say that from 108 million American Homes to take 166 million cars off the road by a 2030 we will reduce premature death by nearly 90 and thanks to the plan 90,000 fewer asthma attacks with our children each year. [applause] by combining this with greater investment in the Energy Sector by word game with the world to achieve a climate agreement you can do more to stop that Carbon Pollution. This is the right to think to do. Thank you to do with the right way over the of one guest engaged process they fielded more than for a million Public Comments with environmental groups and people across the country to make sure we were doing was realistic and achievable but still ambitious. Tanya brown has joined up with moms across america us to spread the dangers to the health of our children including her daughter. There she is right there. Spending her career researching a healthier impact at the Cleveland Clinic and those whose lives are impacted every single day. Thank you. To rally the women thank you so much for your leadership. [applause] and she has done a pretty important guy on her side as was made clear this summer taking a stand against Climate Change is a moral obligation and living up to that every single day. There will be critics of what were trying to do there will be cynics then say it cannot be done. Long before the details were even decided with special interest reword saying this plan will cost you money they will save them 85 million on their energy bills. Read 82 investments for Clean Energy Even though theyre happy to spend billions of dollars of vera to subsidize the oil companies. They say the plan will kill jobs even though the transition to a cleaner Energy Economy creates 10 times faster and with the war on call will happen to revitalize coal country to trade those for better paying and healthier jobs. They have been losing for decades i want to work with congress to help them. For for the reasons to help those mias but even though Climate Change hurts those of are the most vulnerable. An africanamerican child is more than twice as likely to be hospitalized from asthma and a latino child is more likely to die so stop protecting ben air that debris of. [applause] [cheers and applause] here is the thing. We have heard these same arguments before every time americans make progress it has been despite. whenever they set smarter standards for water or air or Childrens Health about killing jobs and businesses and freedom. I will go off script here for just a second. [laughter] it is important because sometimes i feel there is nothing we can do tomorrow is my birthday so i am trying to reflect on age to think about what were doing here today and was reminded about landing in moscow angeles as a 18 yearold as a college freshman. Late august i was moving from hawaii. I got to the campus with pentup energy and wanted to go run and after about five minutes i had a weird feeling i could not breathe. Every said was back in 1979, los angeles still was so full of smog that there were days people who were full their goal just could not go outside and that was fairly frequent. And the folks who are older than me can remember the river affected from pollution and acid rain trying to destroy all the great forest of the northeast. And if you fast for word in 34 years later and we solved those problems but at the tide the same characters who are going to be criticizing this plan were saying this will kill jobs this will destroy businesses. This will further lower income people and it will be wildly expensive and each time they were wrong. Iran because we push through despite the scaremongering tactics you can actually run in the los angeles without choking. And folks can actually take a boat out of data river and of the forest are there. We can have learned lessons and we have to know our history. The kinds of criticisms that youre going to hear are simply excuses for inaction. Not even Good Business sense that it underestimated American Business or American Ingenuity when republican president Richard Nixon decided to do something about the smog their boards have the new pollution standards would decimate the Auto Industry as a catalytic converters worked the amended gasoline part than the air got cleaner. In 1990 when republican president george h. Jeffrey do bush said about half said reagan that businesses will suffer a quiet death it did not happen because it as said rates dramatically and it cost much less because businesses once incentivized could figure it out. Cancer causing chemicals and did not end the oil industry or the plastics industry but chemist came up with better substitutes the fuel standards we put in place a couple years ago did not cripple the automakers they retooled and today theyre selling the best cars in the world that a faster pace of almost a decade with more plugged in sand hybrids and fuel efficient cars giving consumers more choice than ever before and saving families at the pump. We can figure this stuff out. As long as we dont take the path of least resistance. Scientist and as citizens together as americans we disrupt those staled debates to up dead that thinking and right now we are inventing whole new technologies and industries not looking backwards but four words. And if we dont do it to nobody will. The only reason that china is now looking at getting serious about its emissions because they sell we would do at also. When the world faces the toughest challenges america leads the way forward. That is what this plan is about to. [applause] i dont want to fool you. This will be hard to deal with a machine to in its entirety. It is challenging. No single action or country will change the warming of the planet on its own but today with american abating the way countries representing 70 from the world Energy Sector have announced plans to cut Greenhouse Gas emissions in december with a chance to put in place one of the most Ambitious International climate agreements and history. And it is easy to be cynical to say it is just too big to solve but ive absolutely convinced that is wrong we can solve this but it is exactly the type of challenge that is big enough to remind us bier in this together. Last month for the First Time Since it 1972, nasa released a blue marble a single snapshot from the airspace so much has changed in the decades of the pitcher generations have come and gone the global population has nearly doubled. But our planet is as beautiful as ever and still looks blue. Is fast but also fragile and as miraculous as anything in this universe. The blue marble belongs to all of us and the kids who were here. There are more than 7 billion people the matter what country theyre from a matter what language they speak everyone can look at this image to say that is my home. Were the first generation to feel the impact of Climate Change and were the last generation to do something about it. We only get one home we only get one planet. There is no plan be. I dont want my grand kids not to be able to swim in hawaii or not climb a mountain to see a glacier because we did not do something about it. I know what millions of peoples of lives disrupted in the world more dangerous because we did not do something about it. That would be shameful of us. We have to do get this right to do Something Better for our kids. Lets make most of that opportunity. Thank you. God bless you. [applause] recalling his debate from the campaigns former Texas Governor period says he would eliminate as president of the federal agency. Texas created almost onethird of all new private sector jobs in the United States. In the past you mention and cutting federal agencies we talked tonight about the dead and size of government not working. Was specifically what agencies would you cut . I have heard this before. [laughter] when you look at the federal government obviously with the size and the concept to shrink the size come if anybody gets up off the stage whether these capable candidates are some of the left to say any way to go forward without cutting or growing, those are the two things we must do and we have to cut spending i know about that we had a 10 billion budget shortfall in 2003 and we made those cuts to tell people that is how you have to live your life and the government has to learn to do that as well the states that have been successful the governors have done that we cut that 10 billion out of the budget and the regulatory climate to make it fair and predictable the most sweeping tort reform in the nation and the result was health care that exploded across the state of texas and b have access to health care then the cave back into recession within 8 billion surplus that is what you can do in this country that if you put those principles into place the greatest days of america is in front of us. I take we would get started i am the president of the foundation and we are glad to have here we have had more interest in this program than any other half day briefing we have sponsored take you to our sponsors the when foundation and that a a Rp Foundation you will meet them later on and i will turn it over to linda. We will move right into logistics i will introduce help helen secretary of communications and coordinating Media Coverage around the visit of pope frances next month while we are here, she has been with them since to a zealous and seven as a major player to bring the church into the social mediates the Catholic Press Association Gave her the say france is a war for personal achievement and were happy to have her jury us today. I appreciate you willing to work with me to get started on time. I have of being that is mandatory for read to be at at 10 00. I have a few slides deviltries three doublea1 shoot give more time to ask questions. Very quickly telesco over what is different from previous papal opposites when Pope Benedict came to work with colleagues that were at the conference for the previous visit the credential and social media that we offer to return the list, the 50,000 lovell of the schedule and specifically as we reach out to the general public. The level of interest is one aspect we had a great deal of interest 2008 but this is unprecedented be closed credentials on friday and we have over 7,000 applications from individuals and about 600 outlets that have passed for space at the venue where the pope francis will appear he intends to speak first in spanish spend to alternate with an english translator to go back and forth. That is new for us. Social media 2008 it was just beginning we had long conversations over whether we would credential blotters or not. Yes we are reduced even bother this door route. [laughter] just though whole landscape has changed dramatically with Live Streaming but the part of a bite to of the size is when we started to plan with the vatican bacchae in january, from the very beginning every time iraq asked the question and is a builtin to the media read the answer was yes absolutely we would like to see it available around the world so were working with the networks to have coverage of every event we close credentials on friday this is only for the venues for which the church has responsibilities so we do not credential for the white house or congress or the United Nations but Everything Else. We anticipate we will try to be engaging in conversations in spanish and english have already asked folks to start using the pulp in u. S. Working to have simultaneous translation and while he is speaking in spanish or english. At this point we have not tilted into details of rigo the u. N. Is already planning simultaneous translation and. We will have a silent center in each city and this is a ready been offered to be distributed to you but i each Filing Center will have a live video feeds and copy of the speeches and i have asked we have those in english and spanish and they are aware of the need to have them as soon as possible. Though whole a father does take great personal interest and opted to revise it is extemporaneously as he is speaking. Just a word of that. We will have that interview the holy father is not entertaining request for individual interviews. It already has been determined of that privilege and of course, he does do the interviews with that group that is the only time he entertains interview is the we have other people to talk with. Also zero different this trip is everyday well have everything from the Filene Center who is the press officer end the fighting centered to bring the media for the venue to use that to bring them in on buses who work with the secret service and other agencies to you can get where you are supposed to be to make sure those places are filled. But in washington is the marriott marquee to be associated with the Convention Center is so just think of marriotts. You will need a secret service credential to go in to the Filing Center. And that will run very quickly through scheduling but coming in from cuba a tuesday evening and we will have a briefing but the next morning he goes to the white house and then immediately after to the cathedral to have midday prayer it is not a mass but the official prayer of the church to have remarks there in spanish. Indian the project he will celebrate there. But there anticipated to be there and also officially recognized a st. But immediately after you pulled go to st. Patricks with a Charity Center and those to use plastic afternoon he leaves gf jfk and is the sentence and then to new grow over to ground zero with because of the offensive men 11 to a french responders. Around the two pools of the zero incited is called the budget he and then to have mass at Madison Square garden. He gets up to go to philadelphia and has mass there with the faithful archdiocese and is greeted by seminarians which is where he will be in residence those two days. Then he goes down to independence hall. To have the event on religious freedom and a multi even to celebration of musec and presentations he will be there about 90 minutes but the festival i think is four hours of the Benjamin Franklin parkway. Of the next to have been but so we will meet with the group that it is incarcerated that is most the younger people and we will speak in spanish and english and then on the franklin parkway we could have up to 2 Million People that want to participate then he goes back out with wheels up 8 00 sunday night. The anticipated date is august 15 and it is called Catholic Church a think but we will provide Live Streaming on all of these events to encourage people including all the view that have stories about those you want to get here to see pope francis and we recognize the intensity of the interest we are encouraging those do do stains locally to do those things locally. The web site is a place where people can catch the light streaming we will have day password section for the journalist resources that we are developing right now. If you want to write down anything we have the go to site and if ahab logistical questions send those to the ge mail address. I know that you have mine which is fine but if you send to this one that means it will not get lost in the other stuff i have going on. That is of a quick flight through this city one have any specific questions or anything else . Go to u. S. Papal visit. Org there is of a link to the secret Service Web Site which is where you go to get the provincial credential. We are hoping there are other experts. We are compiling all of that. Yes. For the st. Matthews cathedral event, can you give us the sense how much press will be allowed who else will be in there besides the bishops . Is not a large area. And i dont know the full cast last but there will be limited access for media inside the are working on risers but it will be limited. But that is no longer an option. You could still get to a though website if you need to buy wheat closed on the venues and the Daily Briefing . It is all live stream. But it will be possible . It is public it will be part of the speed we will feed the of five briefings what is provided from the u. S. Tv pool. It will be live . They accuse. If we applied for a venue will we get the secret service credential or do we do that separately . You will use that to have access. Bed if we have done that already then to the also need to separate . Yes. If were already applied rigo need to do anything. You are a good. You may get the venues that you want you will have your credential. Theyre going through background checks right now. Now i will introduce William Douglas a Congressional Correspondent for mcclatchy a newspapers he reports sunday York City Schools and clinton second term the iraq were now he is covering congress and the president ial election. He it is it getting an thank you for having me. Ill lookout there to see familiar faces. From the capitol hill perspective of the speech to congress, this will be very different. If i had to describe the importance, and this could be like the head of state visit on sterilants in terms of demand from members of congress to be in the chamber and people complain congress doesnt do a lot of things the last week they managed to vote them out of the chamber they cannot be allowed in for this speech because all the seats will be filled with members of the house and senate and normally when heads of states this even with the Prime Minister did on the off do you have Staff Members or in turns filling seats about what happened this time around i doubt there will be a member of congress who would want to skip this. But for our selfish purposes , it will be a challenge for reporters to want to cover the speech. Going back to the state of the union, going back to a normal head of state but a regular head of state. Normally we go to the house and senate and the press or very accommodating. This time around it is more complicated because it isnt just us as the Congressional Press but the Foreign Press and find room for the traveling press so it will be very, very tight that is already a tight space as it is. If youre not credentialed reporter for a capitol hill if you do not have a hard to pass you will not give the u. S. Capitol that day they will not honor those stickers. But even with the hard past there is no guarantee will get into the chamber if you have not made a request i would suggest that you do so today. It will be very, very limited as people though there are x numbers of seats inside the chamber and of course, the Wire Services have their seats and the other longtime capitol hill publications will bore them likely get and. Those who are occasional visitors even with a horrid past there is no guarantee. That means those that may visit from time to time if you feel you want to be and the chamber i would suggest you start calling a the galleries are come up with the plan be relatively fast. It will be very tight he speaks at to the koch promptly so get into the building early. It is a rise you go through the house and senate set to go through security i would say my your own time to give yourself time to get set up. I would defy a is you all to do that or maybe even earlier there are nice cafeterias that you can buy your time but just to avoid the hassle because there will be a hassle because there is more people and they will be much more thorough than day pretty are an day will take it to another level. Care of yourself time. Bring what you need the zero also help with the securities so dont bring nt times this stuff. Dont bring your urgent bag security will go much quicker. For those you did not get to end, the speaker has opened the west front there will be a jumbo drawn it is ticketed so citizens just cannot walk up and expect to get an and watch. I was a just choose is a sense to have a desire to do that call your member of congress i am not quite sure how the ticketing those but i assume that maybe like inauguration you call a member to see if you can get your ticket. I paid all i know is it is limited. Ltd. To is that capacity and by the sheer numbers that will be theirs might not have the intelligence of the exact number but if u. S. Cover the head of state speech and you have then to the gallery, you know, how long the of rosa are and how many bench seats. It would be based on that. That is the upshot about getting in if you have questions i can try to answer them. Please hold off until the king gave you a microphone. Is the press eating on the west . Theyre still working through that. Q talk from coming in through the Office Buildings and many are accustomed to walk through the almost no security at all that secret service will be beefed up as well. That is for a Capitol Police but when you have heads of state with the Prime Minister netanyahus speech or rand the dali lama comes this does certain level of security this would be a very high level so yes there will be much more than what youre used to seeing. You mention and dont bring the gym bag of what would you say are the essentials . What do you need to bring . Your laptop or notebook dash recording devices. Your phone and pictures and the basics reporting tools that you require. Obviously if your tv or radio you have but pack your bags smart to get yourself through security quickly. If you are not able to get into the capital not one of the lucky people you are standing outside but would reduce there the best tips if theyre looking for the of live stream on their from that would be possible. There are some opportunities if you are one of the reporters on the west front watching us jumbo try to have Automatic Access to people to interview which is the vintage of the reporter who sits inside the chamber because once that speech begins and ends, you are pretty much going to be where you are and stuck in place and your ability to get around, like to joke you are a stuck pig because you can only go to the briefing area or one holiday inn in congress you are the free range ticket but if youre in the press gallery that is where you are in the Senate Press Gallery or their. Or the west front so if you have an idea it will not be that easy. Killed a fellow do anything with statutory all . I have not heard anything but i would tend to doubt that just because of security. The previous speaker laid out the agenda that if he does the off the record no. I think that would be difficult. [laughter] call your member of congress to make a date to speak 45 minutes after the speech but if youre looking for the instant reaction try to rollcall in the advance of taking call you shortly after the speech. If you said dont have press credentials on a regular basis so if you go to one place in you could get access what is the best office to call . You had a lot of ideas. But access to congress means call the press gallery if you can get in to the press section. You will not get onto the floor. But if you are in on a member of congress or to i would call them to see where they plan to be after words just to see if you can read them personally or talk to them over the phone. If you are compelled to be at the capitol, do you have a hard pass . My colleagues do. They can get into the building. It will be a challenge but again i would try to arrange will have a hard time several hours ahead . Garett there is a chance they could get into a press gallery. But that does not guarantee, i will go over this two ways. The Senate Press Gallery there is assigned seating. We have desks there. If you are sitting here have desks there and then there are open areas. If you can get there in time with an open area given a shot. The out press gallery there is not assigned seating so what happens with heads of state summit people get there as early as they can put the laptops down and plug them in and basically laid their claim to that space. There will be a race for that on that day. If you have a hard passe and can get in there i wouldnt get there early to get my laptop to say dont move me. Even when i have gone there a 9 00 every seat was taken. That tells you something. [laughter] just on a regular work day of the hill. I dont know what time they will open the gallery. As it gets closer you may ask them what time they plan to open that up. But if you need to write from their get there as early as you possibly could. Again, if you get there too early there are cafeterias, there is work you have the space to do it but check to see what time they plan to open and get there as early as humanly possible. Have you covered . Maya understanding is they will be doing in addition to the hard pass but a separate credentialed for the speech. That is what i have heard. They said as the date approaches we will let you know,. Obviously there will be a lot of demand so we are trying to accommodate as many people as possible but i have not heard back. I think what they mean is with the state of the union, they give us a ticket to go into the chamber may be that is what they are referring to. It is still early on that and. Just keep been contacted and they will let you know, but i think that is what theyre referring to. For those who dont cover the hill all the time, who is the person they should contact andy you have an email address . I would call the House Press Gallery and the Senate Press Gallery. Whoever answers the phone could provide information and the point people i can give you the numbers after words. You can get the director. Gore just call the capital they can also plug you into the gallery. Clearly this will be a very challenging event for reporters. William douglas thank you so much. [applause] i will bring you back but right now for the next panel if they will make their way to the front i am looking at kalee, but anybody who is your, uh come on up. I will introduce these speakers but my introductions are very brief and i would encourage all of you to read the full introduction in your packet and if your watching on cspan you can find those bio of the zero web site of the national press. Org. We will address the issues that the pope has really brought to the for that clearly are on his mind and i am very pleased to have so many experts here to help us i will start right here with demetrios distinguish senior fellow and president emeritus of the Migration Policy Institute a nonprofit independent Research Institution that studies migration trends and their effects. A leader in of several International Initiatives that aim to develop new approaches to the problems of migration and competitiveness and human capital. Were very honored to have him with us this morning. Please set says president of the aarp for a station as a leader in setting the direction to combat poverty and hunger and other social issues we are pleased to have her with us and kalee special adviser for clyde but science at the United Nations validation she previously spent nearly seven years working as a researcher with former Vice President al gore to market several books and a film that you may remember called an inconvenient truth. Were pleased to have all of you. To moderate i will hand over to jason the capitol hill editor for rollcall that previously edited National Journal and also worked for green wire. Faqs so much. I appreciate you having me it is an honor to be here. These panels can be helpful to help choose sort through what is truly a unique event that combines all of the elements of the inauguration , instead of the union, and a rock concert. The logistics on this are a marvel to behold. But with the next panel we will talk more about those logistics bear right now we want to use hero and on the big issues particularly the pope has made a part of his portfolio that happens to be three of the most contentious end debated