Transcripts For CSPAN2 Preserving 20240703

Out have been responsible for trying to recover overpayments both fraudulent and those caused by administrative error. Historical association considered how at the end a unique position and Educational Institution and Historical Institution to be the convening of the nations president ial fight. An honor for me to Share Committee that time, it was fantastic. I believe it is our best one so on behalf of our committee, board of directors, National Council on white house history will handle the staff of the association thank you for coming to washington d. C. Will and furthering the dialogue on education look forward to weaker networking and robust conversations about actions we can take to further this important work. An aspiring first day already starting with a special visit to white house with the first lady. We are grateful to doctor biden and her hospitality and support of the White House Historical association. Finding, 62 years ago first ladies and our greatest champion and we are deeply grateful for support company for generous support of the 2023 president ial, my pleasure to introduce sherry carter, Vice President of Global Engagement will speak more about our partnership info and support of the summit. Have a wonderful. [applause] good evening and thank you for your kind introduction and for your leadership of the chair of the summer. Also proud to be a partner and see you all here tonight and this beautiful old victorian. This is an important opportunity and a big thank you for hosting us in the library of congress and White House Historical association for convening us all. I was very earlier to mark the 75 anniversary of president trumans executive order to desegregate the military. Similar to that night, couldnt see a better backdrop of the Worlds Largest every of history, knowledge, focus to celebrate our president ial fight around the country. An Iconic American Company with employees and all. Over the past decade, invested nearly 40 million in a Bipartisan Group of president ial libraries. Supporting their collection and Community Programming to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation. United States History and our democracy. Future leaders are not made but developed. Exposure to education as a student is an essential step to becoming engaged in community minded. In the words of president abraham lincoln, the schoolhouse and one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next. It will not only become future politicians but scientists, astronauts and thats what we are looking for. Military leaders and more taxing and the challenges of tomorrow and defining the next generation. So proud to stand alongside all of you as you do important work around the country. I look forward to being part of these discussions in the days ahead and proud to be here and i hope you enjoy your evening. [applause] good evening, i am stuart and i know most of you, if not, be great friends by the end of the week. Out of curiosity, how many of you have attended all three will the bus going you and we appreciate you here is entire week. I like to think our guest and live broadcast out over the west on our site and amplified all over the country. I would like to begin by thanking our and the library of congress and historical association, the honorable john, the white house this afternoon and other Board Members here tonight as well as National Council of white house history. These are our ambassadors coast to coast will see one of our Board Members is Anita Mcbride who has chaired the previous two and those on our board and and i want to thank my colleagues on his back for their work day and night the past few weeks. [applause] thank you for your support not only for your plan for 25. It may be in washington for someone else to the determined and announced believe you all will either. The first lady that something out of the bag so i think i need to explain a little bit about what she was talking about and i am honored that she did to raise her enthusiasm. She is literally our partner to make this happen. The white house is what goes on 16 pennsylvania avenue. In the coming months opening september of next year will be an extraordinary interactive experience on white house education unparalleled by anything else and we are excited about it in terms of their impact people in this room who will be more involved in it could not be more excited than the supporters to make this experience awesome we will announce the name of this and some other things and i hope you will all pay attention. To begin tonight, you are in for a real treat and a true visionary dedicated champion of history who is going to be our moderator. Our panel is moderated tonight by mr. David rubenstein a friend of anyone here, unwavering limit preserving our nations rich historical heritage has been nothing short of transformational. His robust Financial Investment not only to the White House Historical association but each of these organizations represented by our panelists on the stage tonight, remarkable and i know its hard in these wonderful sites. Our panel will include analyst, the 19th director of sorry. My page just got out of order. Mr. Root is visionary leader, insightful history passionate advocate for the preservation and celebration of American History. His dedication to ensure the white house and its history remains accessible to all is a testament in his belief of the army are passed to ensure we all enjoy a brighter future. As we gather here tonight to store significant sites, our president impact on our collective memory and their role in shaping our entire nations narrative mother could be knowing that rubenstein to read leave this conversation. Running this conversation doctor bonnie bunche, of inclusivity and empathy 14 secretary of the smithsonian. The smithsonian related basis every facet of history and we at the White House Historical are honored all are published by us on the history of slavery in the white house we anticipate will be published by the convening on the next summit in 2025. Carla, our host is the guardian knowledge and culture as the 14th librarian of congress ensuring our stories are preserved, cherished in excess of. Can director for the National Park Service Landscape and landmarks for history itself will tangible exportable connections for our past throughout the country. We have an honor to have a longstanding collaboration with the National Going back to our founding in 1961. Our fourth panelist, you all know is 80 this afternoon as is the 11th first woman to serve in this role. The arguments of the United States protects and shares historic gyms within the vast tapestry of our government records. Until her nomination for President Biden last, who were honored to have connie White House Historical association and director of the david and rubenstein National Support for white house history. Together, these five Brilliant Minds will write dialogue this evening and explore interplay between legacies, historic preservation, challenges the only face, the need for Civic Education in our country and the imprint the white house leaves on our collective mind so several days in washington d. C. , insights tonight into the president ial white house related history to reimagine the power, past and trajectory of our shared future, join me in welcoming our distinguished panel. [applause] [applause] this is a group of it down to business. Thank you for here. Is it true you have the declaration of independence the constitution here for many years and when the archives of the and your predecessors wouldnt give it up. We have patient, that was one of the first to the National Archives in my predecessor was a little came and pulled up and officially gave we did keep Thomas Jefferson stroked. You still have that . We still have that. [laughter] before the archives. The library of congress is due to president George Washington and they were all digitized now and its wonderful. So we kept and have the Pearl Necklace and earring Marriott Lincoln for so we are partnership and will work with the smithsonian. All these president ial documents, wouldnt it be easier for the archives to have it . [laughter] no. Nose legislation 1957 in the library has to digitized so into something years. With you have . The National Park service, what is the most visited museum or memorial that you have . We have tens of millions who amazes me still coming out to enjoy those and we are telling a richer history will tell people the stories of lincoln and the Lincoln Memorial is making the most visited, how do you account go . We have this is a long time ago we that. Allowed to warm up to the monument . The elevators. Is there any room for anymore . There are restrictions and of course we are happy to have conversations about that. You are the head of the National Archives [applause] so your predecessor showed the office when he was eight or nine years old he wrote letters to president johnson and they kept covid and became they retrieved those letters, ever wrote letters to the president when you were little . I wrote a letter and as an college, Hillary Clinton she was first and asked her to come to Boston College so when i was confirmed secretary clinton brought me a nice letter and enclosed was a copy of the email. What did you ask her . I think to speak there. At the time when president clinton was advocating for healthcare reform and she was traveling the country. We have president ial library built and archives, is that right . Is every president need a library . I think our president ial library exams abilities across the country, gateways and. The latest one is president obama but there are no papers, no library. Its going to be the digital archive in can do just president will sign, access the papers, you are going to be able to go online to the digital archive that way. The archives in the president ial library, you have to visit each one here . I have been torn apart and i have my president ial passport keep it in my purse and thing i do arrived at the library, im going to go around the library and get my passport and outgoing and they wanted to charge a fee or something my drivers license and they said its unnecessary. [laughter] so what is the most of the president ial library . Connect reagan mayor is the most number of lbj library has a number of search. The story of Lyndon Johnson didnt think theres enough people, he wanted people to go to the library so long, free restrooms inside. [laughter] so what memorabilia or not you have 21 museums, you must have a fair number of president ial things yeah. The american presidency and got the declaration of independence the microphones they are or fireside chat. Abraham lincolns top hat and the material from the assassination. What people seem to love is green some pajamas last night you know what he did. [laughter] people ask if they can wear the pajamas so the first ladies down, why is that a big attraction . I think what is so important is the understanding the first ladies were when it was first created it is about women and what they were but now we understand the role the womens they spokespeople and leaders, symbols of people set expect in america so its important exhibition and paired with the american presidency, people understand power and the fact that even the people have names you dont know they were the most in the nation. You have to deal with living president s, the africanAmerican History open, you have three president s that, as i would you pay the most attention to and how did your dealer . Every president is important as long as they are in office but i was so moved president george w. Bush is one of the first champions museum, president obama felt it was crucially important and spoke at the opening President Trump felt it was important enough to visit. That was pretty good. [laughter] let me ask you on the average Number Museum public. I thought there would be things like the material we have the customer Civil Rights Movement the most important thing will collect said i would like the time that he wrote songs on and he said im not going to give you a guitar lesson take my car and he had in 1972 kamala was like i dont want this but you got to take the i sent this young man to get the guitar in the up next and they sent it back. He gets there yelling, he doesnt trust you, hes not going to give you anything so i get on the phone and i said what i just cannot work for the federal government, im not going to give government anything he said the government attacked him too much how dare i ask him and i said okay, literary need to get you to trust . Have uk 170 and i dont care what concerns, even and smile he served was 20 ice cream sandwiches. [laughter] heavenly a fair share, he signed it so the public, all that i wanted was for them to see the guitar and the candy apple red cadillac, who knew. The original idea for when he later became president , he gets the credit . Credit for establishing it and Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had a Large Library the british, they burned down the library of congress so what did jefferson do the library of congress. Being used some of the capital and jefferson and present in the e United States, over 6000 covered henry subject so he had the opportunity to fill his election and solar told it to the Library Congress paid for it . Is a discussion about it because he has a collection. Some of his or not sufficiently christian and i think the books and okay so the library of congress they met at 16, you can there are 19 so you can come and look at the materials and visit and we have a good to go from normal 179 items. They have they return them . [laughter] we keep track and ask politely, no. Behind . No fines. They do appropriate. When jeffersons collection, the books sold, some were burned in the subsequent fire over the years the library trying to replace them, how many do you have the equipment of. About three quarters. You have jeffersons copy of the declaration of independence. Yes we have start to distract of the declaration of independence we have the gettysburg address. The Library Congress has three Main Buildings named after president s, what are they each. Jefferson first the library of Congress Really took over the copyright system for the United States and it was very helpful. The National Washington d. C. . Which ones . That is a great question. Walking through lincolns home in springfield bid the banister the ghostly first floor to the second floor as you walk down the same banister the president held going down but its the closest ive ever gotten to touching a former president. Im just getting excited because my family is from springfield, illinois. And that was such a thrill. I would spend the summers there and going to lincolns home. You restore these homes . Suppose the president said i grew up here and where to get the money to do that . Well from congress. And we have a number of associations that help us across the United States were very generous. We get a number of private donations the American Public that really help us to restore the grantor. What is most visited president ial home . I would have to go look it up. Im sure it has to be lbj we have free bathrooms like that. [laughter] what propels you to join the park Service Years ago . And outside of him to the National Park service for 20 months. But how my foundation began over 30 years ago as a young sailor while attending Intelligent School in virginia. The young cilia dont get much money. We would make a trip for as many memorials in mainz or maine to florida it we did its the greatest foundation a Young American can have. By walking in the footsteps of your fellow americans. Whether that was travel people in maine and massachusetts and connecticut whether it is walking into the immigrants that came in the start of the colonies. All the way is truly a fascinating to spend with four friends. To oversee nonpresident ial things. President s were responsible for getting them started. You oversee and yellowstone . Yes. Is it safe to go up to buffalo and bison and touch it . Please dont do that. Do not touch the fluffy cow. You put your thumb up you can still see the animal you are too close. You have a lot of people to go up and try to pet these animals . Is that a good thing . Please help at the cougars. Please dont try to touch the most. They will show you they are still wild. The National Archives today, where is your Main Building . Its right in washington d. C. If you have other facilities . Are right off the National Mall and pennsylvania constitution. That is where the declaration, the constitution, the bill of rights for the rotunda is. With 41 other facilities all across United States frequencies or facilities people can visit or just for storage . Many facilities are facilities where you can visit. With archival reading rooms and Research Rooms all across the United States. We have president ial libraries you can come in and visit into research as well. What is the most valuable objects you have . I would say the declaration it has to be our most valuable item. And on loan the magna carta. The declaration is not that visible it has been faded. We have the stone imprints. You can see the actual declaration. I went to see the connection of july 4, 1776 the original document. But then you can see the prince as well. Christmas if i understand every document a president is responsible for in his administration does not come to you automatically after he leaves office or she leaves office quester. Every president ial record is a permanent record that is correct. That includes tweets question went digital, everything . Whats it would include everything. And everything in the white house as well. Everyone working for the president progressive poster an average citizen who comes off the street and say id like to see his letters jon kennedy wrote to somebody or another. Can anyone off the street get access to these letters . Absolutely. President ial record of the property of the American People you might have to make an appointment we ask you make an appointment for going to visit one of our facilities. You have the archivists that are arranged to be able to do that but yes everybody can see those precooked to someone says i would like to take them home to do some research at home . You let them do that . We can make a facsimile highquality facsimile you can take that home. Okay. For those it may not be familiar with the smithsonian, when did the smithsonian get started . How many museums do you have and you have any more coming . [laughter] the smithsonian is this amazing institution that begins in the 1840s. It really has shaped the way america understands itself since then. The smithsonian was small initially the council was the first museum most collections were in a castle and had the arts industry building in the 1880s. There is not much until suddenly really the 70s and 60s you get the air and space museum. Now there are 19 museums in d. C. And in new york city. We are working on two new museums the National Latino and the smithsonian history museum. What i think its wondrous about the smithsonian as it has got 155 million artifacts. From the hope diamond to the right flier. One of the great georgia secretaries i get to walk through and see the whole thing. The other day i was actually with the lindbergh flyer the spirit of st. Louis looking inside, youre not supposed to touch it but hey im the secretary. [laughter] and so theres something really cool about what the smithsonian really is. Not that i am competitive with the archives are the park or the of the library of congress. You want to understand america you come to the smithsonian. [laughter] you had three president s at the kickoff ceremony, president clinton there, president obama and also you had president bush. So in that museum how long can it take you to build that museum . Did it take you six months or something to get it done . The desire to build the museum was a 100 year project i worked for 11 years. So for 11 years every waking moment i was think about building the museum. Something only american and david was there what it was america at its best. Coming together to say how do we do something that matters for the country . For me thats a moment i will never forget. One because it was finally done. And to that we are one nation. [applause] likes to make sure everybody understands how you get these positions there is the regents that are the governing body. When you are pointed the head of the smithsonian secretary had been approved by congress and confirmed quester. Know we get approved by the board of regents. Okay you are confirmed by congress . I was known to buy President Biden confirmed by the congress. Okay. You were appointed by the president present obama . Nominated. Confirm by congress . Yes. Your term used to be a lifetime but now it is changed to tenure terms. You are in the latter part. Next the seventh year. Are you appointed by the secretary and confirm by the congress question. No today what is the most enjoyable thing the park service does that you would say. Havent park Service Members . Water 25 parks. Have any parts . 125 across the great country. Twentyfive concessions. And nearly 250,000. That again . Was the best of those parks. If i go to visit one park what should i go to . Is gets me in trouble every time. Secretary reminds me im not going to let i love the grand teton. Like i want to Comfort Library of congress what is the thing i should see here . Whats the other two are at the british library. Click the member of congress is point to bharat can you let it out . The only bible that has gone out is the lincoln bible. Is there a bigger library anywhere in the world than yours . And noaa. Where the Worlds Largest library. Its so interesting. It really takes off from jefferson. How many people in the coolidge auditorium is named after Calvin Coolidge . Several people but it was mrs. Coolidge who wanted a concert hall and a stradivarius violin, one of those flutes was president madisons. A popular person played and worked. [laughter] two people come from all of the world to do research here . Yes. Yes. The research and we think about the main reading room with alice haley and Doris Kearns Goodwin so many of her books are here. Grix the president and people write about the president because you have more pre yes and we have things like the diaries of Teddy Roosevelt. One of the items people say what is an item . What is an item that has touched you when you look in his own hand on february 14, the light is gone out of congress for. What if someone says they want to see the diary of Teddy Roosevelt and somebody brings it out to them. Do you watch to make sure the not taken a page out . Oh yes very carefully. And yet make the appointment and you do it. But that point his wife in her in themother died in the same h. And touching history like that. When you were growing up did you put two wipers very much . Oh my goodness. But in springfield that was one of the first. You bring your books back on time did you pay fines . Okay i think he knows this. The first book when it learned about fines i was eight years old. Little storefront library. Somebody gave me a book. At the first time i saw myself in a book i loved that book it was about a little brown girl she was a brownie, i was a brownie she had a piano, it was me. Thats when it learned about Library Fines i kept it and kept it and kept it and kept it. How did you get interested in this area . You got a phd from yale . Political science. Why did she run for office . Washington d. C. In this area. George mason for the rest of by career pay took a year off to go and work in the senates. The fellowship. And i just loved working in Public Service. Set senate, library of congress, another archives. How did you get into this business . Did you really say what to be the head of the smithsonian . Absently not. For me it was happenstance finishing my phd. And was at an American University and living on a teaching assistant salary which meant i was broke. There is a returning students she was so old she was probably 40. She said her husband worked at the smithsonian i should go talk to him about a job. I thought who works at the smithsonian . Its where you take dates it because its free at. [laughter] that was my notion. I went down he took me too meet the secretary and because i knew i was not going to get a job i had a big afro, i had jeans on, i had an army jacket on. So i am comfortable. I am chatting away the next thing i know he said to me we might like to hire you and i said really . He said id love to work in American History and he said oh no we only have a job at the air and space museum. I said no, no im in 19th century history i do not Like Technology and i hate airplanes but he said so instructive that young man how much money are you making now . I told him he said you come to the smithsonian will make five times that that i said i am a smithsonian employee. [laughter] okay. When you were growing up in new jersey your father used to drive you down south sometimes youd stop in the smithsonian mode you stop here to see the museums here . Drive down south and are passing a battle field to see a sign for the museum with the confederacy. Dad can we stop . You gotta keep going. We pulled out a map with how much gas they needed. And we get to richland and he keeps driving. I am really crushed. Holes in its most pulls into the smithsonian part he said here is a place you can learn about history, learned about your self without work about the color of your skin. He knew we could not stop there. I did not know that. So for me the smithsonian was always this place i will never forget. It gave a 10yearold or 11yearold kid an opportunity to engage with what he loved. History without worrying about anything other than just the thirst for knowledge. For me being secretary was my way of thanking the smithsonian. Being that place where anybody can go and understand science, art, history, culture, understand yourself in a way that is free. Our first president was George Washington. [applause] [applause] or first president was George Washington. When you build the africanAmerican History museum you dug a very deep was there a risk the Washington Monument could you explain what is going to happen there . We are building the museum and initially were not going to go to d. I had this idea of lets go deep into something wonderful. And so what happened as we is weturned out we hit water. There was so much water because the water is a bubble thats also keeping the Washington Monument. The fear was if we mess with the water table you would have the Leaning Tower of washington. And so i was terrified. The own so i felt like we screwed up we couldnt get rid of the water. It kept filling up. We had a meeting or sing so do we have banded the project . I thought i was going to be the guide known as the person built the largest Swimming Pool on the mall. But luckily we realize to do about water . The dutch. So we called the dutch they were able to take back the water which i am grateful for. My mother called me and said whatever you do do not embarrass me. I do not want to see in the paper you knocked over the Washington Monument. So my mother who is 95 is happy. Park service only ask you this. You are redoing out see some of the monuments never take the Lincoln Memorial. What are you going to do with the Lincoln Memorial though make it better than it is now . Works one is my favorite as i come back to it year after year as i serve in different capacities and would come back to washington. The temple itself is fantastic. What most americans do not know is never seen. With a generous support such as yourself we are going to be able to actually bring folks. Now the men and it was men who built that the late 18th 19 work master craftsman we go down below and is cathedral lake. Opening it up to make more space we also have a larger library for folks. When you go underground is it terms of its color . There is some blued graffiti we are preserving it though. The lake around it is flooded or have other problems algae on what you doing about that. We reckon is how close it is the water days we are redoing the tidal basin wall. Thats of the children billiondollar project as we arent look at Climate Change and adaptation. In preparing the actual title. Do you go to the National Parks very much . You do you go every summer and visit the parks yourself . That you suit now tardy you cannot go incognito anymore. Would you go there do to help appear the head of the park service you dont tell people that . I try to enjoy the park of a. If you see someone doing something wrong to say hey im head of the park service you dont do that . I did do that once. I was folks who have their dog off the leash. I kindly said and the guy sit saidwho you think you are . Brexit you the first of native american descent has the head of the park service . Yes i am i the First American indian. I am walla walla. [applause] [cheering] a dozen years or Something Like that . Was i easily trace back my folks at least in the 1600s on my fathers side. On my mothers side at least to the late 1700s. Right now what you think the library of congress can do to educate people more about reading . Right now you have made interest and focus on educating children about reading. Why is that a big concern . Are people learning how to read well . Know they arent unfortunately and as you know we have a situation where people can read but they dont read. So when you think about what is happening so the National Book festival the library of Congress Puts on we are in our 20th year. First Lady Laura Bush started it. She had a very successful in texas. My predecessor asked him compton doctor james billing said why dont we have a festival here . He said yes we will have one here and he started it. Those types of things giving out literacy awards. Some people come to the National Book festival . Text wesley before the pandemic was about 200,000 and it is one day. So during a pandemic we had to close physically. But we did it virtually. Then that really expanded it so people all over the world were able to tune in. And have a partnership with cspan and book tv. You have a thing called the Congressional Research service. Which is designed to educate members of congress for they have questions and they asked for and how might members of Congress Make really good requests a year . It is all confidential. [laughter] however, calling was part of the congressional. It is about 500 people who are specialists in every area. They are similar to how it started the library of congress. They are the research arm, nonpartisan and my favorite they have embedded librarians. How do you know the people working Congressional Research service are not just going to check gpt in answering this . We know, we know. They are really good. They are really a force of progress you never tell members of Congress Just use google to get the answer . Spoiler alert librarians use google. Quick. Digitizing everything you have now . Know we are digitizing the things that are unique. The 38 Supreme Court justices. We have Oliver Wendell holmes. Things you would not see those diaries of Teddy Roosevelt. The things you would have have to have common person to see we digitize for quick sometimes give you the papers you have a lot of famous people who are not president s. Why would someone give you the papers . You digitize them or collate them or make them more accessible why would somebody give the library of congress or papers . One of the reasons is they know the papers will be not only preserved but made accessible to the public and we have specialists in just about every area. So oatmeal assignment for example left his papers to the library of congress and all of the music and theater arts and so that is one of the reasons picacho someone says they want to give you their papers but you dont want to tell of their not important enough to have papers at the library of congress had to gracefully tell them maybe somebody else to be a better place for them . There have been a few things. Especially items. We have a collection of for instance human hair. We have four locks of Thomas Jeffersons hair. Some person asked if he could have his hair. And we said well, no. So there is a collection group. How will these items fit into . Summonses are collections not good enough. Do you call the smithsonian or give it to them. [laughter] you dont do that. Not appropriate. I do not want to be competitively have president ial of president ialhear from 13 pre. Help the audience knows of that hair, how much of the president ial here was died you know . Could you tell how the some subsidingcame about. He was not even american how did this come about . The notion europeans look to the new nation what was it going to be like . There is a man name James Smithson who had never been to the United States he was a scientist he was fascinated by what america could be. And so he therefore left money to the smithsonian with a caveat. It was left to his nephew and if his nephew died before him the money would go to the smithsonian. Not that we would ever wish anyone ill but it was really important this money came to the smithsonian. When it came the nicest government was not sure about what is the money mean . Or the british trying to do . It took them a while to try to accept it. At one point the money was used to pay off some debts from the arkansas outland bus. Ultimately thanks to Jon Quincy Adams the money came to the smithsonian and their was a debate what was the smithsonian . The smithsonian has always been true to its mission which the increase in diffusion of knowledge buried there are debates whether it was a university, and in some ways the smithsonian is the best of both worlds is ripe with scholarship at the place for universities all over the world its a place that also collects tangible material that lets us understand what it means to be an american in the 1850s. What is it mean to be an american today . Was the greatest pleasure be the head of the park service . The greatest pleasure the greatest surprise was to be one of the caretakers of the white e house our partnership with the white house is fantastic. Knowing we have a Living Museum which the American People can come the grace of pleasure is working with the White House Historical. [laughter] that was the Biggest Surprise to me being able to be the caretaker of the peoples house for. The greatest pleasure big Library Congress . Works of so many treasures the real treasures are the staff to work. So for the first time were going to have a treasurers gallery thank you very much. First time we can bring the contents of abraham lincolns pockets out on the night he was assassinated. But you will also have the ability to talk to the curators to hear them pick whats the greatest pleasure of being the archivist of the United States . Whats it sharing the records with this Many Americans as possible. That is what i really get to light out of. I go down to the rotunda every day that i work the archives building. And i go to see people seeing the declaration, the constitution, the bill of rights for the first time may be the only time in their lives. That will never get old for me for. Chris pleasure be the head of the smithsonian is . Twofold. One 7000 people who work at the smithsonian who arm amazing public servants. The second is there is nothing more amazing than opening a drawer in the smithsonian pretty suddenly reach in, you pull out a little box for it square box you dont know what it is pretty open it is a compass. Look it up its the compass of lewis and clark when they went across the country. That is pretty cool. Let me ask all one final question. All of you presume we can make a lot more money if you were in Something Like private equity or Something Like that. [laughter] so why are you contents to make government oriented kind of salary is your mother ever said you could make more money in the hedge fund or private equity . She says that all the time. [laughter] but you do this and you like it because . What you do this because one im the historic and allows me too do i love which is understand how the past contextualizes who we are today. I pointed towards a better future. It is an opportunity to really sort of try to understand america through the wonders of the smithsonian. I will take the pay cut because of ever thought going to hedge funds why are you happy to do this job with a government salary . Because i believe in democracy without records you cannot have accountability without accountability you dont have democracy. [applause] [applause] not your mother is 92 years old has she ever said to you i think i know the stuart you are making more money when youre ahead of the Baltimore City Public Library and how long did it take before you told her at least salary a big library of congress was lower than the salary being the head . No one talks about that. [laughter] but probably those less money . Because wipers have meant so much to me and so many people that i know its a doorway to opportunity. So you have a chance to open up the Worlds Largest library to everyone is just something. You are on a government salary should go into the financial will do something important like private equity . My mother also brings that up. Where you happy tamika government salary or you can make marks money . I come from the reservation and we are the resource of the land. Tells us to take stewards of these lands and on the length of the National Park service and those things associated with place. I cannot find a better opportunity to work with the green and gray who do that every day. I think everybody here should be proud of for Public Service like this working for us. Entering a great job for the American People parts on behalf of the American People let me thank you for what youre doing and thank you for being here today. [applause] [applause] thank you david. To our wonderful panelist it was terrific to be you and this extraordinary week that we have here the president ial summit. Thank you for hosting us here at the library of congress. Tomorrow morning at 7 30 a. M. We will have breakfast in the east room that is at the Mayflower Hotel not at the white house. [laughter] nonetheless we will convene for breakfast it heaven 30 00 a. M. Followed by the opening session at 9 00 a. M. In the grand ballroom. Thats tomorrow the me go all the way through to tomorrow night with American History museum which is going to be externally as well. Then we continued through wednesday evening. This evening we will adjourn to a reception upstairs and at 9 0d into buses that will take everyone back to the Mayflower Hotel for it once again thank you to our wonderful panel. Thank you all for being here. [applause] [applause] [applause] [background noises] [background noises] [background noises] on tuesday Virginia Governor discusses his policy priorities. The 2023 Virginia Election and other topics with the Economic Club of washington d. C. Watch the conversation live at 12 30 p. M. Eastern on the cspan2. On cspan now our free mobile video app and online at cspan. Org. Cspan campaign 2020 for coverage a sure front row seat to the president ial election. Watch as we follow candidates on the campaign troth meet and greets, speeches and more as you make up your own mind. Campaign 2024 on the cspan network. Cspan now free mobile video app or anytime online cspan. Org. Cspan, your unfiltered view of politics. Cspan now is a free mobile app featuring your unfiltered view of what is happening in washington live and ondemand. Keep up with todays biggest events with live streams of floorproceedings and hearing soe u. S. Congress, white house events, the courts, campaigns and more from the world of politics. All at your fingertips. Also stay current with latest episodes of washington journal and find scheduling information for cspan tv networks and cspan radio. Plus a variety of compelling podcasts. These men now is available at the apple store and google play. Download it for free today. Cspan now your front row seat to washington anytime, anywhere. Healthy democracy does not just look like this. It looks like this. Americans can see democracy at work citizens are truly a republic thrives. Get informed straight from the source on cspan unfiltered, unbiased, word for word. In the nations capitol to wherever you are its the opinion that matters the most is your own. This is what democracy looks like. Cspan, powered by cable. Rank it member the House Financial Services Committee Representative Maxine Waters led a discussion on financial equity enclosing the racial wealth gap. The conversation was part of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual legislative conference. Representatives Sheila Jackson lee of texas education secretary also spoke at the event