Presidency. Ms. Davidson josh, five seconds to add to that. I can say in five seconds, i do not think i can improve on what bill and back just said. Jet and mack just said. Ms. Davidson think you for taking part in this meeting. [applause] [indistinct conversation] tonight, on the how the fccs, could change under the Trump Administration and a look at the tech and telecommunication issues we could be facing. We will start to tackle those. What is the future of the internet Going Beyond Network neutrality and what does it mean with Artificial Intelligence and a jobs and the consolidation and commercialization . Plans werethat what ,eed up for Data Services and unanimity and consensus among the democrats is probably not going to get off the ground. Watch the communicators, tonight at 8 00 eastern on cspan two. President obamas legacy on civil rights. Joshua dubois, the director for the Obama Administration, looks to the 2016 election and racial conflicts in the u. S. Here is more. I think we have been handed an xray and we can see all of the cancers that are in our body as a country right now, and that is shocking, a destabilizing thing. I think, i agree. We have not achieved the level of hope and change, this shift in public discourse, the sense of unity as a country that president obama articulated so beautifully in 2008. I think what we may be missing, something really important about that. I believe personally the reason we have not achieved it, and blm and others have done an amazing job pointing it out, the primary obstacle to hope and change as we now see it is white fragility and white supremacy. That is on the table now. That is out for everyone to see. We have the xray. We can see the trump supporters. We can see the tea party movement. We can see the issues with race and a bias in policing, and we cannot do surgery without that xray. I think it probably took the country too long and maybe the president too long to be able to identify these things. A lot of folks in this room knew that already, right . Heldst some of the remarks looking at president obamas civil rights legacy. You can watch the entire program tonight at 9 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan two. Here are some of our future programs thursday. Thanksgiving day on cspan. Just after 11 00 a. M. Eastern, nebraska senator ben on american values, the founding fathers, and the purpose of government. Civicre is a huge mindedness in american history, but it is not compelled by the government. Followed at noon with former on healthy harkin food and the rise of obesity in the u. S. Everything from monster , toers with 1420 calories 20 ounce cokes and pepsis and 12 to 15 teaspoons of sugar, feeding an epidemic of childhood obesity. Jimmy will talk about the evolution of the online encyclopedia and the challenge of providing Global Access to information. There is 1000 entries. I know there is a Small Community there and five to 10 really active users and another 20 to 30 that they know a little bit and they think of themselves as a community. A little after 7 00 eastern, a look at the years long effort to restore the capitol dome. At 8 00, Justice Kagan reflects on her life and career. Thesis, whichnior was a great thing to have done, it taught me an incredible amount, but it taught me what it was like to be a serious historian and sit in archives all day every day, and i realized it just was not for me. Followed by Justice Thomas at 9 00. Genius is not putting a two dollar idea in a 20 idea in aing a 20 two dollar sentence without any loss of meaning. Just after 10 00, at an exquisite ceremony in the white house, president obama will present the middle of freedom, the highest civilian award, to nba star Michael Jordan, singer Bruce Springsteen, address sicily tyson, and bill and melinda gates. Watch on cspan and www. Cspan. Org or listen on the free cspan radio app. Is steve fox,now the cofounder of the National Cannabis industry association. He deals with issues with regards to marijuana. How is marijuana used recreationally or medically . Guest it was a big election. We had nine initiatives on the ballot and five of them were for all adult use and four were related to medical marijuana and eight out of nine ended up passing including four out of five of the adult use measures, with the initiatives passing in california, maine, massachusetts, and nevada. The medical marijuana states that passed were arkansas, the first state in the south to pass a medical marijuana measure, florida, north dakota, and montana expended upon its existing medical marijuana program. Host why do you think there is a change not only in the states you talked about but other states that have gone down this road as well . Guest this has been evolving for decades, starting with the first medical marijuana initiatives that passed in california in 1996. We have just seen support for reforming marijuana laws increase just about one or two points a year to the point where and gallupcent pew surveys have support for organizations at 57 and 60 , so there has been a tremendous increase, based on the fact that people understand that marijuana is not as bad as it was made out to be. Not saying it is without some Harms Associated with it, but overall, given the grand scope of various substances and so on, they just realized that it is not worth punishing individuals for using marijuana, and basically, the changes in the law have followed that. Now that the changes are made in the statewide level, how much influence does the federal government have over the statewide decisions . Guest there is significant federal involvement potentially, and what we have had over the past, i guess, three years, inicially, there have been, 2012, colorado and washington past legalization measures in those states. In response, the Obama Administration issued guidance in august. 2013. That said if you are acting in compliance with state laws, you will not be a federal Law Enforcement priority, and that in thosendividuals states as well as the medical marijuana states to understand that if they were operating in strict compliance with state law , that they could move forward without concern of federal interference, and that now is the question moving forward with the trump organization. Host what is the question . Guest the question is whether that will continue and whether saying be there on paper two operators that if you are acting in compliance with state law, that you will not be a federal Law Enforcement priority. Host we will continue with this conversation but if you have questions or our guest concerning this idea of marijuana, not only what is happening on the statewide level, but what it means for the federal administration, you can call in to give questions and comments on this topic. Lines for democrats, republicans, and independents. Sessions stance, if any is taken, on marijuana. Host guest if you were to look up the record, you would see he has pretty strong antimarijuana statements in the past. He does not seem to be much in favor of the use of marijuana, and we will have to see where that goes. I mean, he has also had stance is were supportive of federalism and the idea that states should be able to determine their own laws, so there will be a balance there and we will see where it comes down. Host if he were interested in doing something about it, give us what he could do as attorney general when it comes to what is happening on the state level. Guest when you come down to it, despite all of this action at the state level, where we now the districts plus of columbia that have made the medical use of marijuana legal, along with the now eight states plus the District Of Columbia that have made adult use legal, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. That has not changed. The department of justice has the ability to prosecute individuals who are engaged in marijuanarelated activity, you are hoping they will not, but it is possible. When you ask what is possible, really, anything is on the table, but the question is whether the state laws will be respected. T someone is offering operating a dispensary and the government can come shut it down . Guest yes. Host do you think donald trump is interested in doing that . Guest he has said he is not. He said this was a state issue when asked specifically by a report in colorado whether he would allow his attorney general to go after state legal businesses. He had said that it was a states issue and he would not his attorney general going after it, so we will have to see how that plays out. We hope he is true to his word on that. Joining us, the cofounder of the National Cannabis industry association. Tell us the people you represent under that association . Cannabise natural industry represents more than 1000 businesses that are engaged in the cannabis industry in some capacity. That may be people who are dispensaries, cultivators, producers, but also many other businesses, from law firms, including the one where i work, to give the plug there, and Accounting Firms and many other ancillary businesses. Host we have calls lined up for you. Bernie,t one comes from in new york. Independent mind. You are on with our guests, steve fox. Go ahead with your question or comment. Caller good morning. Amazed that we continue to have a federal law in conflict with state law. When is the federal law going to be changed, and why has it not already been addressed . Guest that is an excellent question. I mean, part of the answer is that things weve slowly at the federal level best things move things move slowly at the federal level. We have seen progress. Riders,re appropriations rider which can limit the way federal funds are spent, and we have had one appropriations rider which actually passed and as part of the current appropriations bill, which prohibits the federal government from spending any money to interfere with state medical marijuana laws, so you have had that kind of movement. We also have Seen Movement in both chambers in favor of helping banks work with cannabis industry companies, so we see movement along the way, but it takes a little effort to get full legislation passed to make it legal on the state level as well as the federal level. Salisbury,e from maryland. Democrat line. Good morning. Caller good morning. I am a former addiction counselor and i think legalization of marijuana is a terrible idea. It is an extremely dangerous drug. It causes all sorts of things. It causes sterility, all sorts of things, interrupt the menstrual process. I have treated people who have lost jobs, lost loved ones, lost their lives to marijuana use and i think you ought to be ashamed of yourself for even thinking about legalizing such a dangerous chemical. Thank you. Guest sure, i know some people feel that marijuanas harms are too extreme to justify making it legal, but i disagree. In this basic sense, this is probably the best way of explaining it, it is that by basically every objective measure, and this has been a conclusion of numerous, basically, every government study ever done, is that marijuana is objectively less harmful than alcohol, a substance that is excepted in our society and widely used in our society. Maybe some people think it should not be, but it clearly is, and marijuana is us addictive than alcohol, less toxic than alcohol, less likely to be associated with acts of violence, and we can bleed on any reason we should punish adults who prefer to use the less harmful of the two substances, and that is the bottom line of where we come from. Host twice you have mentioned the harms. What are the harms as you sue it . You see it . Guest i mean, obviously, you dont want people driving after consuming it. It can impair judgment. Inhaling smoke is not necessarily good for anyone, in any sense, but you know, beyond that, a lot of lisa posted harms a lot of the supposed heart that have been talked about in the past, we can go down the line about whether it killed brain cells. If you do the research, marijuana actually protects brain cells, and that is why it can slow the progression of alzheimers, parkinsons, and its very useful for people with epilepsy. There used to be claims that marijuana causes cancer, but longterm studies that have been done have shown that actually, it can reduce incidence of cancer, that there is no increased risk even of lung cancer. Study and itsk proved not to be true. , to concede to some people who may seem to say it may have harms, that it may have some harms. Is not absolutely harmless. In the grand scheme of things compared to alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, and so on, the longterm harm it seems to be limited. Host are we seeing more powerful strains of marijuana created . Is that a concern . Guest easy strain higher in thc content, the intoxicating part, but we have not seen any studies that really show that that is causing a significant increase in harm. I mean, in some ways, people know to measure their dose and if it is stronger, they will simply have less, which in the sense of inhaling smoke, i suppose is a good thing. As it has become stronger over time and it is widely used in our society, we have not seen incidences of Mental Illness increase because of that. Host let us hear from keep in toledo, ohio. Republican line. You are on. Caller good morning. I agree with everything this man is saying. I am very much promarijuana. I have a concern with the new election, as it will be harder for the states. It is still against federal. I wonder, maybe, if they will of thethe scheduling drug. I am not you know, it should be legal. , to incarcerate people that smoke this is ridiculous. It does not help our society whatsoever and even though smoking marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol, i think it would be better if nobody did any of it, but none of it should be illegal. Host thanks. Guest i just want to mention the scheduling. That does come up. One thing to note is that marijuana, the penalties associated with marijuana at the federal level, are not connected to what schedule it is an, so you could move marijuana to schedule to, schedule 3 , andule ii, schedule iii you would still have those penalties associated with marijuana. We need to remove it from the controlled substances act entirely and treat it like alcohol at the federal level. People feel like it should be treated as a medicine or dietary supplement. These are things that need to be figured out and showed. One other thing i would mention related to what he said, is he said, there is no reason to arrest or punish individuals for using marijuana, and obviously, we agree, but we really want to make sure that there is a larger point being made here, and that is that tens of millions of americans do use marijuana, sometimes as an alternative to alcohol, sometimes because they enjoy it. They need to get it somewhere or they do get it somewhere, and that is what these states are doing. It is not just making marijuana legal for adults, it is also setting up systems of distribution and sale that are regulated and monitored, tracking, and they tested the marijuana to measure it is clean and pure and sold and taxed, which generates revenue for the states. Colorado last year took in 135 million in tax revenue at the state level. It will take in more than 150 million this year. That is money going to Public School construction, Public Education programs, antibullying programs, addressing homelessness issues, and so on. These are problems that can really be addressed. If the government shuts this down, it means all of this revenue is growing that underground and towards criminals and cartels. From washington, independent line. Caller thanks for taking my call. The previous color hits the head of the nail. Law is a revenuegenerating that is used at local, county, state and federal. Why do you think we have forprofit prison systems that must operate at 90 capacity . Laws to these little generate money for profit for wall street. Now, i think that the glut for profit in america is becoming really shameful because it is eating the people. Marijuana is something that, when it is not being abused, is very helpful, so i think the , itt is, it is for profit is for greedy people, it is for wall street, and who gives a damn about who gets hurt . Thank you for the call. I know there is a lot of intelligent people out here. Check into this. You will see. Guest thank you for the call. Yeah, i guess, a number of issues potentially to address there. But i guess i would like to focus on where he said that getting hurt by using marijuana. It is an opportunity to talk about the people that do use marijuana. You are seeing articles about players in the nfl, more than a in surveynterviews said they would want to be able to use marijuana in many cases because it is a better way for them to help treat their pain. We have seen studies now that show that where medical marijuana is legal, you have about a 25 reduction it seems in opioid use, which is obviously a real serious drug problem in this country. We also see that veterans frequently use marijuana to help alleviate ptsd symptoms and help them sleep at night. It is also something that middleaged people use to help them sleep when they are feeling stressed or have insomnia or whatever. We need toly change the way people think of marijuana users. Stereotypes in the past about what a typical marijuana user looks like, but it is really not the case and all kinds of people use marijuana and they should not be punished for doing so. Host mike from ellicott city, maryland. Caller how are you doing . I agree with the other calls. I have a question. Thatnt it make more sense if the states legalize marijuana, that they would make it affordable for people so that the average drug dealer, you would take a lot of things away from people that sell street thats all drugs on the street. No matter how many dispensaries you have, they can get marijuana anywhere. The only people that pay are the people that get pulled over, lose their job, but at the end of the day, you can get marijuana anywhere. People get marijuana everywhere. My whole thing is i agree with the dispensaries and things like that, but what do you do, why do you make it so spencer that the average person make it so expensive that the average person could buy it cheaper . Take over the industry and knock out the violence that comes with it because there will be no more drugs because who can compete with the state . Thank you. Guest that is an interesting issue that has come up in the states where they have these laws to make marijuana legal for all adults. They do think about the tax that is being imposed and try to make sure that the tax is not so onerous that it keeps prices above the price that it might be on the street, and i think what is,re seeing is that there you know, those taxes are being kept relatively reasonable. They still are somewhat steep, and in colorado, for example, you have an effective tax rate once you put all of the taxes together of almost 25 , but at the same time, as there are efficiencies in the cultivation process, you do see prices coming down and we see, it seems like, more than 70 of the isket in colorado now through the legal regulated system and we believe that will continue to grow over time as people become accustomed to going to stores and do not want to be seeking other means on the street to get marijuana, which will not be tested and properly labeled and so on. Host there was a recent oped in the l. A. Times by robert kuhn , a social psychologist. He makes this idea about the concerns of the legalization of first,a, he says, legalization it is likely to reduce the average harm per dose of marijuana. But he also says legalization can expect to increase the number of doses consumed because it will be easier to overall even as the harm per dose falls. Host guest it gets back to what you see as the Harms Associated with marijuana, but, you know, for the sake of conversation, concede there may be Harms Associated. During batch of the alcohol issue, you just have to compare the two. The sum to buy that columnist the assumption by that columnist is that there will be more doses and therefore more harm. But how many doses of alcohol are there . Are some doses of alcohol being substituted for marijuana . Cspans washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you, and coming up tuesday morning, reuters washington columnist talks about potential picks for treasury and other economic posts for the Trump Administration and what they would mean for future economic policy. Philadelphia daily news editor Michael Daves was up about his book obamas legacy what he accomplished as president. Be sure to watch cspans washington journal, live on tuesday morning. Here is headline from politico. The president elect has not make clear how he will avoid conflicts between his vast empire and his official duties. The article says he is struggling to camp down questions about conflict of interest between his last business fortune and his incoming president ial administration. Elect the concerns were exacerbated by media reports revealing that after his stunning win in this months stunning election, he continues to meet with foreign business partner. Represent an early test to his campaign agenda, his promises to drain the swap of washington, and usher in a government that works for regular people. You can read more on politico. Com. We get an update on the transition team. After that we will hear from Gina Mccarthy. Is donald trump Senior AdviserKellyanne Conway speaking with reporters at the trump tower. Ms. Conway excellent meetings with the top executives and anchors. Meeting unprecedented we pulled together in two days. He has actionpacked days filled with meetings. We have people flying in from all over the country meeting with him to get their advice, their counsel, sharing the vision for the country. Some will result in appointments to his administration. There are a lot of common ground. Represented of representative of when against her party. Bernie sanders today was quoted weing that he thinks can tell them i to do that and win. Voters some voters feel disaffected from their party. It was an off the record meeting. T was very productive it was also very candid and honest. Is great tove, it hit the reset button. It was a hardfought campaign. He understood america and now he will be president to all americans. It could come this week, it could come today. We are not in a rush to publish names because everybody is looking forward to it. We had no we know we are ahead of schedule. Reporter does he feels like he needs to address the concerns of Many Americans who are fate fearful about the crimes and racist attacks from people who are not ms. Conway he has addressed it many times. He has told people to cut it out. He has said that he will be the president for all americans. I think we can user help and not. The election is over. A lot of americans are having a hard time accepting the results of the election. It is on all of us to inlow president obamas lead telling americans that this is your president , this is your Vice President elect, respect them and learn to work with them. [indiscernible] ms. Conway is there a question in . I missed it in there . I missed it. He is up there. The man works 18 hours a day. Conference, in the meantime it would be a great idea in the spirit of thanksgiving. About having a grateful heart in coming together. I think it is a great team. We need your help doing that because some people are still in election. The election is over. Is that an appropriate use of his time . Confident i am very he is not breaking any laws. He has many lawmakers lawyers and accountants to tell him what he can and cant do. On thelso working transition. He is the president elect. Do you ask people are you suggesting that he is doing something illegal . I already said he is not. The presumption is that he is. You operate from a presumption of negativity. It sounds like you are operating from a position that he is doing something wrong. That i am aware of. I did not think they have spoken today. [indiscernible] ms. Conway that was not addressed. They both recognized they had a rough campaign. That, he now with president obama and they exchanged barbs on the campaign trail days earlier. I think everybody agrees that they love this country and what to help them transition into the next administration. He is. If you are talking about diversity, he has met with women and people of color this past weekend. Himt with them here here. We are very touched by the number of people of people coming across the aisle. Theyre coming when and to offer him advice one thing to offer him advice areas advice. His nominees have been qualified to do the job. That is the criterion. That a parking people have to do the job they are asked to do. She is been very straightforward about the first 100 days and that they represent america. He is interviewing many different people but you cannot sacrifice important criterion for other ones. I was talking to the highest we he spoke with governor mary fallin today. A koreanamerican who did not speak english when she got to the country. Been people who represent both walks of life, different sexual orientations, it is quite exciting. Reporter when is he returning to new york . Evil meter to mars with his family. There is a he will return to have thanksgiving with his family smiled. Tomorrow. We are weeks and weeks ahead of president carter, president reagan, even president obama had not made most of his appointments by this way. Point. O be determined none are scheduled right now. Isorter can you talk about ationship ms. Conway he is connected to america. I think a lot of people miss real america. He attracted them and animated them. He is a special businessman and billionaire. He understands what american success varies look like. Stories look like. Had people of also zero economic backgrounds here. Socioeconomic backgrounds here. He is somebody who talks to many people in a given day. In this case, it is a more official capacity. He knows how to create jobs. He understands the value of appreciating the american dream. The two. Ombination of there are people who understand tax policy and trade. Brought upues he before, you look at trade and immigration. These are 2 and 3 issues. He was in grand rapids, michigan at the final rally still talking about these issues. Hink my doing youre relating to the donald trump message. Sharing with us today. Absolutely. Tomorrow he will be with the new york times. We will be going through them and sorting them out and scheduling them. Im all for it. Reporter the mayor of new york city ms. Conway fearful of what. Saying that they would not enact ms. Conway are you aware what mr. Trump has said many times about the muslim largest tree . Registry . You have to be fair and complete. He had a policy for ban all muslims from the United States. Thank you for hanging here. It was a great meeting with president elect. He is focused. He has one meeting after another. We spoke about my passion and his passion which are veteran issues. Think it is the toughest job it has 70 problems as well. He is obviously going to take my and interest under consideration. I am glad he called. He will obviously be other people. Meet other people. It depends on the area. Lines. Re still long there is a culture of putting soldiers as a secondclass person instead of a priority. We expect a tremendous amount of work there. Initially, i would try to work on the suicide issues. I tried to get people with dental Health Issues covered immediately. We will have to outsource some of those cases to private vendors. We have to work with the dod. When a soontobe veteran leaves the dod you will know what his or her needs are. There is a breakdown in. Working with there. Working with a new secretary of defense. Ooking at the budgetary issues there are tremendous amount of ways. What what does he offer what does he offer . It is so voluminous. It has the second highest budget. 7 Million People last year, it has an a tremendous employee base. To my thoughtsg and suggestions and where i thought we could put our priorities. Im not competing with anybody. I think im the last person, but there are tremendous people out there. As anot look at it competition. Anybody who takes a job, i think it is the top this toughest job. People lives are depending on whether you do it right or wrong. As the president elect said, it is his highest priority. That is why the veterans came out so strongly for him. The military since i was 19 years old. I was there for 35 years old and have been on the veterans committee. It is something i feel very passionate about. I think each and every one of you guys too. Does too. Reporter what do you think of the appointment so far . Change, ith the rules he will get appointed because the democrats change the rules. I hope we will get a lot of democratic support as well because as with president obama, i gave him virtually all of the judges and people he wanted. I think it is important to get the new president the ability to put the people around him that he feels most comfortable with. He is doing other things. I really cannot say, but it was a good meeting. Thank you everybody. We have a large range of issues. It was a wonderful discussion. Im very excited about the administration and all the things that will be done for america. Meetingust an initial and a wide range of topics. Winky for being here. Thank you for being here. Releaseduck Campaign DonaldTrump Campaign released video. Here is what he said. [no audio] we could not get the audio there. We will show you a clip from donald trump in 1991, justifying on capitol hill. 25 years ago, he testified on capitol hill about the u. S. Economy. They met to discuss a credit shortage in the u. S. And whether it was the american economy. You can watch the entire hearing at our video library. Its a cspan. Org. Go to cspan. Org. Think i believe this country could be in this deep recession, flash depression for years. Upturn atigns of a all. There is no incentive to do anything. Theres no incentive to invest. Everybody is doing badly. The poor people are doing badly. Everybody is doing badly. You walk around cities today and very few are doing well. Unless the incentive is given back to this country, i really expressionere is an survive until 1995. 1995, i think were being generous. It is really bad. You people have to do something to fix it and to get people moving. Follow that transition of government on feast in cspan. We will take you to key events as they happen without interruption. Watch live on cspan. Watch live on demand on cspan. Org. Cspans washington journals live every day with policy issues that impact you. Coming up tuesday morning, washington columnist will discuss the potential picks for treasury and other pros for the administration. Philadelphia daily news editor will talk about his book obamas legacy, what he accomplished as president. Watch the washington journal live at 7 00 eastern. President obama worth the president ial award of freedom to Michael Jordan and others at the white house. Other recipients include robert de niro, diana ross, Bruce Springsteen among others. On cspan, the Family Research council posts a discussion on providing veteran instruction. Live coverage at noon eastern. Next, epa to the mccarthy talks about Climate Change, environmental policy and the president ial transition. Was interrupted by individuals protesting the dakota type playing Dakota Access type headline. Pipeline. I am theo the 109th president of the press club. Is ginat today mccarthy. I would like to welcome our public radio and cspan audiences are you you can get all the action on twitter using the npclive. Now it is time to introduce our guests. Stand briefly as your name is announced. Please hold your applause until im finished introducing the entire table. From your right, elizabeth mcgowan. Bill loveless. Energy columnist at usa today. Chief of staff at the epa. Emily holden. Frank benenati. Associate administrator. Donna, usa today. Skipping over our speaker for a moment. A reporter at eu news. Melissa burke. A reporter at the detroit news. A reporter at cq roll call. I messed that up. Jack williams. Freelance science writer. Thank you all. [applause] epa administrator jackson of our Gina Mccarthy was last at this podium in september 2013 to unveil the Obama Administrations opening bid to reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions. Those rules curb emissions from power plants, a precursor of the Clean Power Plan issued in 2015, of which was designed to reduce Carbon Emissions are u. S. Power from u. S. Power plants 32 below 2005 levels by 2030. The Clean Power Plan is americas chief commitment to the world in pursuit of achieving the paris accords goals to combat global warming. But the fate of that, as well as many others issued by the epa are uncertain following the election. President elect donald trump has called Climate Change a hoax and has vowed to roll back federal regulations seen as crippling to u. S. Businesses. During her tenure, mccarthy has been in the crosshairs of republican members of congress and the fossil fuel industry for her perceived leadership over the socalled war on coal. But if you ask her, mccarthy would say that her critics have been wrong. Her job is to protect the health of americans not just from air and water pollution, but from things such as carbon monoxide, methane, lead, and others. With about nine weeks left on the job, mccarthy remains resolute in the epa mission. In a memo to her staff just after election day, she said, we are running, not walking to the finish line of president obamas presidency. Today, we learn more about what she has in mind and what her expectations are that those efforts will stand up to expected challenges. Please welcome epa administrator Gina Mccarthy. [applause] thank you for your remarks. I think you probably gave mine as well. That is great. Thank you, everybody, at the National Press club for welcoming me back again. Its great to be here. A few of you may be old enough to remember i am certainly not but there was a time when Congress Passed a law with unanimous vote in the senate and only one nay vote in the house. I will give you a hint, it was not the renaming of a post office. It was actually the Clean Air Act of 1970. It was an historic law that was signed by a republican president , and it was a global turning point. The Clean Air Act was actually passed in response to a changing world. It sought to build this country up, to look forward, and to consider how our actions would impact people that we may never know, or that we may ever see ourselves. Today, times are different. But the nature of change has not changed. The world continues to be in motion and it will continue changing regardless of the few who choose not to acknowledge it. While the world continues to change, epas Mission Continues to endure. Our mission is to protect Public Health and to safeguard the precious Natural Resources that we all need to survive and to thrive. Our task is timeless. It is nonpartisan. It is essential to every single life. We cannot pursue liberty or happiness without clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. We cannot neglect to continue to support those hardworking americans who get up every morning, they get their kids to school, they take extra class, or they pick up an extra shift, and remember that the last thing that they actually want to do is listen to the rank or that too often characterizes our politics rancor that too often characterizes our politics. They may be fed up with what we hear from washington, but that does not mean that they do not care about what we do and do not do. They care about clean air and water, fishable rivers and streams, safe places to live, work, and play. Every one of those hardworking americans cares about having food that is free of harmful pesticides. How about products that are free of harmful toxics . In our neighborhoods in kids future, free from the day birds dangers of Climate Change. Epa is here because the American People demanded it. We will be here because they continue to demand it, because we stand between pollution and our people. We have made incredible progress over the past five decades. Pollution today is less visible than it was in the good old days when i grew up, when smokestacks spewed black clouds and rivers caught on fire, but people expect us to deal with the pollution that they can no longer see, like air pollution that travels into our country or scoots across the states, or chemicals that are present in our Drinking Water that nobody can articulate the name of because it is way too long to figure out. People expect us to do our jobs using the best science and research to define not only the challenges but the solutions. People expect us to understand and use change as a catalyst for growth and prosperity. If we do not, if we place rancor over action, if we betray the people who put us here, if we stubbornly deny the science and the change that is happening around us, we will fall victim to our own paralysis. Science tells us that there is no bigger threat to American Progress and prosperity than the threat of global Climate Change. If you take absolutely nothing else from my speech today, take this. The train to a Global Clean Energy future has already left the station. So we have a choice. We can choose to get on board and actually provide leadership, or we can choose to be left behind to stand stubbornly still. When presented with that choice, president obama chose leadership. He chose action. He chose a calculated investment in our collective future. President obama recognizes that the inevitability of our Clean Energy Future is bigger than any one person or any one nation. Facts today paint a very clear picture. Climate change is among the most significant Public Health, economic, and security challenges that we have ever faced as a nation, or as a world. And under his administration, with an economic recession, the likes of which we have never seen since 1930, he had the foresight to invest in solar and wind and clean energy and clean auto manufacturing, to set a course for strong domestic action, positioning the u. S. To actually lead the way to securing an historic International Agreement. And he was right. The Paris Agreement was negotiated, and it is now in full force. And epa will continue to be essential to cutting Carbon Pollution in the United States and making good on our global leadership. We set Greenhouse Gas standards for cars and trucks that carbon ash Carbon Pollution and save money for people at the pump. While it boosted the Auto Industry from near bankruptcy, to increases in both sales and jobs here in the United States. We set methane standards for landfills. No oil and Gas Production units. We are gathering the data nexus next to set standards on existing ones. We helped a broker and historic two historic International Agreements to lower Carbon Emissions from aircraft. And Something Else that i am incredibly proud of, we have led the United States delegation that successfully amended the montreal protocol, an International Agreement to reduce hydrofluorocarbons. They are highly potent Greenhouse Gases. In this one agreement, in and of itself, will avoid up to 80 billion metric tons of Greenhouse Gases missions. Gas emissions. Folks, that is equivalent to 10 years of u. S. Omissions. And the businesses like it. They were pushing for it, they celebrated in the end and once we got it over the finish line. Of course, we took historic action to set sensible Carbon Pollution limits at our largest stationary sources, our power plants, which we call the Clean Power Plant. I have heard some people talk about epas Clean Power Plan like it is the driving force behind this countrys transition to clean energy. The reality is that those folks give us too much credit. The cpp was designed to follow the Clean Energy Transition that was already underway. The one that the Energy Market depends on and the one that the Energy Market will continue to demand. Just look at where the u. S. Energy sector is now. In 2014 alone, Clean Energy Investment increased by 14 , that is five times greater growth than the rest of the u. S. Economy. U. S. Power plant co2 emissions in 2015 were about 24 below 2005 levels. Already well on the way to the cpps 2030 targets. 2015 in missions emissions were about the same as the cpps firstyear goal in 2022, in 2015. That is seven years ahead of schedule. 24 states have lower emissions in 2015 than the 2020 annual goal. The first year of compliance in the cpp, including states like ohio, north carolina, pennsylvania, and south dakota. The Energy Information agency estimates 17 of new Energy Capacity expected to come online in 2016 will actually be zero imaging. Emitting, mostly solar and wind. So folks, clearly, there is more going on in our world and our Energy Sector than the cpp can account for. I am really not trying to say that the cpp is not important. You know that. I love it. I think it is great. But the truth is, if i were to stand here and explain the significance and virtues of the Clean Power Plan, it would keep you here for quite a lengthy period of time and i cannot fit it into a soundbite. It certainly does not fit into a tweet. I have tried it. I know. [laughter] i truly believe, guided by president obamas deliberate vision, that history will show that the Clean Power Plan marked a turning point in american climate leadership, a point where our country stepped up to the plate and delivered, and the rest of the world followed us. It is a sign of u. S. Commitment, a market signal to investors and innovators, and that brings stability and certainty to the Energy Sector and to the world. But the global transition to a low Carbon Economy is much more than anyone regulation, the Energy Market, and the commitment of the private sector is what is driving and will continue to drive this inevitable journey. And that journey is consistent with virtually every nations understanding of climate science, and our obligation to protect our childrens futures. We are in a spectacularly different place today than we were when president obama took office. Before developing countries would point a finger at us. Now they are wondering if the u. S. Will turn its back on science and be left behind. That is the choice that we face. As the president said, the inevitability of our Clean Energy Future is again bigger than any one person or nation and must be guided by a simple but profound truth. We dont have to choose between the economy or environment. Folks, we can and must choose both. The truth has been the foundation of all of the progress that we have made at epa. This truth. We have a track record to show for it. Over the past eight years, under president obamas leadership, we have taken tremendous strides forward in economic growth. Eight years of economic expansion and a record increase in median incomes. At the same time, we have made incredible progress in cutting pollution and protecting Public Health. And at the same time, this president has understood and stood up and said so clearly that a clean, healthy environment is not a luxury, it is not windowdressing. It is a right. It is the foundation of our economy and our lives. Our work to cut pollution must always focus not only on what the nation needs as a whole, but also on those who have been disproportionately hurt, disadvantaged communities that bear the burden of environmental injustice. In the past eight years, we have paid attention not only to our National Challenges but our ability and willingness and effort to partner with our states, local communities, and tribes. We set measurable, common sense standards. Let me tell you about a few of them. We have reduced mercury emissions from power plants and protected more people from harmful levels of ozone and particulate matter in our era. We have lower sulfur content in lowered sulfur content in fuels and pollution from our cars. We have made a states accountable for harmful levels of air pollution that they send downwind. We have required fence line monitors around refineries. We have made progress in cleaning up our ports. We have clarified the jurisdictional boundaries of the Clean Air Act. 40 years of work we finally did it. We reduced toxic effluent from power plants, set new standards for the management of coal ash. We provided farmworkers with the same level of protection that other workers have enjoyed for many years. And we made progress in restoring iconic water bodies, like the precious chesapeake bay, and the great lakes. And we have made sure that the standards are met with enforcement that puts people first, like the deepwater horizon spill settlement that provided 20 billion to restore and protect the gulf. Or the Volkswagen Settlement that ensures 14 billion to compensate consumers, to reduce pollution, and to invest in an infrastructure for zero imaging emitting vehicles. And we have leveraged the power of information to broaden and empower our environmental enterprise in this country through programs like energy star, water sense, safer choice. They empower consumers to grow demand as well as the market for greener products. Through their purchases. Epa apps are tools that you can use to get in the game, folks, to protect yourself, to actually make a difference in your own lives, and the difference in your neighbors lives. We have tools like our Climate Adaptation resource center, the Green Infrastructure wizard. These are things that help communities and businesses understand how they can protect themselves and find the least cost and most effective way to become an environmental steward. We unlock the power of Citizen Science to help us protect more people using people power, not money. Transparent, readily accessible information, new monitoring technologies, like our cool Village Green bench. Go sit on one. They double as an air monitor, so people can see what their local air quality looks like. They have cameras that we are sharing with states and communities that can literally see pollution that otherwise would be invisible, like leaks from storage tanks that are still just as dangerous as those smokestacks spewing out black smoke. We have deepened the focus on vulnerable communities that have been left behind. Through our work with tribes, we are recognizing treaties in the work we are doing. In our work looking ahead, such as our ej2020 plan, or our efforts which have been so successful, where we have collaborated with other federal partners to support communities and their effort to become more sustainable, like our local food, local places. And we have increased our attention on Drinking Water. Lessons learned in flint are being shared across this nation, so we can better prepare to finish the job on addressing legacy contaminants. We can face the new ones and we can fix our aging infrastructure. Doing more, doing better, that is the epas constant aspiration. It is also the nature of our democracy. We made progress using science and the law. And we continued to be responsive to change. We do not oppose it. That is how epa was born. That is how our mission will exist far beyond the bounds of electoral cycles. Because at its core, epa embraces the american ideal, e pluribus unum. Of many come one. Because pollution and health risks do not discriminate, and we, like this nation, will always be a place where we draw strength from our differences. And under this president s watch, we have engaged more americans than ever in the work we do. Millions have informed our climate rules. And vast majorities simply want us to protect them and their childrens future by following real science in the law. Mothers of every color have banded together to ensure their voices are heard and leaders of all faith have come into epa and beyond speaking about our moral obligation to take climate action. Historic and africanamerican voices are speaking up. They are reminding us that they are way too often the ones at risk when we fail to act appropriately. Businesses big and small are making the risks of an action in action very clear and calling attention to the opportunities that are sitting in front of us to boost our economy and create new sectors of jobs. Epa has listened to those voices. I am so proud of the work we have done to reach a more diverse constituency, to make epa more accessible, to make it a place where more voices can be heard, and make a difference. Where communities concerned about their health and businesses concerned about their operations are welcomed into the decision process, to work with hs andn hand and in hand. I know there is a lot of anxiety these days, but im very hopeful for the future for a few reasons. Let me articulate them. Epa has done its job well and the environmental enterprise has never been more effective. We have energize the American People who will demand not only clean air and water for their children, they will demand a stable planet as well. We have created the kind of resonance that motivates a generation of young people, a familiar movement that resembles times past, when millions of voices standing up and speaking out, that is what change the countrys trajectory, and that is what is going to keep us moving toward a low carbon future. I am hopeful because, in 2016, just this year, a bill passed on a voice vote in the senate and in the house with only 12 nay votes. Can you believe it . It was an environmental bill. Three all know what that one was . Do we all know what that one was . It was not the naming of a post office. It was bailout number chemical safety act. That is the first update to an environmental statute in 20 years. Congress overwhelmingly came together this congress to give the epa more authority to protect the American People from dangerous chemicals bit when he chemicals. When he signed the bill into law, president obama said this is proof that here in washington, things can work. It is possible. We can keep family safe and unleash the engine of american innovation. We can protect the planet and keep creating jobs. If we can get this bill done, it means somewhere out there on the horizon we can make our politics less toxic as well. I think president obama was right, although we may have ways to go on his last point. But we can make things work in washington, if we choose to focus on the job we are given. For the epa, it is protecting the health of the people that we have pledged to serve. I want to end with this. I want to thank the Unsung Heroes i have had the privilege of working with at epa, the scientists, economists, policy people, lawyers, regulators who have devoted their lives to public service, and to the outside advocates, businesses, innovators, and industry visionaries. We need you, we still need you, we will always need you. I know who you are. I know you place science and service above partisanship. I have seen what you are capable of. That is why im certain that our future will be brighter and healthier and more just for all. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you. We have a lot of questions to get through, but one of the top in our minds, you sort of addressed it, but i want to get back to it. How do you real to the prospect react to the prospect that the causes you have worked so hard on for the last eight years are threatened to be overturned by a series of executive orders . As i said, im very confident in the work we have done. There has been not progress through executive orders but executive authorities. I mentioned the Clean Air Act, and we have taken a lot of steps moving forward. I think they are sound, reasonable steps. Im looking forward to a smooth transition so that folks can see the work of the agency and how well we have done our job. Have you met anyone from the Trump Transition Team . We have not been contacted, no. You are talking about the clean water act, Clean Air Act. You have a Republican White House in january, republican majority house and senate. Are you concerned that some of those laws could be repealed . If you go back i try to make it pretty clear. What we do is protect Public Health and precious Natural Resources. It is a mission, i think, that still endures. We have been successful over the five decades in avoiding partisan politics as much as possible, to remind folks that it does not matter if you are republican or democrat, you still want your kids to be healthy and their future to be sound. Those have stood the test of time. I am pretty confident that the agency is doing its work well, and people will still want the same thing they have always wanted, and that is a Bright Future for their kids. Still, president elect trump has promised to undo many environmental and Climate Change regulations. If you had to beg them to spare one, would you choose . You are asking me to pick among my children . I cannot do that. [laughter] we are to have to wait and see. My job right now is to do a smooth transition. That is what the president has told us, that is my commitment. We will do that, we will tell people whats going on in the agency. If you sit in my shoes every day, you see the breath of what that agency does, how hard we work. You pick up the phone and realize, every day, there is a new issue or problem or concern that an individual or community has, work that the states do not have the resources or capacity to do. It is really hard not to respond to those calls for help. I expect that that will continue in the next administration. We talked about this in the introduction, but the memo you sent your staff after election day said that you wanted to run to the finish line of the obama presidency. What do you plan to accomplish . Do you really expect me to detail that specifically . [laughter] i dont have any secrets, our agenda is out there. We have a lot of work to do. I think the point of the president is, there is one president at a time. I am working for this one and i will continue with that. The agency right now, we are focused on the work ahead and the work we have to do. That is the best place for the people and the agency to be. That is what we are doing. That rules into the next question. Excuse me, im sorry. You need to sit down. Why are you silent on Standing Rock. Thank you very much. As a reminder to those watching thank you very much. As a reminder to those watching online or cspan, our lunches are open to the public. This is not a reporter. Thank you, maam. You mentioned tribal nations three times. Where are you in terms of standing up . Where are you . Im going to get to that in a little bit, but we were talking about the mood of the epa employees. Is there a concern with your employees, bureaucratic staff that has been there, about rolling back the work you have done . We call them career staff. I like the word bureaucrat emma but many people think of it differently. My folks are doing fine. Most have been through transitions before. They are working with one another, just continuing to hunker down and do their job. They are pretty confident that the mission of epa is a good one and it will be in dohring and enduring and they will be able to continue to do the work of the agency. Lets go back to your speech. Name the top three of compliments, achievements that you believe you have made. Again, you are asking me to pick between my children. I spent my first four years in the Administration Working in the air program. I probably have more familiarity and love with that work, but we do a breadth of work. I will give you a couple. When i came in here, you know i am from new england. Specifically anywhere in particular, do you think . [laughter] i came in with a couple of rules but i knew i wanted to get over the finish line. One of them was the mercury and air toxic standard. I thought it was time, under the Clean Air Act, somebody thought these old units with no modern controls on them would somehow have faded out, but they didnt. Lowering the toxics that our kids are so vulnerable to it was really important to me. The other one was the pollution role. We did not do so well the first time. We ended up doing really well on appeal. That was really important to me because in the new england area we get a lot of that downwind air that comes from up when upwind sources. We spent a lot of resources to make sure the air that we produce in new england is clean. We felt it was an equity and justice issue that required folks do the best they could everywhere. We did it in a way that is reasonable and costeffective by designing a Trading Program around that. I am pretty proud about that one. Having said that, i am really happy that we got the clean rule over the finish line. I am looking forward to the agency defending it in court. I think we should be embarrassed to have a law that old twice getting yelled at by the Supreme Court and never addressing the jurisdictional question. I worked pretty hard on that individually when i was administrator to make sure that we were not just being respectful of the agriculture industry but making sure it provided them the clarity that they need as well. I think it is a great role in a and i really proud of it. Am i do not want to reward protesters, but it is a valid question. Can you talk about your concerns and thoughts about Indigenous Peoples concerns about the Standing Rock pipeline . I have met with the Tribal Council and Standing Rock. In Standing Rock. The president has been to Standing Rock and met with the council. It is not an issue that is off our radar screen in any way. I indicated in my speech how respectful i am of the interest of tribes. I know folks are directly involved in that with the administration. I will leave the details to them. But i think if you go to those tribes, you will see i have spent a great deal of my tribes, not just Standing Rock. It is one of the things that you get to see as administrator, that you dont see otherwise. That is the realization that many tribes do not have Drinking Water, that many tribes do not have safe places to live. It is an eyeopening experience when you realize some of these challenges. We have spent a great deal of time not just recognizing those but actually being in a leadership position among federal agencies to be responsive to tribal needs. I am really proud of the work we have done. Residence of a suburban st. Louis community have been awaiting epas cleanup plan for the westlake landfill that contains nuclear waste. The residents consider it hazardous. One of the cleanup plan be in place before you leave office, or will it be left to the Trump Administration . We have been working, i dont want you to think that because a plan which we call a record of decisions, a final decision, does not mean that we have not been hanging out and doing the work, because we have. We have done extensive work, remedial work to take care of the biggest challenges. I have met with some of the mothers from that area. We have talked about what we can do. I do not know the exact timing