Transcripts For CSPAN2 Key Capitol Hill Hearings 20131104

The presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or wishing to change their vote . If not, the ayes are 61, the nays are 30. Threefifths of the senate duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to. No expressions of approval are permitted in the gallery. The presiding officer the senator from louisiana. Ms. Landrieu thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , i thank the my colleagues that led this effort on this nondiscrimination bill which was historic and pleased that we had a partisan vote to make america more accepting and just place, and its a work in progress and really pleased that we could find the support on this floor to do that. Now the bill goes to the house, and i urge my colleagues and my congressional delegation and others to look at this bill with an open mind and an open heart and end discrimination in the workplace, and i hope that they will. Mr. President , id like to speak about a bill i plan to introduce in just a few moments, and hopefully well have some chance or opportunity in the near future to debate it, because its a very important fix, if you will, to the Affordable Care act. When we debated this bill for literally years and months in committee, for hours and hours and hours in daylight and during the evening sessions, there were hundreds and hundreds of amendments built. This bill was built with democratic and republican support and input not support. The republicans did not vote for the bill, but they most certainly had a tremendous amount of impact and in the amendment process. Anyway, building a new Health Care System for this nation has been very difficult, but it holds a great deal of promise. The Affordable Care act and the largest or easiest way to explain it was somewhere between where some people on the left want a governmentrun system, Something Like medicare for all. Its appealing but its very expensive. We couldnt figure out a costeffective way to provide that. Members on the right more conservative leaning in this body wanted to just provide savings accounts which works beautifully for people who have money to save in the account, but for people who live paycheck to paycheck, and there is no money to save, they never get any account to be able to provide for their Health Insurance. So between those two book ends, we debated for a long time about how to provide a marketbased approach for insurance. No mitigation in the world has attempted this, so this is a big effort, but its an important effort because we are a developed nation, we need to have a healthy work force. Its about as simple as that. You cant be number one in the world, you cant be the strongest economic power in the world if your people are sick and weak. Its just about as simple as that. And you cant be the strongest economic power in the world if your Health Care System is sapping so much money out of your economic power, 19 of the g. D. P. , when japan is 8 , you cant expect to beat japan in economics if were paying almost twice as much for health care and getting less results, so we had to change. So we did and we built a marketbased approach contrary to what all the opponents of the Affordable Care act say. We built a marketbased approach that basically said if youre over 65, youre on medicare and were continuing to reform and strengthen medicare. There are some very good parts of it, and then there are some weaker parts or difficult parts that need to be corrected, and over time, we will continue to streamline, save money, provide better service, more choice, et cetera, et cetera. If you are among the poorest members of our country, 133 of poverty, which is about an income of 15,000 or less, you know, potentially youre just not able to find a goodpaying fulltime job, perhaps you didnt receive the education that others have received, perhaps you have got some disability, youre you would go under this plan on medicare i mean on medicaid, and then everyone in between, the lowest income and the age of 65 is in a private Health Care System, which is a marketbased system, competition driving prices down. The idea would be that there would be 20, 30, 40 Health Care Plans in every state offered. People can choose what they want with a minimum, bronze, silver, gold plan with lots of choice. That is the promise, that is the hope, that is the idea, and the great promise of this is that if you have cancer, you cant be dropped. If you have diabetes, you cant be turned away. So when everyone is covered, the risk has spread, the price comes down and the free market operates. Now, you would never know that based on the criticism that you hear on television and radio all day long, but thats the truth. One of the important components of that bill that many of us talked about was the fact that if you had individual insurance on the market, you could keep that. Whats happening now, unfortunately, because of that grandfather provision in the Affordable Care act in my view this may not be shared by everyone on the floor, but in my view was not written as tightly as it should have been, as clearly as it should have been, so my bill that im introducing today, keeping the Affordable Care act promise act, keeping the promise act, which im introducing, will clarify this grandfather clause in the Affordable Care act, so that it will clearly say if you had an Insurance Plan that you liked, that you could afford, that you felt like you felt like thats what you wanted and you could afford, you could keep it. This bill if it passes will allow anywhere from five million to seven Million People who are getting notices like this in the mail every day, and im going to read this into the record. This is a letter sent to someone in my state. It says thank you for your support of advantage Health Care Plans over recent years. It has been our pleasure to serve you. We hope you have been satisfied. In light of the recent changes in the Health Care Insurance industry, vantage will be discontinuing our offering of grandfathered individual plans, effective january 4. This discontinuance will affect your policy. Vantage is pleased to announce the availability of several new individual products in 2014. They go on to say, beginning in 2014, you will have the option to enroll in a new plan in the Health Insurance exchange. Members enrolling through the marketplace will be eligible for premium or costshare subsidies because everyone in louisiana with a Family Income of up to 90,000 a year is going to have some sort of premium support, which is going to be a great help to many of our middleclass families. Many of the marketplace plans will provide you with more generous coverage than your current grandfathered individual plan. We invite you to visit us online to review our exchange. You may also go to www. Health care. Gov. In addition to the Exchange Plan offerings, you will have several new plan offerings available outside of the exchange. These plans are similar to your freedom or high deductible plan with information. So this is a letter that thousands of people are getting and this letter never should have gone out because we said to people if you had insurance that you like, you could keep it. We didnt say if you had insurance that you like that didnt meet the minimum standards or met the minimum standards, you could keep it. We just said and the president said over and over if you have insurance and you like the insurance you have, you can keep it. That is what my bill thats the single focus of my bill. This is not to undermine the Affordable Care act. It is to strengthen it and to keep our promise to the millions of americans that we said if you have insurance, you can keep what you have. If you dont, there is going to be this new marketplace where you and your family can go and choose among a variety of different plans, and depending on your income have support from the community or from the government, and then if you are extremely poor, we can provide options for you through medicaid, not as desirable as private insurance but many governors, including some republican governors, are being very creative with their medicaid plans and actually changing them into more of a sort of a private privatelike insurance model. So there is great flexibility in how governors that have good hearts and good intentions are using their medicaid dollars wisely. But having said that, having reread the grandfather clause, looking at it very closely, i have determined that this is the best course to introduce this bill, which i will do later this evening, to actually file it. And again, it has two simple directives. One, all Insurance Companies shall continue to offer grandfather plans that were in effect prior to a certain date. And number two, every Insurance Company that provided those grandfather plans has to explain to those policyholders how their current plan falls short of the new standard on the market and what might be available to them thats better, but they are not forced to buy it. So i hope that we can debate this with the idea. Unlike many on the other side want to tear the act down, repeal it, defund it. They have even taken the whole federal government hostage and the whole economy of the United States hostage. That is what they tried to do. They failed. Thank goodness, and the hostages have been released, the government is back up and operating, but there are some of us who are sincere about supporting the concepts of this bill. The promise of this bill which is extraordinary, really, and historic but we recognize that there are some pieces of it that need to be fixed or tightened or tweaked to make sure that its going to work in the future as we have said. So, again, that is simply what my bill does. Im happy to introduce it. Ive got one cosponsor, senator manchin from West Virginia, but many others have expressed their interest in working with me on this, and i look forward to bringing this before the committee for full debate and hopefully to the senate floor in some way in the near future for debate and hopefully for passage. And i yield tour. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call a senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from colorado. Mr. Bennet thank you, mr. President. I ask that the quorum call be suspended. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Bennet thank you, mr. President. I ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Bennet i understand the chair is ready to announce the conferees for h. R. 3080, the Water Resources bill. The presiding officer the chair appoints the conferees on behalf of the senate. The clerk senators boxer, baucus, carper, cardin, white house, vitter, inhofe, and barrasso. Mr. Bennet thank you, mr. President. I ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to calendar 233, s. 42. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 233, s. 42, a bill to provide antiretaliation protections for antitrust whistleblowers. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection, the senate will proceed. Mr. Bennet i ask unanimous consent the committeereported amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider passed and the motions to reconsider be laid on the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Bennet mr. President , i ask unanimous consent the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of s. Res. 277 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk s. Res. 277, recognizing the religious and historical significance of the festival of duali. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Bennet thank you, mr. President. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Bennet i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. Res. 285, which was submitted earlier today. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk s. Res. 285, authorizing the committee on rules and administration to prepare a revised edition of the standing rules of the senate as a senate document. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection, the senate will proceed. Mr. Bennet i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Bennet mr. President , i understand that h. R h. R. 3204 hs been received from the house and is at the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will read the title of the bill for the first time. The clerk h. R. 3204, an act to amend the federal food, drug and cosmetic act with respect to human drug compounding and drug supply Chain Security and for other purposes. Mr. Bennet i would ask for its second reading and object to my own request. The presiding officer objection having been heard, the bill will receive its second reading on the next legislative day. Mr. Bennet thank you, mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 00 a. M. On tuesday, november 5, 2013. And that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day. And that following any leader remarks, the senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to s. 815, the employee nondiscrimination act, postcloture, and that the Senate Recess from 12 30 p. M. Until 2 15 p. M. To allow for the weekly caucus meetings. And finally, that all time during adjournment, recess, and morning Business Count postcloture on the motion to proceed to s. 815. The presiding officer without objection, so ordered. Mr. Bennet if theres no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it adjourn under the previous order. The presiding officer the Senate Stands adjourned until incredibly important to the carriers that represent, the concept of universal service which is the idea that all americans to minor matter where you live, should have access to comparable and affordable telecommunication services. So as we have gone through this evolution of the last several from Plain Old Telephone Service to a broadband world to an ip world somehow we ensure that Rural Americans access to those same services. And so that has been a big focus , legislatively and certainly with the sec talking to them about how important it is to maintain the tenants of the universal service, what that means, and how that mechanism has allowed folks in the world, highcost areas, to actually have a Comparable Services. Making the jump from copper wire to fiberoptic fiberoptic in Rural America tonight on the communiques at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan2. I am surrounded by just a few of the items. She often worked with one of her favorite designers for receipts and they wear. This is the average she wore to the formal opening of the st. Lawrence seaway where she and i she indyk met the prince. This was a printed cotton fabric with many of the house is that the eisenhowers lived in during their marriage. Also includes the five star symbols for general eisenhower. A few examples of the day dresses. Very fond of the color pink. She wore it in many different shapes and styles. Katie kennedy is wellknown for the little black dress, and here are two examples. She always says she would never dress like an old lady. These towns that she wore will enter 70s and 80s show light colors and while fabrics. First lady tonight live at 9 00 eastern on cspan and cspan three, also on cspan radio and cspan. Org. Up next treasury secretary jack lew at last Weeks White House summit on business investment. He called on congress to pass the immigration bill, reform the tax code, and replace acrosstheboard spending cuts none of sequestration. Introduced by commerce secretary this is a halfhour. The firstever select u. S. A. Senate meeting. As you may have heard, we are sold out with 1200 attendees. Business leaders from 58 countries and across the United States are here today. A warm welcome to all of you from all of us in the obama administration. Let me be clear [applause] let me be clear, this summit is about you. It is all about business. It is all about connecting investors with communities. Let me start with the story. When the select usa program was just starting out, an Austrian Company that makes auto parts was considering investing more in the United States. We went into action. The Commerce Departments vienna staff counsel the company on how to successfully established a new plan in the United States. The u. S. Ambassador in austria met with the companys leaders. We connected a company with the statelevel leaders that they wanted to me to. As a result, over the past year, the company has invested 62 million in its new facility in carters will, georgia. And just two weeks ago they started moving in. Theyre green new equipment and gearing up for production. They plan to hire hundreds of workers over the next five years. We are hearing more Success Stories like this every day. At this very summit i understand that we have a japanese i t Solutions Provider that expanded its new york plant in 2011 and created 50 new jobs. A chemical manufacturer from germany that is investing over 40 million to expand three facilities across louisiana next year and a portugalbased Food Processing company that Just Announced plans to make its first u. S. Investment creating 100 jobs in idaho. So where are our folks from idaho . Here you are out there. Congratulations. [applause] so clearly our Investment Climate is strong. And america is open for business. For centuries the United States has welcome investments to our shores. Our market has provided longterm and unmatched returns for investors. Today the United States is the largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in the world. Last year alone more than 160 billion of Foreign Direct Investment flowed here. Total foreign stock and assets are measured not in billions, but in trillions of dollars. So we are releasing a new joint report today from the Commerce Department and the white house. It shows that in the time to invest in the United States is now. Before president obama asked me to take this job, i was an entrepreneur and a Business Leader for 27 years. So i know firsthand some of the factors that ceos like you consider when choosing where to invest. You look for a strong and growing consumer base. Here in the United States Consumer Spending drives twothirds of our economy, and those consumers are starting to regain their footing. Retail spending along with housing and the stock markets are coming back. You also know that the best ideas and technologies flow from americas universities and colleges. We have a 15 have the top 20 universities in the world. Our federal government provides our universities with more than 40 billion per year for research and development. It will businesses need to have a presence near this for child ground in order to stay on the cutting edge. Our universities and businesses are a key reason that nearly 30 percent of those worlds r d spending happens within our borders. Of course, you also know that graduates coming out of the United States universities and Community Colleges have the skills, talents, and the productivity you need. For those for those of use Companies Need energy, particularly manufacturing, america affordable and Abundant Energy is particularly attractive. American now imports less than half the oil that we can send down from 60 in 2005. Also, a jump in naturalgas production of the past five years has led to a drop in prices of more than 60 . This is the reason south africa announced a commitment to making a recordbreaking investment in louisiana. [applause] up to its 21 billion for facilities that will create 7,000 construction jobs and about 1200 permanent jobs. We are going to hear later today. In addition, we are the most open economy in the world with 20 Free Trade Agreements. Because of our existing agreements, Companies Operating here have a platform to access nearly 700 million Global Consumers representing a combined 7 trillion in gdp. That will grow as we work to expand our Free Trade Agreement with two new agreements. America also has a longstanding commitment to rule of law. You can depend upon our rules of the road to stay constant and transparent, including our Gold Standard in intellectual Property Protection as supported by the Commerce Department. I could go on and on. Talking about everything from our infrastructure to our innovative supply chains and much more. All of these positive facts and trains have driven independent analysts to rank the United States as the number one location where ceos can be confident to invest. Experts like a. T. Kearney are saying that if you want to build entire somewhere in the world, the United States should be the top of your list. So through select u. S. A. We are making it easier than ever to do just that. We want to open the first door to making an investment here in the United States. The president himself understands this. Two years ago he saw all of the great reasons to invest here that i just highlighted, and he says that we should be doing more to help businesses like yours who have questions about how to invest here. To address your issues. We talked to our Foreign Commercial Service officers throughout the world. We asked them if they could build on their great works of promoting exports and to start to engage with foreign businesses that want to invest in the United States. There are now trained to do that in more than 30 countries. Along with a core team here in washington on a very tight budget, we have achieved some early results weve talked to hundreds of investors. We have successfully guided over 20 companies through the steps that it takes to invest, such as understanding our regulation. As a result we have helped to close major deals with millions and millions of dollars. Of course, this progress is a team effort. Select u. S. A. Has worked with over 50 Economic Development organizations around the country, many of whom are here today. Where are the Economic Development professionals in the room . Are you here . I see you. There you are. [applause] let me talk to you for a moment. I want to applaud you because you are with the rubber meets the road. You are letting folks know why your particular community is right for investment. I hope you had your pitch prepared for the next two days. Business leaders want to hear about your local assets, workforce, and your programs and incentives for bringing a company to your city or state. Fair warning to the Business Leaders in ceos year. These economic pros are not shy. Seriously, making connections is, perhaps, the most important reason that we are convened at the summit. We all know that relationships have a are the fundamental Building Blocks of doing business. You need to read meet the right and relevant people. In my experience the right inperson relationships can often mean the difference between a no or a yes. Our vision is for this to be a highlyvaluable and the efficient summit where investors can hear from experts about the overall Investment Climate as well as Economic Development leaders about the specific opportunities. Of course your dog to you are going to your from above 40 of the best minds. About a dozen ceos are moderating and speaking on panels today, including a panel after our next speaker. It will feature bill simon from walmart, and drew from dow. If and director Gene Sperling of the National Economic council. As a point of personal privilege of want to think gene for his lead and hard work in supporting selects usa. We would not be here today without him, so thank you. This afternoons partnership will put a spotlight on universities and the private sector with but peterson from georgia tech of Patrick Oshea from the university of maryland, and and whitaker, the ceo of sanofi, north america. In addition, you have two sets a Breakout Sessions with even more worldclass speakers. They will discuss everything from Americas Advanced manufacturing to strong u. S. Energy environment. To guard the technology and Services Sector and much more. I honestly, frankly, have no idea how you will choose which session to attend because they are all going to be informative and stimulating. In addition, of course, you are going to hear from a number of my colleagues throughout the administration over the next two days. I hope everyone here is as excited as i am to hear today from the leader who had the foresight to launch select u. S. A. Two years ago, president barack obama. Looking forward from the perspective of my team at the Commerce Department, we want to do Everything Possible to serve you, not just in the next two days, but in the weeks, months, and years ahead. For example, and just a few weeks the American Chamber of commerce will host the 2day event november 19th to 21st in barcelona and madrid. Next april we will be in hanover in germany where largest manufacturing showing the world. In a we will be at the offshore Technology Conference in a houston. Next september we will be in frankfurt for auto mechanic beckham i global Auto Industry event. In addition, and the first half of next year select u. S. A. Will bring city and state Economic Development organizations facetoface with investors in mexico, japan, and europe. And if those of you in the room think it would be fruitful, we could look at hosting regional conferences around the United States. Please let us know your thoughts. He now we need to move it your pace, the pace of business, the outcomedriven, helping more United States and foreign firms get the tools and information that you need to invest. My personal commitment to you right now is that we will do just that hen. Before i close i want to offer special recognition to those of you today of the hindu faith that will be celebrating. We are honored and humbled you would join us at this special time. He joined more than 2 million americans is celebrate the festival of light. So with that [applause] with that i am pleased to say that this summit is officially open and more importantly, america is open for business. Your business. Thank you all very much. I really am thrilled to see you here. [applause] im delighted to introduce our first keynote speaker. A steady hand on the tiller of our economic team, simply put, jack lew is the embodiment of the best of america hailing from a middleclass family from queens, the son of an immigrant who married his highschool sweetheart. With this foundation he has worked his entire career to help ensure that more americans reach their economic dream. With a great and noble manner he began his career as a legislative aide rising to become a senior policy officer adviser for former House Speaker tip oneill. Eventually he joined the Clinton Administration and rose to serve as director of the office of management and budget. He worked at nyu and then in the private sector for city before returning to government with the obama administration. In 2012 he served as the white house chief of staff. For the past eight months, our nation has been very fortunate. From me personally when i first took this job as secretary of commerce check made me feel like such an injured toe part of the team, welcoming me with open arms with his powerful, humility, and gravitas. I will forever be grateful to him for that generosity. Dedicated evenkeeled, with smart, integrity. These are just a few of the many words used to describe jack. Another word i am proud to call him his friend. Ladies and gentlemen, to help us get started on the right foot with an overview of the United States Economic Performance and the importance of investing here, please welcome United States treasury secretary jack lew. [applause] thank you for that very kind introduction. It is great to be here with you this morning. I want to thank the Commerce Department for hosting the first select u. S. A. Summit. I am here today with a simple message. We do not take investment in the United States for granted. We know it is important for jobs, our businesses, and our prosperity. In our increasingly Global Economy the United States cannot settle for the status quo which is why president obama has made feeling americas competitiveness a cornerstone of his economic policy. Our economy is the largest in the world, and looking at the future, we need to make it stronger by improving worker training and education, upgrade our infrastructure, driving innovation and research in growing a manufacturing base. The truth is there are additional things we can at and do to make america Even Stronger as a magnet for investment. Before talking about what makes our economy such an attractive place to invest and what we plan to do to make it even more attractive, would like to start by saying a few words about the state of the World Economy. There is broad evidence of recovery 00 across the global landscape. Economic conditions particularly in advanced economies improved public there is also no doubt that Global Demand is not worried needs to be. To many countries and employment levels i acceptably high, especially among young people. As i said before, leaders around the world should make strengthening demand in creating jobs the prairies we cannot live growth is robust, sustainable, and balanced. It seems that the long recession is slowly fading as critical steps have been taken to restore financial stability. This is good news since europe is central to the Global Economy. Nevertheless, growth in europe remains weaker domestic demand particularly anemic. Hiphop why. Europe must also press forward on other measures to address ii implied in the formation of the strong banking union. After years of economic weakness and inflation, japan appears to be turning to an economic corner. Economic growth has improved. Policymakers have demonstrated a commitment to economic transition. This will require a careful balancing of fiscal policy in advancing reforms that increased domestic demand. Economic growth across many emerging market economies remains positive, but it has slowed somewhat. This letter and is primarily because of post crisis pose crisis stimulus has waned. The demand for exports is fallen, and Credit Conditions have tightened. While these headlines will put pressure on some emerging economies concord, most emerging markets and strengthen their institutions and remarks of the past decade, which will help it increase the ability to adjust and shift the capital flows. In china the worlds secondlargest economy, policy makers have also made substantial commitments to reform. Growth continues to remain relatively robust, but theyre is a question of how to sustain robust rate of growth over the chinese economy rebalancing to domestic consumption and away from domestic investment and exports. At the same time china needs to increase the flexibility of its Exchange Rate regime and permit more market determine access to capital and more open access to market. The success of this transition matters to the United States, the asian countries, the Global Economy. China is currently conducting a series of highlevel meetings to reform the agenda, and we look forward to seeing how that plan evolves of the coming weeks. As we meet this morning, there really has never been another time when the World Economy has been so interconnected. And it is clear that what happens across the Global Economic landscape matters to us at home. Our prosperity grows with other countries succeed. Economic challenges abroad reduce Economic Activity here in the United States. And we have a stake in each others future. We need and the world to sustain greater growth, and the world continues to need the United States to be the back bone. Speed of growth and create more jobs to we have been making significant progress. One of the reasons is because the core of our economy is resilience. To fully appreciate that it is important to remember how much things have changed since the dark days of 2008. Five years ago our ecology was hit by a devastating financial crisis that helped trigger the worst recession since the great depression. Banks were on the brink, Housing Market in trouble, and our Auto Industry was sliding toward the abyss. In fact, in the month before president obama was sworn into office we were shedding roughly 800,000 jobs per month. Our economy was shrinking. There was real concern that the United States economy would not bounce back. It did thanks to the tenacity of the american people, the determination of the private sector, and the bulls Decisive Action taken across government. Right away the president moves to pull our economy out of the recession. You work to put up the financial fires, stabilize the of bankers, and so start growth. In addition he pursued policies to fuel our economy into the future. That meant investing in education and infrastructure, fixing a Health Care System that was broken, creating new rules so our Financial System works better for consumers and investors and locking in lower taxes for 90 percent of all americans. And lowering barriers to this entrepreneur is and businesses to innovate, grow, and higher. Because of these measures we are moving in the right direction. The positive signs are real. Since 2009 our economy has been expanding. Over the past 43 months private employers have added, 7 million jobs. Businesses have added over 2 million jobs command at the end of this year in the beginning of next year, there are signs of further progress. The Auto Industry is trying again. Manufacturing is increasing. The Global Market has improved. American Companies Like ford and apple i started to move operations back. We sell more products made in america than the rest of the world. The cost of health care is growing at the slowest rate in years. Our deficits are half of what they were and the president took office. So we have seen the United States economy make a turnaround our economy is actually recovering faster than any other advanced economy. In just as it has become more expensive and difficult to do business in other parts of the world and our economy has become more competitive and attractive. Business leaders from around the world tell me all the time that there is no other place where they would rather do business. And on my very first trip as treasury secretary i visited the plan in georgia and south first and American Workers producing electronic equipment that will be added to Construction Machinery for export to china. The plan is on and operated by siemens, the german based engineering company, and is one of 130 manufacturing the facilities that is run throughout the United States. Investing more than 25 billion in the United States over the past decade and invests about 1 billion in research and development here annually. Explaining why the company is so committed to the United States, the industry sector, put it this way. America produces better than anyone. The heart of our ability to produce better than anyone is the american people. Workers are talented and productive, entrepreneurs are the most determined and innovative. The same time we are the largest Single Market in the world. It deep infrastructure that connects a vast and vibrant market through pipelines, ports, roads, and bridges. Our universities attract and challenge the best and brightest minds from around the globe. On top of that we are experiencing an Energy Revolution of america. Today the United States is less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in more than two decades. We produce more oil at home and we have been nearly 25 years and more natural gas than any time in history. This transformation is driving down energy costs for consumers and businesses. Our increase in Energy Production is not limited to oil and gas. Energy and Renewable Resources like wind and solar double in the president s first term and will continue to make investments in cutting edge technologies. Our economy has made progress, and the progress is made the United States a better place to invest. I want to underscore that we are not satisfied with the current pace of job creation and Economic Growth. We know that there are things that we can be to invest in american skills, animation, and infrastructure. The next days will remain the most attractive place around the globe to do business. Taking actions in these areas is good for growth and could for job creation. Of the process created unnecessary anxiety congress predicted still do what it needed when it came together on a bipartisan basis just two weeks ago to the reopen our government. Is not time for congress to make a progrowth pro jobs agenda the focal point which will strengthen our economy at home and further cement the United States is the best place to invest, hire, and agribusinesses let me point to the key areas where we cant make a difference Going Forward. First as democrats and republicans beat they havent a opportunity to forge an agreement focused on restoring our longterm Fiscal Health of making targeted domestic our economy. They should use this occasion to replace the corrosive across the board cuts known as sequestration with fair and balanced deficitreduction policies. It is crucial we close wasteful tax loopholes and eliminate cost red makes sense and use resources freed up to invest in key areas like manufacturing, infrastructure, an education. Second, congress should finish comprehensive Immigration Reform and send the bill to the president for signature. The senate is already past Bipartisan Legislation and is awaiting passage in the house of representatives. This legislation would strengthen borders, chart a path turned citizenship and increase Economic Growth by more than a trillion dollars. Drives growth by attracting highly skilled scientists to our country. Greater investment from beyond our shores, new job opportunity to lead night consumer demand and spark had to be. It would do all this will increase in payroll tax revenue that will reduce the deficit. Another bipartisan bill is the farm bill. Bipartisan legislation that has already passed the senate and designed to protect american farmers, ranchers, and provide a safety net for americans most vulnerable children. They have an opportunity to Work Together to develop a bipartisan package that promotes Economic Growth and job creation while insuring that a generation of needy children are well nourished. Over the years democrats and republicans have come together to foster Economic Growth, job creation, an investment. We can come again, see that kind of progress as we work diaz to reform now we tax businesses while upgrading our infrastructure to meet the Economic Needs of the future. Then me be clear. The president is committed to business which will help create and retain good jobs in the United States. The fact is the United States now has one of the highest statutory Corporate Tax rates in the world. As high as that is, it only raises an average amount of revenue has a share of gdp. Full of tax breaks and loopholes allowing companies to pay little or nothing in taxes while hurting others investing. We can do better, and we can do this by broadening the tax base and lowering tax rates in the way it does not at a dime to the federal deficit. The president put forward the details of his approach and has made clear his commitment to budget neutral Business Tax Reform paired with an infrastructure package paid for with onetime revenue. Every opportunity head to seize the mantle of tax reform and establish a simpler, fairer, and more competitive business tax system. The plans currently being considered in congress right now share much in common with the approach the president has put forward, and there is no reason why we cannot start with the substantial power a policy areas that we agree on and come together to find common ground. In addition to reforming our tax system we must finish the work of creating new trade agreements the agreements must open up markets for americas businesses and must add to the millions of american jobs that are currently supported by trade. As Congress Comes together in support of trade deals, we will help expand the biggest and most dynamic marketplace and the Global Economy and reinforce the position that the United States has as a preamplifier to invest. To that end, we are working to complete a Transpacific Partnership to be when completed the agreement will boost exports and level the Playing Field in the asiapacific. I want to point out that the United States welcomes investment from around the world , from every type of enterprise and in all sectors. Committed to maintaining the most open and transparent investment environment. Our process for reviewing nationalsecurity implications and Foreign Investment in the United States focus solely on National Security considerations and the reviews are completed within that time of one to three months. So as we press forward, we know where we need to focus our efforts, the priorities i just outlined are clear and doable. They ought to Real Solutions that will make a real difference for our economy now and in the future. Endo of like to close by thanking the Commerce Department for hosting the summit as well as everyone in this room for coming today. America has always been known as the land of opportunity, a place where you can make it, if you try. And have no doubt, opportunity in the United States is very much alive a while for our workers, businesses, and half for all of you who invest year. Thank you very much. [applause] incredibly important, the conflict of universal service, the idea that all americans, no matter where you live should have access to comparable and affordable telecommunications services. As we have gone through this evolution of the last several years of going from Plain Old Telephone Service to a broadband world to an ip world, how do we insure that role americans have access to the same services and applications that come across on those networks. That has been a big focus for us legislatively and with the fcc talking to them about how important it is to maintain the tenants of universal service, what that means, and how that actually have Comparable Service making the jump from copper wire to fire rockets and Rural America tonight on the communicators. I am surrounded by a few of the items. She often worked with one of her favorite designers for receipts and they wear outfits. This is the official word to the formal opening of the st. Lawrence seaway. Another custom designed dress is this, referred to as the eisenhower 12. Printed cotton fabric with many of the house is that the eisenhowers lived in during their marriage which includes the fivestar for general eisenhower. A few examples of the day dresses. Very fond of the color pink and wore it in many shades and styles. Jackie kennedy is well known for her black dress. Here are two examples. These dams that she wore well in tears 70s and 80s show her love of bright colors and while fabric. Firstly the eisenhower tonight live at 9 00 eastern on cspan nine cspan three, also on cspan radio in cspan. Org. A couple of hours ago the senate voted 6130 to advance legislation that would ban Workplace Discrimination on the basis of Sexual Orientation are gender identity. Seven seven republican senators voted in favor. The Senate Must Still vote on the full bill. If approved, chances are slim. The house companion measure has five sponsors and the spokesman said today in forming his opposition to the measure. Speaking about the bill on the senate floor today. Ith. Mr. President , have come to the floor this afternoon to talk about a bipartisan effort tocome advance uniquely American Values , freedom, fairness, and opportunityon act, or enda, has at its foundation these core values. Its about freedom. The freedom to realize our founding belief that all americans are created equal under the law. Its about fairness, about whether lesbian, gay, bisexual, and Transgender Americans deserve to be treated just like their family members, their friends, their neighbors, and fellow workers. Its about opportunity, about whether every american gets to dream the same dreams, chase the same ambitions and have the same shot at success. One year ago this week the people of wisconsin elected me to the United States senate. The citizens of wisconsin made history electing our states first woman to the United States senate and electing the first out gay or lesbian person to the United States senate in the history of our great nation. But i didnt run to make history. I ran to make a difference, a difference that would give everyone a fair shot at achieving their dreams. I couldnt be more proud of the bipartisan effort to make a difference with the employment nondiscrimination act. I want to thank and recognize my i want to thank and recognize my i want to thank and recognize my colleagues, senators mark kirk, geoff murphy, susan collins, and tom harkin for their lead, working across party lines and leading this legislation forward. I take great pride at being a part of this effort. At i think it shows great promisece of what can be achieved if we Work Together in a bipartisant t way i also want to take the time to recognize the 55 cosponsors, of this bill. Both democrats and republicans who made a commitment to ending discrimination against our fellow citizens simply because of who they are and do they love. I realize that for some this is not an easy vote. Ome i understand it, for some, they may believe that it is not the politics, but i want to say that i have a deep respect to for those who choose to stand on thy side of progress for our countro this week pyridine so for thoses that stand up this week and answer the call for courage, ie can say with confidence, yourspd courage will be respected and remembered in the history of this struggle. Akt engen i had the i opportunity to speak at the department of justice during its observationse it was fitting that we gathered in a building that bears the name of robert f. Kennedy. He became attorney general at at ar time of rapid progress in the area of civil rights, progress that thrilled many americans. Kennedy knew, however, that america should be on the side of progress. He traveled to georgia at that f time unfriendly territory for a civil rights reformer, to makehs his first formal speech at the university of Georgia Law School and he did not shy away from the Kennedy Administrations commitment to equal opportunityf for on this generation of americans, he explained, so rea burdened, proving to the world that we really mean it when ween say that all men are created free hand equal before the law. H he backed up his words with action. Not only by vigorously enforcing the laws and court orders that advanced the cause of civily rights, but by holding the Kennedy Administration itself accountable, demanding that the Justice Department and other Government Entities prioritized diversity in the workplace. A of course, as much progress as that generation made in filling the promises of the fairness and ua equality, and there was plenty left to do for the generationsoo that have followed. Today we continue that work,neer guided by the belief that everyone deserves a fair shot ad the American Dream and that our lgb t family members, friends, and neighbors deserve to be treated like everyone else in the ade states. Dve every american deserves the freedom to work free of of discrimination. Empl and passing the employmentscrima nondiscrimination actens th strengthens this freedom by recognizing the right to be judged based upon your skill, talent, loyalty to my character, integrity, and work ethic. My home state of wisconsin was o the first state in the nation to have it as Sexual Orientation to its antidiscrimination laws. At the time back in 1982, only 41 this of maladies and eight o counties in the United States offered limited protectionsual against discrimination based upon Sexual Orientation. Wisconsins efforts to pass the nations first sexualisimin orientation antidiscrimination statute was supported by a broac and bipartisan coalition, including members of the clergyr various religious denominations, medical and professional groupse the measure was signed into lawa by our republican governors who based his decisions to support the measure and the success of municipal ordinance is providing similar protections against ptet discrimination. Wcons says wisconsin passed a statute in 198220 states and the District Of Columbia car representing nearly 45 percent of our nations population have passed similar antidiscrimination measures. Sixteen states and the District Of Columbia also protect their citizens on the basis of gender identity. 6 however, 76 million Americans Workers have to contend with tht ugly reality that in over two dozen states it is legal to discriminate against lgb t employees. That is simply wrong. In this legislation seeks to right that wrong. The Business Community understands this. That is why in majority of fortune 500 companies have Sexual Orientation and gendernor identity nondiscrimination policies in place and more thans 100 companies have endorsed thit bill. It is time to level the playing ot field and extend these protections to all americans. We dont just want to live in a counartry where our rights are respected under the law. In. Country where we are respected for who we are, where we enjoy freedom and opportunity because thats who we are as americans. More than five years after he spoke at the university of Georgia Law School half a world away, at Cape Town University in away, at Cape Town University in have a world away, at Cape Town University in south Africa Robert f. Kennedy said, you will have the greatness to bend familys love and commitment can be recognized and respected and rewarded under the law. I am hopeful that we can now move this employment nondiscrimination act forward to build a tomorrow that is more build a tomorrow that is more in a few moments on the communicators that head of the rural roadbed association. Host as we continue our series on the communicators talking with some of the telecommunications headquartered in washington this week were joined by Shirley Bloomfield ahead of the nt ca of Rural Broadband association. She is here to talk about some of the legislative and policy nations that her association faces. Guest we represent 900 small local providers that are in pretty much every state in this country. We provide what used to be just basic broadband providers and there are also the onestop shop Tech Service Providers for their communities. They do the video and wireless. They do data centers. They do whatever technology their data centers require. Host just to give us a sense of who you represent, who are some of your members . Guest we have everywhere from the largest in the country which is telecom in South Carolina which has 100,000 subscribers to numerous Small Companies and locally owned in iowa that have four or 500 subscribers at peace. We serve all across the country. If you actually looked at the map of the United States we serve 40 of the landmass lets 5 of Customer Base so when you think about if you are in washington d. C. And you have a large provider providing service , 130 subscribers my folks averaged six or seven consumers. We have a lot of land out there. Host are your legislative hired is different than verizon and at t . Guest absolutely by definition. When you think about what arra committee looks like in the fact that you have it huge difference you have geography that works against you so again if my folks are out there stringing fiber which is an incredibly important part of the new technology to their subscribers hospitals they are going through a lot of land where you dont have a lot of people. You may actually have more cattle than people in those areas. Whereas if your Service Provider like arise in our at t or Larger Companies and rushing to d. C. You get 130 prescribers per wire so your costs are the same because it doesnt get in cheaper based on where you are putting it in the ground with a number of customers you have to sustain those costs is very different. Yet at the same time in Rural America in some ways its more important that you bridge some of those handicaps distance of the kids can have access to Educational Opportunities and access to health care opportunities. The Technology Takes on a greater role. Host given especially the geographical issue that you have been talking about, what is the legislative or policy issue that you are promoting in washington . Guest one of the tenants that is incredibly important to carriers is the concept of universal service and that is the idea that all americans i matter where you live should have access to the copper and affordable telecommunications services. As we have gone through this evolution over the last several years of Telephone Service to a broadband world to an ip world how do we ensure that rhee americanamerican s have access to the same services in the same applications that come across those networks . Thats really been a big focus for us legislatively and certainly at the fcc talking to them about how important it is to maintain the tenants of universal service, what that means and how that mechanism has allowed folks in rural areas to have Comparable Services. Host joining our conversation is Matthew Schwartz or order with Communications Daily. Guest thank you. Ms. Bloomfield in 2007 the sec instituted massive reforms at the service regime. They reduced the amount of support that they give to rural carriers in some instances. Implemented a one tile regression formula which is the subject of much angst at the fcc. Were they now compare rural to similarly situated peers to determine if the cost is high. How have these rows affected your members . Guest its phenomenal the impact its had and when you said the analysis has created angst at the fcc you can begin to imagine the angst its created. First of all just understanding what the quantizer regression analysis that done. Its a complex statistical model that is based on all these different variables that try to compare applestoapples so we try to compare the costs of the company in alaska for example where they have basically three months where they can do investment to a company thats down in the panhandle of florida. You really cant begin to come up with a model that works all the way across the country for these different geographies. So the biggest impact on your question has been the carriers they represent and again 900 carriers have felt such a chill about regulatory uncertainty that they have really slowed down their investing and in a time where we a society look at broadband and we say broadband is so important as we make sure we have up tendencies to get Health Care Without driving for to hospital or chilled schoolchildren have access to Broadband Access to do the things they need to do to make sure they stay comparable to their urban counterparts. I assume broadband providers have slowed down in their investment. As a matter of fact we did a survey and 70 have either stopped or slowed down some investment in builds that they had planned and on the looks because you are putting in the money in the ground and a capitalintensive industry. You dont dont know if he can recover those costs. You are pretty nervous about putting that next dollar to the ground. Guest can you quantify how many dollars it has cost industry not being able to invest in that or is that 70 generic . Guest 70 is the response. We had a good Response Rate but its literally state i stay to figure out. Our political concern has been a couple of years ago under president obamas First Administration there had been a big stimulus effort to do Broadband Funding and stimulus funding for broadband support in what we have seen is a number of those projects are going to get done or a lot of folks at turn those projects back because its a partnership. They cant be sure they can return their portion of the stimulus investment. So that is where you just see this really a shame because one of the things we have found is that every dollar that goes into the ground with broadband has a Multiplier Effect in terms of the local economy and not even necessarily so much in the rural areas. As as a matter of fact we found twothirds of the economic boost goes to the urban areas. Guest surely that couldnt have been the fccs intent to slow down broad band built up. Wouldnt they argue that the rules eliminate waste allowing some companies to more efficiently put up broadband . Guest is one of those things where i hear where youre coming from and its so complex. Universal service is a very complicated network with the lot of different rules and regulations and how it applies to different carriers. Then you take the erate, the lifeline. There are a lot of moving pieces in there. I think the thing that was a little bit difficult that we sometimes do here in washington d. C. As we become so academic. We think about it in an academic perspective. There must be a formula, there must be a model or an answer from the ivory tower. It would help the fcc and getting on the ground and how these carriers make decisions and out of the make investments and what does it mean . I will give the fcc huge amount of credit for the fact that we are working towards the seventh order of reconsideration which really means that throughout the course of the last two years it basically comes back and says yeah we know there are some tweets here and we need to make changes here so we continue to stay at the table and have dairy constructive dialogues with them. How to make this work in the real world. Guest is that because of the new commissioners that have come to the fcc . That they brought a different mindset to this . Guest the new commissioners ajit pai and Jessica Rosenworcel both are incredibly thoughtful individuals. Commissioner rosenworcel particularly because of her role working on the Senate Commerce committee. She came in with a very astute background in both of their reactions have been, this is so complex. Its so complex that howard kerry are supposed to figure this out until they figured out they will have regulatory uncertainty and they are something not going to build. They actually really understand the connection between that. So to your point how do you build into a broadband world, how do we take this usf order and while it needed to be done and reform is necessary how do you create a sense for brought in and deployment and we have some ideas . Host Shirley Bloomfield you have identified the problem that the associate members face but what is the solution you are advocating . Guest well i think there are a few things. To be honest with you one, let them complicate this. Its become so complicated and its done on an annual basis. Lets say you figure out what the usf supporters going to be next year. The formula changes for the next year so when youre putting in telecommunications plans you are building it for the long run. When you put fiber in the grand youre not saying this is the one your project. Typically its longterm and you have to figure out how you can recoup your capital. We need a longerrun on how long these provisions stay in place so we can better assess the impacts. The other thing we need to do is we really need to create a fund that will support broadband. Right now the way it has been structured first of all there is no connect america funds for rhee carriers. Thats the Broadband Fund that has been put in place for the large carriers and midsized carriers. Its not in place for the small carriers. Host why . Guest we are so working on that so im hoping this is the next part of the process where we designated connect america fund for those 900 Small Companies. The other thing we need to do the way the order is currently written is your universal Service Support is tied to Voice Service so what we are seeing across the country is a lot of people are dropping their landline telephone. They just are. Young people and people on a budget. The redundant value of that network is not apparent to them so if you are out in in the rural area and you have dropped your Voice Service your broadband provider cant use get usf support to provide broadband. Dsl, make it standalone broadband so the cost becomes prohibitive. If this was partially an initiative to deploy broadband tying it simply to Voice Service in an era where frankly voice is not the driver anymore, broadband is we have to make sure that standalone broadband is high on broadband services. Host has the fcc been at a standstill . Guest you know its harder without the full complement and i will be on us with you im very excited about having tom wheeler and mike oreilly and have their nominations movie the senate. A full complement of commissioners at the fcc increases the debt and breadth of this discussion in the debate and i think it also spurs action on and taking action on items that have kind have been languishing for a wild. I do think that will be very good for some movement on all of the different issues facing communication with buyers. Host Matthew Schwartz . Guest you have said that the rules affect broadband buildout and investment in infrastructure. Do they have even a more grievous effects on the continued viability of Certain Companies . For example a per month, per line cap on the amount the fcc will support, 250 i have read there is a waiver request. Guest there have not been very many approved, have you noticed . Guest i have noticed one or two. Are your members in danger of going out of business . Guest you know i certainly hope not an part of our job is to make sure we figure out first of all how to crack this and how to create a broad and future for their companies and consumers. Its a really good question so i think a big part of the problem with the cap is its rep drafted. But its also doing is applying its investments you have bardem made. You didnt know what you didnt know and you put money in the ground thinking you would complete the fiber goods good to the schools, to the next immunity and suddenly you are finding the rug pulled out from underneath you. That is tough for folks. I think prospectively if we can get the caps instead of being caps to be triggers i know what the fcc is trying to get at. We need to make sure folks arent spending too much money and that things are within a budget which is very important to the fcc. If you actually took the cure and instead instead of me can those hard caps you say lets make it a trigger. You have tripped the trigger. We need to look at your cause. Why are they so high and what does this mean . What im seeing now is a couple of things. I was at a company in indiana that laid off 45 employees, 45 out of 200. It was part of iu, Indiana University and they serve a lot of medical clinics. Thats a big chunk of your workforce. That means a lot to the community so we are seeing a lot of that. The other thing we are seeing frankly is trying to figure out new ways to get revenue streams. That is not an unhealthy part of the process. How do you than monetize your network . How do you then provide different Video Service . Maybe you need to open a davies data center and maybe need to think more aggressively about some of your i. T. Services. Thats entrepreneurial spirit is what im hoping well pull our folks through. Guest im still trying to get my mind about around what is so wrong in practice with comparing similarly situated companies against each other to see who is the most efficient . Guest there are a couple of things. First of all theres a lot of a lot of data that gets put into that form and i think you have to make sure you are comparing applestoapples. Again what you what got a few years ago the fcc through the world task force had taken a look at putting a model onto rural carriers. What they found after some intense analysis is that rings like soil content, here in West Virginia have a lot of rocks. That changes what it costs your company to put fiber into the ground. Alaska montana you have three years three months out of the area that you can actually dig. As you go through a complex analysis its looking at the amount of road miles for the amount of stop signs. The things that gets thrown into it, you want to compare applestooranges and that is where a model gets tougher to work with is supposed to cost. Guest is it possible to compare applestoapples . If they could come up with a model that takes road miles and soil and similarly situated up model . Guest i think that is going to be the next task. We we will see if you can come up with that model. I say that jokingly. Its a tough statistical models, but then again think about my 900 carriers. They are also unique. Its one of the things that is not a homogeneous industry. I think its been harder. Its been tried in its difficult to do. I think that there were models that could he created an folks would choose to opt into those models and thought that might be a better path you will always have new circumstances that i dont think we will always be able to address. Kind of with a onesizefitsall. Host youre watching the communicators on cspan. This week we are looking at the ntc a world broadband association. Shirley bloomfield is with the organization and sub two is with Communications Daily, a reporter. Ms. Bloomfield arent the economies of scale against smaller members . Guest it is not easy. I will say again when youre putting that plant in its tough to do it when you have a small population base you are building out towards. However think there are couple of things we are seeing in the last few years that has really helped in terms of scope and scale. My folks are realizing their a lot of symmetries they get from working together in different business areas. One the of the initiatives i find very exciting is 30 states. My carriers have come together and build state Fiber Network so they all have become honors as you will of their own state Fiber Network in the state Fiber Networks are doing an amazing job with doing back call for large wireless carriers for connecting a lot of large institutions and they are able to kind of share that network not only in their inservice territory but then share the revenues they want to generate five being it was great that scope and scale coming together. So i think there are more initiatives we are seeing in that regard. The flipside is the beauty of these locally owned and controlled companies is they are all about their customers. We should hope to get this kind of customer service. They are running into the general manager in the Grocery Stores like hey they have rot broadband out to my place yet. They know what their needs are. I had a ceo of one of my Companies Say he started a terrific working relationship with the local Health Clinic building Broadband Networks. People can do whom hart monitoring because he was bringing his mother every day to the heart clinic. I provide broadband. I should talk to the clinic about how we can get Senior Citizens connected by using telemedicine. Its those kinds of initiatives that are the best part of why big boxes arent always the best that. Guest is telemedicine the kind of thing that wasnt contemplated in the last generation of the Communications Act and does the ntc a happy position on how the Communications Act should be revamped Going Forward . Guest its a really good question matthew and there are so many different pieces of that act that we could take a look at the internet was only mentioned a handful of times. Telemedicine is an interesting wand in part he could as you have the transmission piece which is the partly worry about. What are the rules and regulations and how do you Cost Recovery . We have interesting pieces outside of what i would consider a typical realm. Medical licensing of doctors. Doctors had a tough time licensing across state boundaries. When you are doing telemedicine by definition you are going over state downed trees. Its something that commissioner rosenworcel has taken a look at. How do he make make some of those other rule ccrc can generate more interest in telemedicine . We for example run a Health Care Trust for own Member Companies and their employees so we provide Health Insurance for tens of thousands of grimm americans. We have changed our specs a few years ago so we allow covering of payments for telemedicine. Insurance Companies Making this is a covered service and i think some of those initiatives will take off but im very bullish on the opportunity for telemedicine to Senior Citizens aging in place. Her parents live in a Rural Committee cant check on them. Making sure they open their fridge or medicine cabinet. I think about again the diagnostic things that can be done. Its pretty amazing. Guest what can be done from washington with the statutes, revamping statutes during courage that technology . Guest and again when i look at it from our perspective and i given different answer if you talk to the Telemedicine Association who we work closely with. If they cant build those Broadband Networks and dsl will simply not cut it. Dsl is an fast enough to cover the diagnostics. A lot of my folks still have old copper in the ground and providing dsl service. You need the fiber in the ground to do the things you want to do the telemedicine. I would go back to i need to find ways to duke effective Cost Recovery so they can put that plan in the ground that allows services. Host Shirley Bloomfield does that Cost Recovery include federal money . Guest the service is as a support mechanism between carriers. It must be a tax and it must be a subsidy. Absolutely not. It really is a mechanism where funding is collected from the other carriers pooled and redistributed based on cost. The entire concept was that the value of the Network Increases and more people you get on the net work. It was a notion and a philosophy that was adopted in 1930 with the first communication act the principle of universal service. That is part of the Cost Recovery mechanism. Lets go before we run out of town we want to get your take on the upcoming or potential upcoming spectrum offer. Guest spectrum is a very exciting initiative. I will tell you again i think spectrum is a great opportunity. We are all mobile and we all want spectrum ability. My concern on the way that past auctions have gone is that probably 80 of spectrum is held by two large carriers. We see more and more that nationwide resins. What happens is when a large carrier buys that spectrum they have a bill that requirement in that bill that requirement is by population. They can essentially build out in their urban areas and never have to build up to rural areas. We would love to see smaller licensing carriers. My carriers half of whom party to own spectrum they just cant do with it due to interoperability and access to handsets that they can build up within their own communities. Kind of a swiss cheese effect if you will. Guest smaller licensing areas and what else would enable small carrier participation in . Guest i think the licensing is key because the licensing is daunting for them to get into. You are not going to buy the lexington market when all you want to do is serve eastern kentucky. You really dont want to serve all the metro areas. Interoperability and being able to get that interoperability between the carriers and some of those roaming agreements are really important so you can hand off that traffic to i have 100 companies that own 700 megahertz and very few have the ability to do anything with that spectrum. Again as customers continue to yearn for both the speed and the capacity that fiber can build we want to augment that with mobility spectrum. Guest im curious if we can jump topics now to the problems that your members have been facing with calls not completing. This is a big deal but rural call completion is something that has been tasking the fcc for the last couple of years. Has the fcc and their increased focus on the done anything to solve the problem . Guest you know this is a hard rate issue and to your point people outside of washington dont understand about whats going on is that i might be calling my grandmother in michigan and whats going on is that call gets handed off to an intermediate carrier and usually carriers look for least cost router to carry the call in that call gets completed into a rural area. The least cost router because the axis on the other end is higher than they are getting in the middle piece and some are choosing not to complete the calls. I have done these these tests often its horrifying when 20 of the cause you are making an in dead air. What its doing to Small Businesses and people safety. We have literally had hundreds of cases of people not getting through to a surgeon or the health care clinic. Its a real epidemic. I find every time they put attention on we see it tamps down for a couple of minutes and then everybody does there and it runs rampant again. I think that will be a really good start. There is more work to be done to be honest to ensure thats happening. Host what is the order theyre voting on . Guest its an order on call completion so they will be taking a look at are there ways to do remedies that will actually tap down some of this these bad actors. Host unfortunately are out of time. Shirley bloomfield of the nt ca to Rural Broadband association and Matthew Schwartz of Communications Daily have been our guests. Thank you. A few of the items that kept mamie on the 10 top best dressed. This is the outfit she wore to the formal opening of of the st. Lawrence seaway where she and ike met Queen Elizabeth and prince phillip. Another customdesigned dresses this referred to the eisenhower 12 they printed cotton fabric with many of the houses the eisenhower slipped enduring their marriage. It also includes a fivestar symbol for the fivestar general eisenhower. These are a few examples of mamie stayed dresses. She was very fond of the color pink and for a day many different shapes and styles. Jackie kennedy is wellknown for the little black dress and here are two examples of mamies favorite little black dress. Mamie always said she would never dress like an old lady. These gowns that she wore well into her 70s and 80s show her love of bright colors and wild fabrics. Speeding our series on the Affordable Care act in conjunction with Kaiser Health news focuses on whats happening with the Insurance Plans that are being canceled. This is 45 minutes. Host on mondays in this segment of washington journal we have been looking at the implementation of the Affordable Care act with the help of reporters from Kaiser Health news. This week julie appleby