Recognizing those who have promoted Free Expression in areas of speech, the press, religious liberty, and arts and entertainment. Recipients included apple ceo tim cook, u. S. Representative and civil rights leader john lewis, abc for the spares dash before the first reporter Martha Raddatz and Playboy Enterprises founder hugh hefner. This is just over one hour. Good evening, fellow champions of the First Amendment, and welcome to the newseum Second AnnualFree Expression awards dinner. We are honored to have you join us tonight to celebrate six men and women whose lives and work has been the embodiment of Free Expression. Now, standard speaker protocol calls for me to make a joke at this point. To relax the room, bring us together, and let me move on to more serious subjects. David bradley, a wonderful supporter whos here tonight is a genius at this. The problem is, i dont know any jokes about the First Amendment, less aye all George Carlin on you. [laughing] and where to keep this dinner pg. So i did what a modern person would do. I googled. Me, i asked alexa. Me, i asked siri. About jokes about the First Amendment, not much luck there. Not due to the technology of course. There are many stories about someone making a joke of the First Amendment, and countless stories about whether the First Amendment does or does not cover jokes about mothersinlaw or various ethnic and racial minorities. The answer by the way is yes, yes and yes. I found some possible material from lenny, but i figure he had that angle covered already. Seriously, i cant remember a time in my life when the freedoms of the First Amendment were more at the forefront of the National Conversation or more threatened. Later this week the newseum will release its first Quarterly Report on the state of the First Amendment. We have created a panel of 15 esteemed constitutional scholars from across the political spectrum to grade how are we doing on each of the five freedoms. The composite grade they give us right now is c . Freedom of the press is doing the worst with ac, while freedom of assembly and petition, the forgotten freedom, arguing they are at b. We clearly need help as a society as there are some significant doubts about how we are faring with the fundamental freedoms. Thats why tonight is so special. The six amazing individuals we are honoring tonight have been in the forefront of the battle to defend Free Expression and the rights of the First Amendment. They have reported from war zones, challenge the federal government in court, battled censorship, confided the fbi over americans right to privacy, and any case of a lifetime a lie achievement winner, risked his very life marching for civil rights for all americans. [applause] before we get to the winners, i would like to thank the trustees of the newseum, the new zealand institute, and the Freedom Forum for their unwavering dedication to the newseum. The trustees commitment is longstanding. In fact, in one of those scheduling miracles that could never be planned, today is the 20th anniversary of the opening of the first newseum and rosalind. [applause] it was opened by then Vice President al gore. I would also like to thank our sponsors for their support of the Free Expression awards dinner. This evening would not be possible without your wonderful support. I would also like to think some of the people in the room, and commended them for their work. Actually, i would like to thank all 400 of you, but that wont possible. Kathy mayor Williams CatherineMerrill Williams has always been a great support counsel. [applause] alberta, president of the Knight Foundation and former board chair is here tonight. Theres alberto. [applause] his own leadership and the Knight Foundation support has been absolutely essential for the newseum. I would also like to welcome our friends from the Charles Koch Institute and the aclu. Not Many Organizations can say that. [laughing] and marty baron is in the house. [applause] the Freedom Forum will honor marty with the excellent in the media award in june in this room. Congratulations, marty. [applause] the Mission Statement is those 45 words engraved in a 75foot marble tablet in the front of our building. We welcome more than 800,000 people a year who visited us and to learn about the courageous sacrifices made throughout history to uphold our fundamental rights. Our permanent exhibits including the berlin wall, the 9 11 memorial, and the Pulitzer Prize gallery have become part of washingtons cultural landscape. Our newest temporary exhibit, louder than words, rock, power and politics, produced in partnership with the Cleveland Rock n roll hall of fame explores how popular musicians have pushed the boundaries of Free Expression over the last halfcentury. On friday, because her energetic staff just need Something Else to do, we will have a program on louder than words with bj yellow of nwa and louis e ce, asked later if you dont understand what im saying come to explore how rap in particular has affected Free Expression from compton to d. C. In the last year with held more than 50 Public Programs to explore critical First Amendment issues. Just this past week and members of the Asian American band aslant were here to discuss the Landmark Supreme Court case against the u. S. Patent and Trademark Office over their bands name. A quick update, in case you are not follow it, the band is suing the office over its failure to allow the name to be trademarked because it may disparage people. We will wait to see how the case is decided, but the case has already given the band a great name for its third album, the band who must not be named. [laughing] harry potter reference for the millennials, under control. The new zine institutes religious Freedom Center has brought together scores of religious and Civic Leaders to help them navigate the intersection of religious and public life so they can train communities across america, how to live together despite these differences. We have developed the first sweep of in class and digital courses to teach clergy and lay and Civic Leaders about religious freedom. Finally, our newseum Education Program reaches more than 7 million students, in this country, and 159 countries across the world, and provides them with digital Course Material about the evolution of freedom and medium literacy. For instance, we heard this fall home teachers that they want to teach about the election, how to teach about the election and have no idea what to say. You may have experienced that also from time to time. So we quickly release our digital collection, election 2016 doff which provided teacher with digital artifacts from our collection as well as course plans on how to teach about a contentious electoral contest. We are also doing a great to have students manage and overcome this anomaly of fake news that they like all americans encounter every single day. Including our 2017 Summer InstituteMedia Literacy and fake news. Last wednesday we held a symposium on the president and the press, the First Amendment and the first 100 days. Generally, generously sponsored by the Knight Foundation that probably get the members of the administration, including sean spicer, kellyanne conway, and journalists from cnn, breitbart, msnbc, begin you will not hear that pairing everywhere, the new york times, and many other platforms to discuss relations between the media and the administration and how perhaps we might do better. David fahrenthold of the post straight from winning the pulitzer on monday was our leadoff speaker, and bob schieffer, one of the wise men of washington journalism, gave a wonderful conclusion. We were covered by more than a dozen networks and hundreds of thousands of people viewed our symposium online. Our handle hashtag child and the press was leading topic on twitter trump and the press purely crushing hashtag as you can tell one of the things i am most proud of about the newseum is our nonpartisan approach to the contentious issues of the day. In a polarized city, and hyper partisan town, it is hard to be vehemently nonpartisan. Many organizations frankly face the temptation to drift left or right as the bases and funding move further from the center. However, we believe that the only way to advocate rights for all americans is to show favorite favor to none, and work for all. [applause] we believe the moment is now for the critical work we do here at the newseum. Thanks to your support we will continue to work to preserve and protect these essential freedoms today, and for future generations. To begin tonight Award Ceremony id like to welcome abc news president jane to the stage to present the first award of the evening. Thanthank you so much, and welce to the newseum. [applause] thank you, jeffrey. Good evening, everyone. Martha raddaz. So it seems only fitting, so here we are. Ill tell you a long story, and exhausting story about martha. So today martha got off a plane, 14 hours on the plane from seoul. Get the lipstick on, did here. This is what she saw in the last four days. Thursday she was in washington reporting on the growing intelligence of north korea, planning to conduct a Nuclear Weapons test. She got on the plane that day, she landed in south korea. She persuaded the generals on the ground to give her exclusive access to the open air base. Just miles as you know, most a special edition this week, then she interviewed and National Security advisor, h. R. Mcmaster. Maybe budget is there as well. Just par for the course for martha. She does this all the time pictures you think she hasnt had a day off since the election, for which she feels somewhat responsibility bad about that. [laughing] she has to invent a new word, they had invent a new word for her approach because her courage and her toughness, her unflinching dedication for reporting from the front lines, that phrase is badassary. Thats martha. [applause] shes moderated four debates. Im sure youve seen the she did it with such rigor on all four occasions, the phrase Martha Raddaz for president trended on twitter during every single one of those debates. One of the things i most admire about martha, and the recent pesci gets the access that she does and she has the trust that she does in the military community is her passion, her passion for our troops and her commitment to what happens to them when they come home from war. She stays in touch with those who have been grievously wounded. She comes with the family who lost loved ones in battle. Her bestselling book the long road home, which details the terrible twoday firefight in sadder city during which the first Cover Division soldiers were killed. And she still in touch with every Single Person she spoken to in the book. That book is a very poignant example of a commitment to remind us all about sacrifices our troops make everyday to protect the country. Now, our american democracy depends on reporters are willing to do the truth even though most dangerous circumstances come depends on people who ask the toughest questions, who will not rest until you understand what happened and why it happened. Depends on people like martha whose unwavering in her commitment to bring these stories to life. So lets take a quick look at martha in action. One of the things i love about u. S. Journalist is you go everywhere and youre getting ready to go where i can . Im kidding me to go back into the war zone into iraq. We are east of mosul. American soldiers moved in here just about three days ago. Here we go. Just over to the right is russia. You do your job to press for answers. There are two issues that are entirely missing from your campaign website. Can we stick to guncontrol . Answer the question. Do you still believe please explain whether or not the muslim ban still stands. I love my job because i learn something every day, and i share it. Its important for us to be a voice for the american public. What we do is try to find things out for you. [applause] so, martha, thank you for your fearless commitment for a free press. We are honored to recognize your superlative work. Please join in celebrating Free Press Award recipient, Martha Raddaz. [applause] thank you so much. Thanks. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. I dont think ive ever gotten a standing ovation. I could get used to that. Thank you so much. I love being in this beautiful building. Thanks to the newseum and the Music Institute for this award. I am truly honored. I know i am preaching to the choir here tonight. A free press is a unique cornerstone of any democracy, and i stand here tonight on behalf of so many brave colleagues and friends here in washington, and around the world. I owe a big thanks to abc news for its support. Especially our president james, our Vice President , i washed and your cheap jonathan greenberger, and above all my tireless Global Affairs team, especially cindy smith, luis martinez, and my debate team and a special thanks to connor. And thanks to my husband, tom, who is the shining example of a journalist who makes a difference. [applause] its no secret that would live in a moment when the free press is threatened across the world with strongmen celebrate cracking down on journalist, when terror groups be had reporters rather than let them exposed the truth. When we are viewed as the Opposition Party by some, and when our competition is not just another network or newspaper but partisan voices and conspiracy theorists online or on the air. While we are very lucky in this country to have a robust tradition of free press, nothing is guaranteed. What we bow today can become a threat to more. Its part of our job to remind people why they should value a free press. A free press is also not enough. Its part of the contract, a bond with our fellow citizens, and it comes with responsibilities. It has to be free but it must also be fair, fair to those whose stories are ignored, fair to even those who are not fair to us. Citizens must take responsibility as well. Despite the challenges and fax, because of the its a great time to be a journalist because its such an important time. And some have risen to the occasion. I must abc and elsewhere but we have to remain vigilant and fiercely independent. Dont take the bait and dont curry favor. Dont waste time on the shallow or trivial. Focus on the issues, ask the uncomfortable questions, mine for the truth, study the detail. In a word, elucidate, despite the threats in the face of power on behalf of the people. Because thats what he free press does. Its whats required of journalist o. It is what it democracy needs, humbly, its what i hope i helped you in my career and will continue to do. Thank you so much for this honor. [applause] please welcome to the state our next presenter for the evening, doctor robert franklin, professor of moral leadership at Emory University here. [applause] christinKristina Arriaga de z is a dot of cuban refugees left everything behind to flee the repressive regime of fidel castro in 1961. She has never forgotten the lesson her parents taught her. If we have freedom, we have everything. She has made it her life work to defend americas first freedom, religious freedom as executive director of becket law, a Nonprofit Law Firm that has been nicknamed gods aclu. For its work on all face from anglicans to zoroastrians, truly a tizzy. Arriaga is a fierce and fearless defender refugees and Political Prisoners here in 1992, as director o of the foundation, human rights group, she helped a cuban defector secure an airplane for a do or die rescue of his wife and two children in cuba. The rest he succeeded, and under arriagas leadership, beckett success in the courtroom has also soared. In 2014 her firm won a Landmark Supreme Court ruling exempting craft store change hobby lobby and of the companies from providing Birth Control to their employees in violation of their religious beliefs. In 2015, arriaga led back into another Supreme Court victory protecting the rights of a muslim inmate in arkansas prison to grow a beard as an expression of his faith. Becket was another important religious liberty case in 2016 when the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Little Sisters of the poor Catholic Charity would not have to pay 70 million in annual fines for refusing to provide employees birthcontrol coverage as required by the Affordable Care act, returning the case to the lower courts to resolve the conflict over contraception and conscience. Another case forced the federal government to get back ceremonial eagle feathers that had been seized from a native american pastor by the department of the interior. Arriaga is also worked for the u. S. Commission on civil rights, and in 2016 she was named to the u. S. Commission on International Religious freedom. Lets take a look at Kristina Arriaga work defending americas first freedom. Ladies and gentlemen, the faith of the Little Sisters as the face of every american. Particularly americans who believe in minority religions. Americans that adhere to delete. I love in this country can still have a Robust Exchange of ideas and that we can have religious diversity. We have to defend all religious transitions, a tizzy. There should not be a preference for any of them in this country. Christine a come shes got the personality that you cant help but love. Religious liberty is not about tash its about we are. The government should not take what you can believe what you should do. Fight back. Dont let anyone silent you or shame you are set your identity is not valid because they disagree with you. We were meant to offend each other in this country. We were meant to have a robust debate. In this country of ours whats in ou a hearts and in our minds. No one. [applause] please join me in celebrating the knights religious Freedom Award recipient, Kristina Arriaga. [applause] thank you very much. I know i speak to the choir when i say do not let anyone silent you, not ever. Not the government, not culture, not socalled educational institutions, never. It is your birthright to be able to live according to your deeply held convictions. And it is your duty to defend and protect that right for everyone, particularly for people with whom you disagree. Religious liberty is not for conservatives. Religious liberty is not only for liberals. It is not the eccentric uncle of a human rights family. It is the ability to live according to whats in your core. And thats the only way to live without regret. People around the world die for that freedom. They die to exercise the ability to do that. Here in the United States we have it pretty easy. But sometimes even when we do the right thing we get kicked in the stomach. Be courageous. Be courageous. Dont live a life with regrets, with the big regrets of course you have little regrets like not losing ten pounds before an awards ceremony. [laughing] thats hypothetical, of course. [laughing] im very humbled by this award, but i know its not mine alone. I would like to thank the people at becket law who 24 7 pro bono defend the rights of religious freedom for everyone, a disease. Many of them are here tonight. But tonight i would also like to take the opportunity to thank my family from az. My husband of 23 years. That salty marine. Thank you. [applause] that salty marine has seen some pretty dark place in the world defending our freedom. But he has also endured for 23 years a coupon and americana human rights fighter cuban. [applause] i would like to thank my children. They are here tonight. The indoor the same household. Its your turn. Fight for it. Dont let anyone silent you. Only your mom once in a while. [laughing] my sister patricia is here with me tonight. She is representing my large and incredibly loud cuban family. It is not a coincidence that she is the only one that knew that this was available to the public. [laughing] finally i would like to thank the museum institute. Nate walker fours defense of religious freedom and, of course, the great charles payne. Your work is needed now more than ever. Thank you. Thank you. [applause] to present the arts and Entertainment Awarded this evening please welcome former president of the aclu, nadine strossen. [applause] thank you very much. Thank you very much. Hugh hefner has championed individual freedom and the First Amendment for more than 60 years, fight against the 1950s straightlaced attitudes about sex. Hefner launched Playboy Magazine in 1953 with 8000 he borrowed from friends and family, and a little help from marilyn monroe, the magazines first centerfold. Playboy quickly became one of the most influential magazines of the 20th century. Ushering in the sexual revolution while celebrating great authors, artists and journalists when writers were blacklisted and communist in 1950s and 1960s, hefner published their work in playboy. When segregation ruled the american south, hefners playboy club welcomed black guests as well as black entertainers. When two tv shows depicted integrated musical acts in the late 1950s, hefner featured them on his latenight tv variety show, playboy penthouse. At the peak of its popularity, playboy boasted a circulation of 7 million. In the 1970s, his daughter christie joined playboy and established that hugh hefner First Amendment award come celebrating people who promote and defend the freedoms that americans cherish most. In 1988, christie stepped in as chairman and ceo, and transformed the company into a global multimedia powerhouse with an extensive online presence. She also used her considerable clout to promote causes close to her heart. Pay equity, the equal rights amendment, gayrights and abortion rights. She established a freedom of expression award at the Sundance Film Festival highlighting documentaries that addressed social problems. Throughout their careers, the hefner is a forcefully bought censorship and controversy over the magazine depiction of women, powerfully exercising and defending freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Says hugh hefner, i want to live in a society in which people can voice unpopular opinions because as a result i society grows and matures. Hef and christia promoted all of our fundamental freedoms, recognizing that freedom of speech, womens rights and sexual freedom are mutually reinforcing. They led the resistance from threats from completely across the ideological spectrum, from cultural conservatives to radical feminists. They have fought and won lawsuits that established key freespeech protections, given major Financial Support to anticensorship organizations, and donated their invaluable time and expertise to numerous organizations. Im going to list a few in alphabetical order starting with the aclu, the columbia journalism review, the Creative Coalition and the nation institute. So here is a look at two true champions of First Amendment freedoms of speech and of the press, hugh and christie hefner. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of press, and we cannot have a free society if we do not have both. My surprise but the two sides of hefner, the funny side and the caring side, the politically conscious side. You want to suppress and eliminate the things in society that you think in terms of ideas, the exchange of ideas are going too far. I want to live in a society where people can voice unpopular opinions because i know that as a result of that, a society grows and matures. Are probably a lot of people today out there enjoying freedoms have no idea that hugh hefner was the pioneer and got all the arrows. The politics of playboy, the company that really had strong roots in individual freedoms. Our values are remarkably the same and have been from the very beginning. For me feminism was a movement of liberation, social justice, respect for the individual, personal freedoms, humanism. Those of the values i believe in. A commitment to the First Amendment, that the freedoms enshrined in that amendment are the cornerstone to the robust democracy that we all cherish. Its important to be a trailblazer but its even more important to be a trail maker. If you are a troublemaker that others do with you down the trail and they come behind you and they lead on beyond you. [applause] i just want to say thank you for celebrating christie and hugh hefner tonight, arts and Entertainment Award recipients. [applause] well, to put it mildly i am deeply honored to be receiving this award in this company, in this place, and in these times. While i am the only one accepting it tonight, it is due in great measure to the work of my father who turned 91 on apri. [applause] while he is actually an quite good health, as i can attest based on his backgammon playing prowess on his birthday, a very bad back over many years makes it almost impossible for him to travel. But i speak for him when i say that whatever his personal battles for freedom of expression, what underlies all of it is his deeply felt belief that the principles of the First Amendment are the most essential principles of our democracies. And they are what allows our society to continue to evolve. I want to thank the friends and family and fellow fighters of freedom of expression for taking the time to share this evening with me. A special shout out to my brother david who traveled all the way from california. [applause] and whos being here makes this evening immeasurably more special. To nadine who is finishing a book and not accepting invitations to speak. Thank you for making this the exception, and for making this evening that much more exceptional. I also want to say, because she is both a friend and a hero, that there are some of the people who fall into that category that i just want to shout out tonight. Two michael keegan, who runs the extraordinarily important and impactful people for the american way. [applause] to greg who heads up the foundation for individual rights and education that is fighting so hard to keep Diverse Voices on campuses. [applause] to bob who is our lead counsel in the successful case before the Supreme Court that established full First Amendment protections for cable television. Two previous award winners, represent armstrong who traveled to oregon and when he was a young work creatively and privileges the state constitution to establish precedents are broader freedom of expression been granted to the u. S. Supreme court. And Dennis Barrie who when he was the embattled head of the contemporary art newseum in cincinnati Face Criminal Charges for defending the exhibit of Robert Mapplethorpe is photographs. And lastly, jim rison who last she won the award here and two years ago one and h h award and who for so many years has so tirelessly fought for press freedoms against the government. [applause] as far as this place is concerned, we twice held our awards here, and for me its not just a repository of culture and history, but a beacon for the values that i hold most special. And as for these times, well, the accuracy and trust in the media have never been at a lower point. We are being censored by on the one hand people on the right who feel that the media is a propagator of fake news and in any of the people, and at the same time by those unelected feel that the press has not been harsh enough for tough enough on donald trump. And yet this is the very moment when we are most in need of a strong and independent press. A press that tells us who was to be believed and who is not, what is important and what is not, what is the reality of the time we are living in. But if were dependent on the press, then democracy is dependent on civic engagement. We need a voice of america in america, and that depends on all of us. Thank you. [applause] to present to knights Lifetime Achievement award, please welcome civil rights activist and former freedom rider from nashville, tennessee, with patton. [applause]. I heard the voice on the other side call my name. I suddenly went into the Twilight Zone for about 20 seconds. Think since we are all here with love in our hearts, there is a gentleman at table 27 by the name of john, please when you call me and i say this with love, please say john junior. [laughter] [applause] i say that because he sounded just like his dad and i just went into his own because his father and i were like mud and jeff, peas and carrots. I love temperate i still love him. Thank you. [applause] i stand before you to talk about a brother, a friend, a companion, whatever you can think of and that is john lewis. John lewis lived in and was born near troy alabama in 1940, february 21. He was born to sharecroppers. One of the things john would do would be listen to the radio at a very young age. On that radio that he would listen to, he would be listening to the reverend Martin Luther king who really influenced him. One day john had saved his money, maybe he had sold some chickens, and saved his money, got anna Greyhound Bus to montgomery to see Martin Luther king, to see if he could get him a scholarship into tristate in alabama. Doctor king said i cant get you into tristate, but i can get you into a school in nashville which was the nashville Theological Seminary. So in 1958 he was a student at American BaptistTheological Seminary in nashville tennessee. I met him in 1959 as we were both being too lynched by the reverend johnson in nonviolence. During that time, 1960, he was important in making sure we had a First Successful fit in in nashville on february 13. He was very instrumental in that. Later on he joined the freedom ride when they left washington d. C. He was beaten in South Carolina and also in montgomery. If you know about the freedom rides, core ended them in birmingham, and alabama after the burning of the bus and the beating of the people in birmingham. The students in nashville called to ask him if we could have permission to restart the freedom ride. He said you saw what happened with the burning in the bus and what happened in birmingham, you will get somebody killed. Our attitude in nashville was we cannot let violence overrule non violence. If you give us permission to restart it, we will do that. John was very instrumental in restarting the freedom rides from nashville to birmingham, montgomery and into jackson mississippi. Later on, after that, in 1963, he was the organizer of the march on washington. He was also a key speaker. One of the things you may not know is that they asked john to tone his speech down, to not give the speech he had written so he had to tone it down because we wanted to say what we wanted to say and not sugarcoat it. As a result of him being one of the speakers on the march of washington, he is the only one that is still alive. John also led up peaceful march for voters right from selma to montgomery in 1965. As you know, he was beaten and in the first march, by the police, he had a fractured skull. Personal note, they always went for the head. He always had a patch on his head no matter where he was beaten. He later became the leader of the Student Nonviolent Committee to influence fighting for Racial Justice from 1963 until 1966. He also led a protest against discrimination in housing, education, employment and at the ballot box. He was arrested more than 40 times, and i expect him to be arrested a few more times before his time is up. Lewis went on to become the director of a Voter Education project which added nearly 4 million minority citizens to the voting role. In 1946 he was elected to congress and has served as a u. S. Representative of georges fifth Congressional District ever since. In 2011, he was awarded the president ial medal of freedom, the nations highest citizens honor. Last year, as we all know, my man john led a sit in on the house floor to demand action on gun control. When we were in nashville together and we would have our meetings trying to decide what we are going to do next, they would wait to get to john last and say john what should we do. We should dramatize the issue. That was one of his big things. Thats what we would do. We would dramatize the issue. As you know, john has a series of books called march and they have brought the civil rights struggle to the light of a new generation and generations to come. One of the things we always said, for example, whether it was citizens or the freedom rides, what we did was for our generation and for the generations to come. Those of us that were out there fighting in 1960 and years after were still out on the trail. We are still fighting the battle, talking to young students, whether theyre in elementary school, junior hi, high school or college, and even talking to some teachers to make sure they tell the story of our history, the american history, the way it should be. [applause] now lets take a look at a video of the life works of my friend john robert lewis. We do not want our freedom gradually, we want freedom now. Imac we wanted to see a better day. We wanted to end segregation and racial dissemination. John lewis is the man who literally puts his life on the line to make this a better country, fairer country, a country that is more open. You have a right to protest. Its depicted i our constitution. You have a right to protest what is right. Dont shoot. Dont shoot. Dont shoot. Your congressman john lewis vows to babylon after this weeks historic congressional city in. We are calling on the leadership of the house to bring common sense, guncontrol legislation to the house floor. He is known as the conscience of the United StatesCongress Speaking his mind on justice and equality and teach students what is courage. Stand up, speak up. When you see something that is not right and not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something and not be quiet. John lewis is so popular and in such demand that he is unable to join us this evening. He was able to send us a film. John is like manure. He is all over the place. Please turn your attention to the screen once again. Hello. Thank you so much. I regret that i cannot be with you. With all my friends. Rip, thank you my friend my brother for visiting me with this great honor. Besides the First Amendment, without the freedom of speech, freedom to dissent, the Civil Rights Movement would have been a bird without wings. We live in an unbelievable country and those rights are protected by the constitution. You have a right to stand up, a right to sit down right to do right. As doctor king would say, the time is always right to do right. As long as i have breath in my body i will continue to stand up and speak up for the freedoms of the guarantee and protected by a constitution. I want to thank you again for honoring me. Have a good evening. [applause] it is truly truly my honor to accept this award for congressman john robert lewis, and to say thank you in his place. [applause] [applause] to present tonights final award, please welcome fred ryan, publisher and ceo of the Washington Post. [applause] for five years tim cook has been ceo of apple, a Company Fortune has ranked number one on the list of the most admired companies for the past ten years including each year tim has been ceo. A good reason for the distinction may be because of the values the Company Holds and the way it upholds its values. Fontanelle tim over the past few years. Something he said last year defined in him and his leadership at apple. He said, something are hard, some things are right, and some things are both. Two events represent this kind of principled leadership better than apples battle with the fbi last year. When the fbi demanded that apple built a backdoor into its products, tim felt strongly it was his responsibility to say no. Its not just for apple but on behalf of customers worldwide who count on the company for the security of their data. Perhaps more to the point, the objective because he felt the demand would undermine the freedom and liberty our government is meant to protect. All of us in this room know the challenging ones government is never comfortable. Out of respect for everything our country stands for, tim concluded it was the only right option. Tim, your actions last year reminded me of the courage of someone we both admire, catherine grandpa in 1971 as publisher of the Washington Post, she took a tremendous Business Risk and a moral stand by publishing the pentagon papers over the objections of the United States government. In the end, the Supreme Court, as well as history, was on her side. Tim has used his position to fight for what he believes in, especially the right of americans living on the margin. In 2014 he was named to alabamas academy of honor, a treasured recognition in the state along with Jeff Sessions and the alabama football coach. Tim used his remarks to advocate for racial equality, Educational Opportunities for the underprivileged, and acceptance for lgbt citizens. One of the things people respect most about tim cook is his thoughtfulness. He told an interviewer last week he has never seen much benefit come from not engaging, even when you may disagree or have a different position. We will continue to count on tim to advocate for human rights, Immigration Reform and equal pay. As tim says, you want to be the pebble in the pond that creates the ripple for change. Lets take a look at some of the ripples he has created. We believe a company that has values and acts on them can really change the world. I think its really important that corporate leadership like him care about principles like freedom of expression and the advancement of human rights. Its about finding your value and committing to live by them. He takes risk at a personal and professional level to engage new ideas. I knew tim as a courageous person, a person who has spoken truth to power. We are standing up for our customers because protecting them is our job. When he speaks, folks listen. We had a choice to either finally do what the institution said to do or to fight and we chose to fight. I think we will all look back in ten years and be so incredibly thankful for the very difficult stance that he is taking on topics that every ceo needs to read about and every political leader needs to hear about. He is a true champion for all people. Its not just about making money, its also about making a difference in the world. Please join me in celebrating the free speech award winner, tim cook. [applause] [applause] thank you i am the only one with an ipad today. Its a privilege to be here with all of you. Its a great place and i have such admiration. Im very grateful for the award, and i accept it tonight on behalf of of everyone at apple. Its an honor to be recognized tonight alongside john lewis who i am very proud to call my friend. John has been an inspiration and a role model for me. He has truly set the standard for moral, physical and political courage. I would also like to congratulate the other honorees tonight. Martha reported with courage and clarity from the political arena to the war zone. Christina has been an outspoken advocate for refugees and Political Prisoners, and christie who has blazed a trail for women in business and worked hard to defend the very values that we are celebrating this evening. Christie, if you could, tell your dad i was not a frequent reader of playboy, but when i did, it was really for the articles. [applause] it is great to be back here. At apple, we have a very deep respect for the craft of journalism. We admire the people who were celebrated here for their talent, their service, and their sacrifice. Their work gives life to the words etched on the face of this building and written in our constitution. The promise we make that Congress Shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or the press. When James Madison drafted the First Amendment, he probably wasnt imagining a young woman who built an app to share her passion for poetry. He probably wasnt imagining a hiphop artist who has something that he just has to say to the world so he makes a video that has tens of millions of viewers. Our founders may not have been in line but at apple we do. Art and music, design performance, over opinion, provocation, these forms of speech are what we works to enable. That fills us with such a sense of pride as well as a deep sense of responsibility. We know that these freedoms require protection, not just the forms of speech that entertain us, but the ones that challenged us, the ones that unnerve and even displease us. They are the ones who need protection the most. Unpopular speech, unpopular art, and unpopular ideas. Speech that questions the people in power. Its no accident these freedoms are enshrined in protected in the First Amendment. They are the foundation of so many of our rights. It means we all have a say and a role in defending them. This is a responsibility that apple takes very seriously. I see our work to fulfill this responsibility as twofold. First, we defend, we work to defend these freedoms by enabling people around the world to speak up. Second, we do it by speaking up ourselves. Companies can and should have value. We have a perspective on major public issues, and we are prepared to take a stand for things we deeply believe in. Let me begin with the first idea, the way we help customers express himself or that takes many forms. Movies and music, articles, books, podcasts and photos. They help us better understand the world. They help us understand new ideas and new forms of expression. They can reach wider audiences. They can make a more powerful and more positive impact on our world. With mobile devices in hand every day, citizens are following john lewis challenge to all of us, that if you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it. Through their blog posts and photos and videos, what they are doing about it is contributing to the discourse that drives our democracy. Even shining a spotlight on injustice, whether its the faithbased by refugees or acts of violence in our own neighborhood, all of this serves to give people more access to more perspective. We see that as central to our mission at apple. It is part of the reason why two years ago we launched apple news to give great stories, stories from across the political spectrum, stories on a range of topics and interests, to give them a wider reach. Democracy, after all, depends on discourse. For our democracy to work, we are not just free to express ourselves, in a sense, we are obligated to do so. If the Public Square falls silent, the whole system is a risk. That is why, at apple, we are not just enabling others to speak up, we are doing so ourselves. Hopefully more and more people are coming around to the view that a company is not some faceless, shapeless thing that exists apart from society. A company is a collection of human beings, and part of the fabric of our society. A company like ours has a culture, it has value, and it has a voice. Apple has spoken out and will continue to speak out for what we believe as a company, and the positions we take will continue to guide our actions. We will continue to stand up for environmental protections. We will continue to stand up for inclusion and diversity in all facets of life. We will continue to stand up for human rights, including the right to privacy. Free speech isnt just about speaking, its also about listening, whether or not we disagree. If democracy obligates us, in a sense, to express ourselves, it also demands that we listen to one another, that we stay informed, we act, and we participate. We owe it to ourselves to liste listen. We need to challenge our own thinking, and in doing so allow that someone else may just be right. That is the solution we see might be the best for all of the citizens. We must be open to opposing an alternative point of view. Not alternative facts, but alternative opinions, experiences, and arguments. That is why the work of this institution and the heroes it celebrates are so very important. When we are faithful to the First Amendment, when we are all free to express ourselves, to give voice to our values and our views, and when we are all willing to listen, to think, even to change our mind , that is how the art of history bends towards justice. That is how freedom continues its slow, brave march. Thank you all for listening. Thank you again for this great honor. Thank you. [applause] Congress Needs to pass a temporary spending bill to keep the government from shutting down at midnight tonight. The Washington Post reporting this morning that Senate Democrats have blocked a quick vote on the bill. Mitch mcconnell sought quick agreement but Chuck Schumer objected. A final bill with out spending on abortion that is opposed. They just past the funding extension lasting through may 5. You can see the house live on cspan. Live now to the floor of the u. S. Senate here on cspan2. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The chaplain dr. Barry black will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Eternal god, thank you for your great mercies for us, for while we are yet seeking you, you find us. Before we call, you answer, and while we are