Transcripts For CSPAN C-SPAN Weekend 20110130 : comparemela.

but they are looking at this issue to see if there is any kind of safety net. >> the other issue is state finances. states are in a lot of trouble. it sounds like the republican congress will not be enthusiastic about giving money to them. there is also this tricky issue of trying to research and hold hearings on the question of a bankruptcy procedure. even having the conversation causes a risk. people who buy municipal bonds or that that is not as safe an investment as they thought. but our people already worrying about a? >> just the conversation is worrying people. >> what are they saying about the prospect of bankruptcy for states? or are the republicans saying they will not bailout states? >> there are a lot of hurdles that need to be cleared. you have to make sure all republicans are together on this. eric cantor indicated a bill that would allow state bankruptcy would be dead on arrival. it creates a bit of an issue for republicans who said do not do bailout and do bankruptcy. it is going to be a thorny issue. it goes back to the point that it creates uncertainty. as long as you have that uncertainty out there, it makes people more jittery than normal. >> the actual legislation is quite unlikely. the compensation is dangerous and creates uncertainty around the municipal market. >> it is important that he said a series of hearings. this will be going on for a period of months. >> do we know who will be called before this committee? >> the house is out for the next week or so. it looks like some time in mid february. but he talked about working with the financial services -- >> he also talked about working with the gun at a services committee. >> the connecticut services committee is charged with writing laws that regulate the financial -- the financial services committee is charged with writing laws that regulate industry. it is a different role. it is the legislative process versus the oversight process. >> we will go back to the housing policy. he talked about the program into this in a bill to get rid of the housing modification program. what do you think? >> it sounds like it's an option that nobody wants. people might have to lose their homes and allow homeowners to cannot afford their homes -- and allow homeowners who can afford their homes to go in and take them. it is going to be a hard issue for them to address in the months ahead. >> what are the guys that it can be done away with? you have a democratic controlled senate. >> this is not something that has an easy solution. the bush administration did not find any answers. even the obama administration would and knowledge that it is not an easy issue. there is no obvious solution. there are people who are under water on their mortgages and are unemployed and do not have the income they used to. finding ways to encourage banks to renegotiate those that does not cost a bass --a vast amount of tax dollars is a difficult problem. the government or the republicans may not have a solution. >> as the obama administration talked about revamping the program? >> i think they are always looking for ideas. >> what do you make of the republican leadership putting patrick mchenry in charge of this subcommittee? >> it sends a message that he is known as someone who is a fighter. putting him in charge of a committee that will look at bailouts shows that they plan to continue hounding democrats on that issue. >> thank you. appreciate it. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> i have always been opposed to taxpayer dollars being used for political advocacy of any kind. cracks in the house, and open -- an oklahoma republican offered a bill to prevent tax payer dollars being used for conventions. follow the debate on line. congressional chronicle at c- span.org/congress. >> tonight we will talk with former president bush about his life and his book, "decision point." >> you are through with politics? >> yes. >> define that. >> i do not want to be a professional money raiser. i do not want to be on top shows it in my opinion and second- guessing the current president. i think it is bad for the press -- for the country to have a former president criticizing his successor. it is hard enough being president. besides, i do not want to do that. in spite of the fact that i am now on tv, i do not want to be on tv. i tell people that one of the interesting sacrifices -- i do not think he sacrificed to run for president. to the extent that you do, you lose your anonymity. i like the idea of trying to regain anonymity to a certain extent. been out of the press at this stage of the post-presidency is somewhat liberating. >> see the entire interview tonight at 8 eastern and pacific on c-span "q & a's." >> tuesday night, president obama the limit his second state of the union to a joint session of congress. this is about one hour and 15 minutes. >> mr. speaker, the president of the united states. [applause] >> i have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting the president of the united states. [applause] >> thank you. thank you so much. thank you so much. thank you very much. everybody, please have a seat. thank you. mr. speaker, mr. vice president, members of congress, distinguished guests, and fellow americans -- tonight i want to begin by congratulating the men and women of the 112th congress, as well as your new speaker, john boehner. [applause] and as we mark this occasion, we are also mindful of the empty chair in this chamber, and we pray for the health of our colleague and our friend, gabby giffords. it is no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last two years. the debates have been contentious. we have fought fiercely for our beliefs. and that is a good thing. that is what a robust democracy demands. that is what helps set us apart as a nation. but there is a reason the tragedy in tucson gave us pause. amid all the noise and passions and rancor of our public debate, tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater, something more consequential than party or political preference. we are part of the american family. we believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people, that we share common hopes and a common creed, that the dreams of a little girl in tucson are not so different than those of our own children, and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled. that, too, is what sets us apart as a nation. now, by itself, this simple recognition won't usher in a new era of cooperation. what comes of this moment is up to us. what comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow. i believe we can. i believe we must. that's what the people who sent us here expect of us. with their votes, they have determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. new laws will only pass with support from democrats and republicans. we will move forward together, or not at all -- for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics. at stake right now is not who wins the next election -- after all, we just had an election. at stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country, or somewhere else. it is whether the hard work and industry of our people is rewarded. it is whether we sustain the leadership that has made america not just a place on a map, but a light to the world. we are poised for progress. two years after the worst recession most of us have ever known, the stock market has come roaring back. corporate profits are up. the economy is growing again. but we have never measured progress by these yardsticks alone. we measure progress by the success of our people, by the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer, by the prospects of a small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise, by the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to our children. that's the project the american people want us to work on. together. now we did that in december. thanks to the tax cuts we passed, americans' paychecks are a little bigger today. every business can write off the full cost of new investments that they make this year. these steps, taken by democrats and republicans, will grow the economy and add to the more than one million private sector jobs created last year. but we have to do more. the steps we have taken over the last two years may have broken the back of this recession -- but to win the future, we will need to take on challenges that have been decades in the making. many people watching tonight can probably remember a time when finding a good job meant showing up at a nearby factory or a business downtown. you did not always need a degree, and your competition was pretty much limited to your neighbors. if you worked hard, chances are you would have a job for life, with a decent paycheck, good benefits, and the occasional promotion. maybe you would even have the pride of seeing your kids work at the same company. that world has changed. and for many, the change has been painful. i have seen it in the shuttered windows of once booming factories and the vacant storefronts of once busy main streets. i have heard it in the frustrations of americans who have seen their paychecks dwindle or their jobs disappear -- proud men and women who feel like the rules have been changed in the middle of the game. they are right. the rules have changed. in a single generation, revolutions in technology have transformed the way we live, work and do business. steel mills that once needed 1,000 workers can now do the same work with 100. today, just about any company can set up shop, hire workers, and sell their products wherever there is an internet connection. meanwhile, nations like china and india realized that with some changes of their own, they could compete in this new world. and so they started educating their children earlier and longer, with greater emphasis on math and science. they are investing in research and new technologies. just recently, china became the home to the world's largest private solar research facility, and the world's fastest computer. so, yes, the world has changed. the competition for jobs is real. but this should not discourage us. it should challenge us. remember -- for all the hits we have taken these last few years, for all the naysayers predicting our decline, america still has the largest, most prosperous economy in the world. no workers are more productive than ours. no country has more successful companies, or grants more patents to inventors and entrepreneurs. we are home to the world's best colleges and universities, where more students come to study than any other place on earth. what is more, we are the first nation to be founded for the sake of an idea -- the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape our own destiny. that is why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked everything to come here. it is why our students do not just memorize equations, but answer questions like "what do you think of that idea? what would you change about the world? what do you want to be when you grow up?" the future is ours to win. but to get there, we cannot just stand still. as robert kennedy told us, "the future is not a gift. it is an achievement." sustaining the american dream has never been about standing pat. it has required each generation to sacrifice, and struggle, and meet the demands of a new age. now it is our turn. we know what it takes to compete for the jobs and industries of our time. we need to out-innovate, out- educate, and out-build the rest of the world. best place on earth to do business. we need to take responsibility for our deficit, and reform our government. that's how our people will prosper. that's how we will win the future. [applause] and tonight, i would like to talk about how we get there. the first step in winning the future is encouraging american innovation. none of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be, or where the new jobs will come from. thirty years ago, we could not know that something called the internet would lead to an economic revolution. what we can do -- what america does better than anyone -- is spark the creativity and imagination of our people. we are the nation that put cars in driveways and computers in offices, the nation of edison and the wright brothers, of google and facebook. in america, innovation does not just change our lives. it is how we make a living. [applause] our free enterprise system is what drives innovation. but because it is not always profitable for companies to invest in basic research, throughout history our government has provided cutting-edge scientists and inventors with the support that they need. that is what planted the seeds for the internet. that is what helped make possible things like compute chips and gps. just think of all the good jobs -- from manufacturing to retail -- that have come from those breakthroughs. half a century ago, when the soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called sputnik we had no idea how we'd beat them to the moon. the science wasn't there yet. nasa did not even exist. but after investing in better research and education, we did not just surpass the soviets -- we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs. this is our generation's sputnik moment. two years ago, i said that we eded to reach a level of research and development we have not seen since the height of the space race. in a few weeks, i will be sending a budget to congress that helps us meet that goal. we'll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology -- an [applause] investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people. already, we are seeing the promise of renewable energy. robert a gary allen are brothers who run a small michigan roofing company. after september 11, they volunteered their best roofers to help repair the pentagon. but half of their factory went unused, and the recession hit them hard. today, with the help of a government loan, that empty space is being used to manufacture solar shingles that are being sold all across the country. in robert's words, "we reinvented ourselves." that is what americans have done f over two hundred years -- reinvented ourselves. and to spur on more success stories like the allen brothers, we've begun to reinvent our energy policy. we are not just handing out money. we are issuing a challenge. we are telling america's scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, an focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we will fund the apollo projects of our time. at the california institute of technology, they are developing a way to turn sunlight and water into fuel for our cars. at oak ridge national laboratory, they are using supercomputers to get a lot more power out of our nuclear facilities. with more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have 1 million electric vehicles on the road b 2015. [applause] we need to get behind this innovation. and to help pay for it, i am asking congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. [applause] i don't know if you've noticed, but they are doing just fine on their own. [laughter] so instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's invest in tomorrow's. now, clean energy breakthroughs will only translate into clean energy jobs if businesses know there will be a market for what they're selling. so tonight, i challenge you to join me in setting a new goal -- by 2035, 80% of america's electricity will come from clean energy sources. [applause] some folks want wind and solar. others want nuclear, clean coal, and natural gas. to meet this goal, we will need them all -- and i urge democrats and republicans to work together to make it happen. [applause] maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to america's success. but if we want to win the future -- if we want innovation to produce jobs in america and not overseas -- then we also have to win the race to educate our kids. think about it. over the next n years, nearly halff all new jobs will require education that goes beyond a high school degree. and yet, as many as a quarter of our students aren't even finishing high school. the quality of our math and science education lags behind many other nations. amica has fallen to nth in the proportion of young people with a college degree. and so the question is whether all of us -- as citizens, and as parents -- are willing to do what's necessary to give every child a chance to succeed. that responsibility gins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. it is family that first instills the love of learning in a child. only parents can make sure the tv is turned off and homework gets done. we need to teach our kids that it is not just the winner of the super bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair, that success [applause] that success is not a function of fame or p.r., but of hard work and discipline. our schools share this responsibility. when a child walks into a classroom, it should be a place of high expectations and high performance. but too many schools do not meet this test. that is why instead of just pouring money into a system that is not working, we launched a competition called race to the top. to all fifty states, we said, "if you show us the most innovative plans to improve teacher quality and student achievement, we will show you the money." race to the top is the most meaningful reform of our public schools in a generation. for less than 1% of what we spend on education each year, it has led over 40 states to raise their standards for teaching and learning. these standards were developed, not by washington, but by republican and democratic vernors throughout the country. and race to the top should be the approach we follow this year as we replace no child left behind with a law that is more flexible and focused on what is best for our kids. [applause] you see, we know what is possible for our children when reform is not just a top-down mandate, but the work of local teachers and principals, school boards and communities. take a school like bruce randolph in denver. three years ago, it was rated one of the worst schools in colorado, located on turf between two rival gangs. but last may, 97% of the seniors received their diploma. most will be the first in their family to go to college. and after the first year of the school's transformation, the principal who made it possible wid away tears when a student said "thank you, mrs. waters, for showing that we are smart and we can make it." [applause] let's also remember that after parents, the biggest impact on a child's success comes from the man or woman at the front of the classroom. in south korea, teachers are known as "nation builders." here in america, it's time we treated the people who educate our children with the same level of respect. [applause] we want to reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. [applause] and over the next ten years, with so many baby boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. [applause] in fact, to every young person listening tonight who is contemplating their career choice -- if you want to mak a difference in the life of our nation, if you want to make a difference in the life of a child -- become a teacher. your country needs you. [applause] of course, the education race does not end with a high school diploma. to compete, higher education must be within reach of every american. [applause] that is why we have ended the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that went to banks, and used the savings to make college affordable for millions of students. [applause] and this year, i ask congress to go further, and make permanent our tuition tax credit -- worth $10,000 for four years of college. it's the right thing to do. because people need to be able to train for new jobs and careers in today's fast- changing economy, we are also revitalizing america's community colleges. last month, i saw the promise of these schools at forsyth tech in north carolina. many of the students there used to work in the surroundi factories that have since left town. one mother of two, a woman named kathy proctor, had worked in the furniture industry since she was 18 years old. and she told me she is earning her degree in biotechnology now, at 55 years old, not just because the furniture jobs are gone, but because she wants to inspire her children to pursue their dreams too. as kathy said, "i hope it tells them to never give up. if we take these steps -- if we raise expectations for every child, and give them the best possiblehance at an education, from the day they're born until the last job they take -- we will reach the goal i set two years ago. by the end of the decade, america will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. [applause] one last point about education. today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not american citizens. some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. they grew up as americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet live every day with the that of deportation. others come here froabroad to study in our colleges and universities. but as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us. it makes no sense. now, i strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration. i am prepared to work with republicans and democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows. [applause] i know that deba will be difficult d take time. but tonight, let's agree to make that effort. and let's stop expelling talented, responsible young people who can staff our researchabs, start new businesses, and further enrich this nation. [applause] the third step in winning the future is rebuilding america. to attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods, and information -- from high-speed rail to high-speed internet. [applause] our infrastructure used to be the best, but our lead has slipped. south korean homes now have greater internet access than we do. countries in europe and russia invest more in their roads and railways than we do. china is building faster trains and newer airports. meanwhile, when our own engineers graded our nation's infrastructure, they gave us a "d." we have to do better. america is the nation that built the transcontinental railroad, brought electricity to rural communities, and constructed the interate highway system. the jobs created by these projects didn't just come from laying down tracks or pavement. they came from businesses that opened near a town's new train station or the new off-ramp. over the last two years, we ha begun rebuilding for the 21st century, a project that has meant thousands of good jobs for the hard-hit construction industry. tonight, i am proposing that we redouble these efforts. [applause] we will put more americans to work repairing crumbling roads and bridges. we will make sure this is fully paid for, attract private investment, and pick projects based on what's best for the economy, not politicians. within 25 years, our goal is to give 80% of americans access to high-speed rail, which could [applause] this could low you go places in half the time it takes to travel by car. for some trips, it will be faster than flying -- without the pat-down. [laughter] [applause] as we speak, routes in california and the midwest are already underway. within the next five years, we will make it possible for business to deploy the next generation of high-speed wireless coverage to 98% of all americans. [applause] this is not just about a faster internet and fewer dropped calls. it is about connecting every part of america to the digital age. it is about a rural community in iowa or alabama where farmers and small business owners will be able to sell their products all over the world. it is about a firefighter who can download the design of a burning building onto a handheld device, a student who can take classes with a digital textbook, or a patient who can have face-to-face video chats with her doctor. all these investments -- in innovation, education, and infrastructure -- will make america a better place to do business and create jobs. but to help our companies compete, we also have to knock down barriers that stand in the way of their success. over the years, a parade of lobbyists has rigged the tax code to benefit particular companies and industries. those with accountants or lawyers to work the system can end up paying no taxes at all. but all the rest are hit with one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. it makes no sense, and it has to change. [applause] so tonight, i'm asking democrats and republicans to simplify the system. get rid of the loopholes. level the playing field. and use the savings to lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 years -- withoutdding to our deficit. [applause] it can be cone. -- be done. to help businesses sell more products abroad, we set a goal of doubling our exports by 2014 -- because the more we export, the more jobs we create at home. already, our exports are up. recently, we signed agreements with india and china that will support more than 250,000 jobs in the united states. and last month, we finalized a trade agreement with south korea that will support at least 70,000 american jobs. this agreement has unprecedented support from business and labor, democrats and republicans, and i ask this congress to pass it as soon as possible. [applause] before i took office, i made it clear that we would enforce our trade agreements, and that i would only sign deals that keep faith wi american workers, and promote american jobs. that is what we did with korea, and that iwhat i intend to do as we pursue agreements with panama and colombia, and continue our asia pacific and global trade talks. [applause] to reduce barriers to growth and investment, i have ordered a review of government regulations. when we find rules that put an unnecessary burden on businesses, we will fix them. [applause] but i will not hesitate to create or enforce commonsense safeguards to protect the american people. [applause] that is what we have done in this country for more than a century. it is why our food is safe to eat, our water is safe to ink, and our air is safe to breathe. it is why we have speed limits and ild labor laws. it is why last year, we put in place consumer protections against hidden fees and penalties by credit card companies, and new rules to prevent another financial crisis. [applause] and it is why we passed reform that finally prevents the health insurance industry from exploiting patients. [applause] now, i have heard rumors that a few of you have some concerns about the new health care law. [laughter] so let me be the first to say that anything can be improved. if you have ideas about how to improve this law by making care better or more affordable, i am eager to work with you. we can start right now by correcting a flaw in the legislation that has placed an unnecessary bookkeeping burden on small businesses. [applause] what i am not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a pre-existingondition. [applause] i'm not willing toell james howard, a brain cancer patient from texas, that his treatment might not be covered. i'm not willing to tell jim houser, a small business owner from oregon, that he has too back to paying $5,000 more to cover his employees. as we speak, this law is making prescription drugs cheaper for seniors and giving uninsured students a chance to stay on their parents' coverage. [applause] so instead of re-fighting the battles of the last two years, let's fix what needs fixing and move forward. [applause] now, the final step -- a critical step -- in winning the future is to make su we are not buried under a mountain of debt. we are living with a legacy of deficit-spending that began almost a decade ago. and in the wake of the financial crisis, some of that was necessary to keep credit flowing, save jobs, and put money in people's pockets. but now that the worst of the recession is over, we have to confro the fact that our government spends more than it takes in. that is not sustainable. every day, familiesacrifice to live within their means. they deserve a government that does the same. [applause] so tonight, i am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years. this would reduce the deficit by more than $400 billion over the next decade, and will bring discretionary spending to the lowest share of our economy since dwight eisenhower was president. this freeze will require painful cuts. already, we have frozen the salaries of hardworking federal employees for the next two years. i have proposed cuts to things i cardeeply about, like community action proams. the secretary of defense has also agreed to cut tens of billions of dollars in spending that he and his generals believe our military can do without. [applause] i recognize that some in this chamber have already proposed deeper cuts, and i am willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without. but let's make sure that we're not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. [applause] and let's make sure what we're cutting is really excess weight. cutting the deficit by gutting our investments in innovation and education is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine. it may feel like you're flying high at first, but it will not take long before you will feel the impact. now, most of the cuts and savings i have proposed only address annual domestic spending, which represents a little more than 12% of our budget. to make fuher progress, we have to stop pretending that cutting this kind of spending alone will be enough. it will not. [applause] the bipartisan fiscal commission i cated last year made this crystal clear. i don't agree with all their proposals, but they made important progre. and their conclusion is that the only way to tackle our deficit is to cut excessive spending wherever we find it -- in domestispending, defense spending, health care spending, and spending through tax breaks and loopholes. [applause] this means further reducing health care costs, including programs like medicare and medicaid, which are the single biggest contributor to our long-term deficit. health insurance reform will slow these rising costs, which is part of why nonpartisan economists have said that repealing the health care law would add a quarter of a trillion dollars to our deficit. still, i am willing to look at other ideas to bring down costs, including one that republicans suggested last year -- medical malpractice reform to rein in frivolous lawsuits. [applause] to put us on solid ground, we should also find a bipartisan solution to strengthen social security for future generations. [applause] and we must do it without putting at risk current retirees, the most vulnerable, or people with disabilities, without slashing benefits for future generations, and without subjecting americans' guaranteed retirement income to the whims of the stock market. [applause] and if we truly care about our deficit, we simply cannot afford a permanent extension of the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of americans. [applause] before we take money away from our schools, or scholarships away from our students, we should ask millionaires to give up their tax break. it is not a matter of punishing their success. it is about promoting america's success. [applause] in fact, the best thing we could do on taxes for all americans is to simplify the individual tax code. [applause] this will be a tough job, but members of both parties have expressed interest in doing this, and i am prepared to join them. [applause] so now is the time to act. now is the time for both sides and both houses of congress -- democrats and republicans -- to forge a principled compromise that gets the job done. if we make the hard choices now to rein in our deficits, we can make the investments we need to win the future. let me take this one step further. we should not just give our people a government that is more affordable. we should give them a government that is more competent and efficient. [applause] we cannot win the future with a government of the past. we live and do business in the information age, but the last major reorganization of the government happened in the age of black and white tv. there are twelve different agencies that deal with exports. there are at least five different entities that deal with housing policy. then there is my favorite example -- the interior department is in charge of salmon while they are in fresh water, but the commerce department handles them in when they are in saltwater. and i hear it gets even more complicated once they are smoked. [laughter] [applause] now we have made great strides over the last two years in using technology and getting rid of waste. veterans can now download their electronic medical records with a click of the mouse. we're selling acres of federal office space that hasn't been used in years, and we will cut through retape to get rid of more. but we need to think bigger. in the coming months, my administration will develop a proposal to merge, consolidate, and reorganize theederal government in a way that bes serves the goal of a more competitive america. i will submit that proposal to congress for a vote -- and we will push to get it passed. [applause] in the coming year, we will also work to rebuild people's faith in the institution of government. because you deserve to know exactly how and where your tax dollars are being spent, you will be able to go to a website and get that information for the very first time in histor because you deserve to know when your electeofficials are meeting with lobbyists, i ask congress to do what the white house has already done -- put at information online. and because the american people deserve to know that special interests aren't lardingp legislation with pet projects, both parties in congress should know this -- if a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, i will veto it. [applause] a 21st century government that is open and competent. a government that lives within its means. an economy that's driven by new skills and ideas. our success in this new and changing world will require reform, responsibility, and innovation. it will also require us to approach that world with a new level of engagement in our foreign affairs. just as jobs and businesses can now race across borders, so can new threats and new challenges. no single wall separates east and west. no one rival superpower is aligned against us. and so we must defeat determined enemies wherever they are, and build coalitions that cut across lines of region and race and religion. america's moral example must always shine for all who yearn for freedom, justice, and dignit and because we have begun this work, tonight we can say that american leadership has been renewed and america's standing has been restored. look to iraq, where nearly 100,000 of our brave men and women have left with their heads held high, where american combat [applause] where american combat patrols patrols have ended, violence has come down, and a new government has been formed. this year, our civilians will forge a lasting partnership with the iraqi people, while we finish the job of bringing our troops out of iraq. america's commitment has been kept. the iraq war is coming to an end. [applause] of course, as we speak, al qaeda and their affiliates continue to plan attacks agait us. thanks to our intelligence and law enforcement professionals, we are disrupting plots and securing our cities and skies. and as extremists try to inspire acts of violence within our borders, we are responding with the strength of our communities, with respect for the rule of law, and with t conviction that american muslims are a part of our american family. [applause] we have also takenhe fight to al qaeda and their allies abroad. in afghanistan, our troops have taken taliban strongholds and trained afghan security forces. our purpose is clear -- by preventing the taliban from reestablishing a stranglehold over the afghan people, will deny al qaeda the safe haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11. thanks to our heroic troops and civilians, fewer afghans are under the control of the insurgency. there will be toughighting ahead, and the afghan government will need to deliver better governance. but we are strengthening the capacity othe afghan people and building an enduring partnership with them. this year, we will work with nearly 50 countries to begin a transition to an afghan lead. and this july, we will begin to bring our troops home. in pakistan, al qaeda's leaderse pressure than at any point since 2001. their leaders and operatives are being removed from the battlefield. their safe havens are shrinking. and we have sent a messagerom the afghan border to the arabian peninsula to all parts of the globe -- we will not relent, we will not waver, and we will defeat you. american leadership can also be seen in the effort to secure the worst weapons of war. because republicans and democrats approved the new start treaty, far fewer nuclear weapons and launchers will be deployed. because we rallied the world, nuclear materials are being locked down on every continent so they never fall into the hands of terrorists. because of a diplomatic effort to insist that iran meet its obligations, the iranian government now faces tougher and tighter sanctions than ever before. and on the korean peninsula, we stand with our ally south korea, and insist that north korea keeps its commitment to abandon nuclear weapons. this is just a part of how we are shaping a world that favors peace and prosperity. with our europeaallies, we revitalized nato, and increased our cooperation on everything from counter-terrorism to missile defense. we have reset our relationship with russia, strengthened asian alliances, and built new partnerships with nations like india. this march, i will travel to brazil, chile, and el salvador to forge new alliances for progress in the americas. around the globe, we are standing with those who take responsibility -- helping farmers grow more food, supporting doctors who care for the sick, and combating the corruption that can rot a society and rob people of opportunity. recent events have shown us that what sets us apart must not just be our power. it must be the purpose behind it. in south sudan, with our assistance, the people were finally able to vote for independence after years of war. thousands lined up before dawn. people danced in the streets. one man who lost four of his brothers at war summed up the scene around him -- "this was a battlefield for most of my life. now we want to be free." we saw that same desire to be free in tunisia, where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. and tonight, let us be clear -- the united states of america stands with the people of tunisia, and supports the democratic aspirationsf all people. we must never forget that the thgs we have struggled for, and fought for, live in the hearts of people everywhe. and we must always remember that the americans who have borne the greatest burden in this struggle are the men and women who serve our country. tonight, let uspeak with one voice in reaffirming that our nation is united in support of our troops and their families. let us serve them as well as they have served us -- by giving them the equipment they need, by providing them with the care and benefits they have earned,nd by enlisting our veterans in the great task of building our own nation. our troops come from every corner of this country -- they are black, white, latino, asian and native american. they are christian and hindu, jewish and muslim. and, yes, we know that some of them are gay. starting this year, no american will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love. and with that change, i call on all of our college campuses to open their doors to our military recruiters and the rotc. it is time to leave behind the divisive battles of the past. it is time to move forward as one nation. we should have no illusions about the work ahead of us. reforming our schools, changing the way we use energy, reducing our deficit -- none of this is easy. all of it will take time. and it will be harder because we will argue about everything. the cost. the details. the letter of every law. of course, some countries don't have this problem. if the central government wants a railroad, they get a railroad -- no matter how many homes are bulldozed. if they do not want a bad story the newspaper, it does not get written. and yet, as contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy can sometimes be, i know there isn't a person here who would trade places with any other nation on earth. we may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our constitution. we may have different opinions, but we believe in the same promise that says this is a place where you can make it if you try. we may have different backgrounds, but we believe in the same dream that says this is a cotry where anything's possible. no matter who you are. no matter where you come from. that dream is why i can stand here before you tonight. that dream is why a working class kid from scranton can stand behind me. that dream is why someone who began by sweeping the floors of his father's cincinnati bar can preside as speaker of the house in the greatest nation on earth. that dream -- that american dream -- is what drove the allen brothers to reinvent their ofing company for a new era. it's what drove those students at forsyth tech to learn a new skill and work towards the future. and that dream is the story of a small business owner named brandon fisher. brandon started a company in berlin, pennsylvania that specializes in a new kind of drilling technology. one day last summer, he saw the news that halfway across the world, 33 men were trapped in a chilean mine, and no one knew how to save them. but brandon thought his company could help. and so he designed a rescue that would come to be known as plan b. his employees worked around the clock to manufacture the necessary drilling equipment. and brandon left for chile. along with others, heegan drilling a 2,000 foot hole into the ground, working three or four days at a time with no sleep. thirty-seven days later, plan b succeeded, and the miners were rescued. but because he did not want all of the attention, brandon was not there when the miners emerged. he had already gone home, back to work on his next project. later, one of his employees said of the rescue, "we proved that center rock is a li company, but we do big things." we do big things. from the earliest days of our founding, america has been the story of ordinary peopleho dare to dream. that is how we win the future. we are a nation that says, "i might not have a lot of money, but i have this great idea for a new company. i might not come from a family of college graduates, but i will be the first to get my degree. i might not know those people in trouble, but i think i can help them, and i need to try. i am not sure how we will reach that better place beyond the horizon, but i know we will get there. i know we will." we do big things. the idea of america endures. our destiny remains our choice. and tonight, more than two centuries later, it is because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong. thank you, god bless you, and may god blesthe united states of america. >> following the president's remarks, house budget committee chairman paul ryan gave the republican response from his committee hearing room. this is 10 minutes. >> good evening. i am congressman paul ryan from janesville, wisconsin -- and chairman here at the house budget committee. president obama just addressed a congressional chamber filled with many new faces. one face we did not see tonight was that of our friend and colleague, >> we all ms. gabrielle giffords and her cheerful spirit and we are praying for her to return to the house. president obama spoken openly at a memorial event for the six people who died on that violent morning in tucson. still, there are no words that can lift the sorrow that now engulfed the families and friends of the fallen. what we can do is assure them that the nation is praying for them and the lord feels the broken hearted and binds up their weapons and over time, grace will replace agreed. as gaby continues to make progress, we must keep her and others in our thoughts as we attend to the work before us. tonight, the president focused a lot of attention on our economy in general and our deficit and debt. he was right to do so and some of his orders were reassuring. as chairman of the house budget committee, i assure you that we want to work with the president to restrain federal spending. one of our first acts in the new majority, house republicans voted to cut the congress budget and today, the house voted to restore the spending discipline that washington sorely needs. a few years ago, reducing spending was important. today it is imperative. this is why. we face a crushing burden of debt. the debt will soon eclipse our retire economy and grow to catastrophic levels in the years ahead. on his current path, when my three children who are now 6, 7, and eight years old are raising their own children, the federal government will double in size and so will the taxes they pay. no economy can sustain such high levels of debt and taxation. the next generation will inherit a stagnant economy and a diminished country. frankly, it is one of my greatest concerns as a parent and i know many of you feel the same way. our debt is a product of acts by many presidents and many congresses over many years. no one person or party is responsible for it. there is no doubt the president came into office facing a severe fiscal and economic situation. unfortunately, instead of restoring the fundamentals of economic growth, he engaged in a stimulus spending spree that not only failed to deliver on its promise to create jobs but also plunged us deeper into debt. the facts are clear. since taking office, president obama has signed into law spending increases of nearly 25% for domestic government agencies and 84% increase when you include the failed stimulus. all of this new government spending was sold as an investment. after two years, the unemployment rate remains above 9%. government has added over $3 trillion to her death for the president and his party made matters worse by creating a new open-ended health care entitlement current what we already know is this. costs are going up and premiums are rising and millions of people will lose the coverage they currently have. job creation is being stifled by taxes, penalties, mandates and fees. businesses and unions from around the country are asking the obama administration for waivers from the mandates. washington should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. the president mentioned the need for regulatory reform to ease the burden on american business says. we agree and we think the health care law would be a great place to start. last week, house republicans voted for a full repeal of this law as we pledged to do and we will work to replace it with fiscal responsible patient test center reform that reduce costs and expand coverage. health-care spending is driving the explosive growth of our debt and the president paused law is accelerating the country to bankruptcy. what was a physical challenge is now a fiscal crisis. we cannot deny it. we must as americans confronted responsibly. that is exactly what republicans pledged to do. americans are skeptical of both political parties and that skepticism is justified especially when it comes to spending. hold all of us accountable. in this very room, the house will produce a debate and advantage budget. last year, in an unprecedented failure, congress chose not to pass or even propose a budget. the spending spree continued unchecked. we owe you a better choice and a different vision. our forthcoming budget is our obligation to you to show you how we would do the things differently and how we will cut spending to get the debt down, help create jobs and prosperity and reform government programs. if we act soon and responsibly, people in and near retirement will be protected. these budget debates are not just about the programs of government. they are also about the purpose of government. i would like to share with you the principles that guide us. they are anchored in the witness -- wisdom of the found nests. ers. they have to do with the importance of limited government and with the blessing of self-government. we believe the government's role is vital and limited to defend the nation from attack and provide for the common defense, to secure our borders, to protect innocent life and of old our constitutional rights and ensure domestic tranquillity and equal opportunity. and to provide a safety net for those who cannot provide them -- for themselves. we believe the government has in port royal to create the conditions that promote entrepreneurship, upward mobility, and individual responsibility. we believe as our founders did that the pursuit of happiness depends on individual liberty and that requires limited government. limited government also means effective government. when government takes on too many tasks, it usually does not to any of them very well. it is no coincidence that trusting government is at its all-time low now that the size of government is at an all-time high. the president and the democratic leadership have shown by their actions that they believe government needs to increase its size and its reach, its price tag and its power. whether it involves the stimulus, their access show they want a federal government that controls too much, tax is too much, and spends too much in order to do too much. factor in the last two years, that is exactly what we have gotten. along with record deficits and debt to the point where the president is now urging congress to increase the debt limit. we believe the days of business as usual must come to an end. we hold to a couple of simple convictions. and less borrowing is not a strategy. spending cuts have to come first. our nation is approaching a tipping point. we are at a moment or if government's growth is left unchecked and on challenge, america's best century will be considered our past century. this is the future in which we will transfer -- transform our social safety net into a hammock. depending on bureaucracy that fosters competitiveness and why consumer choices, it won't work and will not work now. we need to chart a new course. as one citizen to another, we still have time but not much time. if we continue down our current path, we know what our future will be. take a look at what is happening to greece, ireland, the united kingdom and other nations in europe. they did not act soon enough and now their governments have been forced to impose painful austerity measurements with benefit cuts to seniors and huge tax rate increases. their day of reckoning has arrived and ours is around the corner. that is why we have to act now. some people will back away from this challenge but i see this challenge as an opportunity to rebuild what lincoln called the central ideas of the republic. we believe a renewed commitment to limit the government will on shackle our economy and create millions of new jobs and opportunity for all people of every background to succeed and prosper. millions of families have fallen on hard times, not because of our ideal of free enterprise, but because our leaders failed to live up to those ideals, because of poor decisions made on washington and wall street because the financial crisis, squandered our savings, broker trust and crippled our economy. today, a similar kind of irresponsibility threatens not only our livelihoods, but our way of lives. many to reclaim our system of limited government, low taxes, and sound money, which has blessed us with unprecedented prosperity and has done more to help low pour than any other economic system ever designed. that is the secret to job creation, not borrowing and spending more money in washington. limited government and free enterprise have helped make america the greatest nation on earth. these are not easy times. but america is an exceptional nation. in all the chapters of human history, there has never been anything quite like america. story has beentor cherished. it now falls to this generation to pass on to our children a nation that is stronger, more vibrant, more decent, and better than the one we inherited. thank you and good night. >> after listed of the union speech each year, members of congress go to statuary hall to meet with the news media to offer their reaction to the president's address. here's a look at some of the comments made to the c-span cameras. >> congressman serving fifth term. >> yes. >> i am absolutely thought it was great. it was right on time. i was especially pleased with the way he emphasized jobs and education. the greatest challenge we face right now is making sure that the united states stays strong in terms of its commitment to the world as far as the innovativeness of our work force, the competitiveness of our work force, and he emphasized those things. that is very important. ollie that way can we move with the boldness and the confidence to make sure we sustain our position in the world. jobs, education competitiveness. >> do agree with the call for a freeze in domestic spending? >> i do. but i think we need to look at everything very, very strategically. basically, generally, i am in agreement with that. but i also think we need to look at everything with a jaundiced eye. i am very concerned that we do not interfere with the basic safety net offered -- safety net operations, social security, medicare, medicaid. there are all kinds of area things -- condit -- there are all kinds of things that we need. this is a congresswoman with a term and a half from california. did it feel different than last year? >> it felt quite different. i was kind of stuff prized by the towtone. i sat with roscoe bartlett. >> my job is to fight for the people of illinois as defined by the most recent election. >> when did you stand up and applaud the president? >> to emphasize the positive, repealing private health care, the president is for the 1099 role. his only veto threat was against earmarks. any bill that has an earmarked in it. i took to heart opening universities to rotc after the end of don't ask/don't tell. >> were you surprised? >> i was and i was very happy about that. on the negative side, i counted 12 spending proposals. i am wondering how we would do that. i think the issue of overhanging the whole speech is a $3 trillion deficit. i put in their request for the appropriations committee. -- i put in a request for the operations committee. >> senator mark kirk, thank you for your time. >> thank you. >> we have a bunch of stanchions here in statuary hall. nice to me to, sir. >> sophomore. >> democrat of new york. >> yes. i loved the challenges he put before the station. invest in need jobs is the number one priority. there was a passionate resolve for global energy and innovation. i thought the challenge was significant, to invest in research, r&d, and build jobs to our economy through the work force. i thought the challenge to celebrate signs fares as much as we celebrate super bowls is a great challenge. let's establish our priorities. let's invest in education, higher education, research money, and growing innovation economy. that is what my capital region of new york is in. we are the fastest-growing region for technology jobs in the country. this knowledge is that we have to resolve with passion the efforts to enter into the global race on innovation. there is a lesser rate in the 7% to 8% area in the eastern end and grows tired to the western and where the older miltowns are located. we have a sector economy that has been good, but now we have our state governments across the country who are threatened with jobs because of the economy. >> there has been a lot of talk about bipartisanship. have you seen it? >> i think tonight, there was an effort to act bipartisanly. we made certain that we could put a block of it together, for republicans and four democrats. the sense of urgency here is critical. we understand and the president highlighted that the contest is not between democrats and republicans. the contest is america and competitor nations across this globe looking to land jobs and industry. and we do it by investing in our children, investing in their education, investing in basic research, and are indeed. -- and r&d. it provides for lucrative dividends when we have -- when we act in that matter. i like redoubling the prairies of this country so that -- i like rejuggling the priorities of this country. we can gain a competitive and robust state of affairs with clean energy. >> paul tonko of new york. from new york to missouri appeared good to see you, -- from new york to missouri. good to see you, congressman carnahan. >> i like hearing emphasis on science and innovation. sam lewis has had a great infrastructure for signs, signs of decay -- st. louis has had a great infrastructure for science and science education. iolite clear idea of bipartisan support, but also -- i like the idea bipartisan support, but also a jolt for innovation. we have a strong health care and research sector and transportation. i think a lot of the things the president said tonight will hit home for folks in missouri. >> it is good to see you. >> thank you. >> you can see here the scrum happening in statuary hall this evening, following the president's address. senator, it is good to see you. >> it is good to be here. >> you have been around washington for a long time. you know this city pretty well. what did tonight feel like? >> it felt like a night filled with hope. there are certainly questions about how you get there. what does it look like? the president laid down some pretty strict rules for us to achieve the goals that he wants us to achieve. when you say we are limiting spending increases, of the telling your marks, these are important things. about vetoing earmarks. he talked about the value of education. we have to do a lot of work to get people there. i was a beneficiary of the gi bill. i served in the army and it say it -- it changed my life. everything was free because of my military service. how do we do it now? i think it was a good speech. i think it was intended to be an inspirational speech. and it achieved some hope. i even saw a couple of republicans sitting next to democrats smile every now and then. >> who did use it with? -- who did you sit with? >> i sat with burnie standards. [laughter] -- bernie sanders. [laughter] we do share a progressive agenda, he and i. >> again, you have been around washington a long time. who are some of your republican friends that you can work with? >> there are people who sit over there that i respect greatly. dick lugar is one of them. foreign affairs and nuclear proliferation, those kinds of things. dick shelby is a pal of mine. we worked together on transportation for a long time. there are other people there who i sit on committees with. for instance, i consider to be a friend jim andinhausen. inhausen. house an >> there have been reports in the last year about your health. >> it is terrific. i had the best year one could have. i am in perfect health. and i use the word loosely. despite the fact that i am the oldest member of the united states senate, for having that title, i am doing very well and i am looking for two years ahead of work. >> thank you. we continue talking with members of congress. itfollowing the president's third state of the union address, which lasted a little bit over an hour, we are now joined by a freshman member from florida. daniel webster, that is a well- known name. >> my district is central florida, orange county. >> you beat alan grayson. >> i did. >> what did you think? >> i was awed by the crowd and by the electricity that was there. it was certainly a speech that i had not heard the other two times. i think there were some different tones, more consolatory, realizing that there is a republican house, a divided senate, and a democratic president. i think he wants to work with us. >> did you stand up during the speech and applaud? >> i did. >> when? >> i stood up for the military, for mary kay, for the idea of -- i stood up for merit pay, for the idea of getting rid of some of the regulations on business, for cutting spending further. there were quite a few things i stood up for. >> you have had a quite actively court two. >> yes. these head at the heart of some of things that were done in the last congress. i do not think they were quite as accepted as we might have on other issues. >> there's quite a debate today on the budget committee city royals for the budget committee. what is your view of that? >> the point is this. there has to be a starting place. somewhere, if we will cut -- the president talked about cuts and getting rid of waste and so have we. we have established a starting point. that is the 2008 budget, rolling back the two dozen a budget for discretionary spending. -- rolling back to the 2008 budget for discretionary spending. somehow and some way, we have to turn off the spigot of spending. >> give us a brief biography of yourself. >> i served in the florida legislature from 1980 through 2008. i was in the florida house of representatives for 18 years. i was the first republican speaker in 122 years. i went to the senate and served the last three years there as the majority leader and then i was turned out again. then i ran for congress a few years later. >> then you probably know your new senator marco rubio. >> yes. i also know members of the congressional delegation and members of congress from days in the legislature where they also worked in the legislature. >> new republican representative from florida. and daniel webstedaniel webster. >> thank you. and now, joining us is another freshman representative from colorado. what did you think about the president's speech? >> it is an honor to be in there, my first state of the union. i thought there was a lot of positives. there was a tip of the hat to small business. i am a private sector person. this is what we need to get moving in this country to get people back to work. it was nice to be able to hear beyond just saying that we need to look to the private sector and small business. there was talk about raising taxes once again on businesses that are llc's. the words did not always match. >> what committees have you been assigned to? >> ayalon natural resources and small business. >> talking a little -- i am on natural resources and small business. >> does that include grand junction? >> yes, sir. it goes from the wyoming border down the entire length and you talk to the new mexico border. -- down the entire length of utah to the new mexico border. we cross the rockies and go from pueblo, colorado. question was representing it before you? -- >> who was representing it before you? >> john salazar. >> thank you. and now, from colorado back down to florida, a new republican, one of 87 new freshmen republicans. >> absolutely. how're you doing? >> congressman colonel alan >> . -- congressman colonel alan west. your first state of the union. >> it is certainly an honor. the president talked about the american dream. i am living it. >> he also talked about opening up rotc on college campuses. >> i think it is a sad thing. all of those college campuses should have been opened to rotc regardless. the fact that they are lifting don't ask/don't tell should not have been a condition to make sure that all the university students had access to serve their country if they wished to do so. >> you are serving on arms services? >> yes. >> what will be your main issue? >> a couple of things. when we look at what is happening in iraq and especially in afghanistan, the rules of engagement, i want to make sure that we get away from nation-building and occupation- style warfare and get back to denying the enemy sanctuaries. i think we have to be careful about setting time lines out there that are in air- conditioned space. when you tell your intentions to the enemy, this is a very tough enemy we are against. >> i think guantanamo bay has served its purpose. i do not want to see these individuals on united states shores. that is why we have these prisons. one man was acquitted on 200 charges. >> thank you. congressman alan west from florida. >> thank you. >> we continue talking with members of congress following the president's state of the union speech here on c-span to. the new house chamber is opened in 1835. you can see congress and the media still chatting, getting reactions. joining us is another freshman member, one of 87 new republicans. james langford --he is of oklahoma. tell us about your district. >> it is a great district, central oklahoma, oklahoma city, edmund, and all of that, oklahoma county, seminal county and more -- seminol county and more. >> did you take senator policy? >> yes. there was not a route he party support in oklahoma. -- there was not really 80 party support in oklahoma. -- there was not really a tea party support in oklahoma. they were passionate about ideas, but not individual candidates. this is a long journey for my wife. for both of us to be able to talk the whole way through, we started in 2008, talking whether we need to get involved in this process. we felt compelled to jump into the process and say that we have to the part of it. i have always been very passionate about the issues and ideas, but have never been in gates' like this until now. >> tell us -- been engaged like this until now. >> feliz about your experience in the chambers. >> we have five oklahomans -- >> tell us about your experience in the chambers. >> we have five oklahomans. it was a great experience. it is an honor, no matter who is the president. >> deed to stand up at any point and cheer for the president -- did you stand up at any point and cheer for the president? >> yes. we are respectful when he walks in. he had ideas about tax reform. that is something that republicans have been talking about for a long time. i was able to stand up and cheer for that. obviously, for our soldiers and what is happening in the field. cheered for the educators. >> congressman, thank you for your time this evening. >> you bet. >> have you been assigned to committee? >> yes, i am a subcommittee chairman on oversight and reform. >> already? freshman year? >> yes. we have a lot to do. >> the budget committee sounds like it will be very active. >> yes. we have to look at the president's budget in the coming day. once we have the cbo's course, -- cbo scores, we will take it on. there were additional budget cutting ideas from the president tonight. we did not get that. we basically have to keep the status quo. that is not really an option. we have $1.40 trillion of additional debt every single year now. it does not help us catch up at all. >> it helps to return to the 2008 model. >> it helps to go backwards. it is to% higher now than it was in 2008. -- it is 2% higher than what it was in 2008. we have to start working our way backwards and say that we have to spend less if we will start biting down the deficit a little bit. this proposal was $4 billion for the next 10 years, when it is section $1.40 trillion every year in debt. >> thank you for your time. >> said today, on c-span is road to the white house, the temple and day -- tim pawlenty spoke at an event. new hampshire will host the first of the nation's primaries. tune into c-span is rude to the white house. >> we bring you live images from the streets of cairo where anti- garment protests -- anti- government protests continue. today, reports from the associated press up fighter jets flying low over cairo and what they say is an attempt by the military to get control over the city. in the meantime, police forces are nowhere to be found. thousands continue to protest in the streets, calling for the departure of the president. aljazeera reports that nobel laureate and former atomic agency in cairo liberation square at this point, talking and the mystery with protesters as he calls for the president's removal. he is thought of as an alternative and was asked by cnn if he would serve as the interim president. he said that, if the people wanted it, he would sir. hillary clinton called for an orderly transition to democracy and free and fair elections that she says she expects to see come out of the current upheaval. she said this morning that the egyptian president -- the u.s. does not want to see a violent removal. >> we have been urging free and fair elections for many years. i think it is important to recognize that democratic and republican administrations alike, the u.s. position has been consistent. we have been sending that message over and over again, publicly and privately, and we continue to do so. >> is the only way he will stay in power for now is if he calls immediately for free and fair elections and pledges that he will not run? >> these issues are to the egyptian people. they have to make these decisions. but our position is very clear. we have urged for 30 years that there be vice-president and finally a vice president was announced a day or two days ago. we have tried in our partnership with egypt to make the point over and over again that what will create a better path with for the egyptian people in terms of greater participation with political reform and greater economic opportunity -- i spoke just about two weeks ago where i outlined that, whenever was possible in the 20th-century, -- that whatever it was possible in the 20th-century is not possible any longer in the 21st century. the rise of the middle class throughout the world demands responsive and for departure -- and participatory government. >> that is secretary of state clinton on meet the press. now we go to a interview that we held this morning. >> this is the cairo bureau chief of the associated press. bureau chief joining us on the phone at this time. we appreciate your time. let me begin with the weekend announcement -- the announcement of a vice president. the military is in cairo but not using any violence as of this morning. first, talk about the vice president. why was this important? that was important to set in motion the succession process, something the mubarak has been missing since he came into office in 1981. he never did appoint a vice president and yesterday. yesterday. he has a close confidant of the president. he has been running things for 20 years. there is ben a lot of speculation as to the significance of the most. at one of those is that he could be a successor and hand over parower. one thing that is significant is that it almost completely rules presidentn of the being president. host: does this give president mubarak time? what all accounts, even the vice president does not have the support of those protesting in the streets. guest: he does not have that endorsement. he has been viewed as a key member of the regime. yes, obviously, his appointment was not met with approval from the protesters who continue to demand a complete regime change and nothing short of it. but if mubarak is to ride out this crisis, there is a chance of a peaceful or orderly transfer of power, a few weeks or few months down the road. host: what has been your reaction to the white house? on friday, the day began with a response. as the day progressed, we heard from the press secretary and a statement from president obama early in the evening and saturday, another series of meetings. we are likely to hear more from the president tomorrow on the situation in egypt. a close ally, but always in allied that we provided billions of dollars in aid over the last 30 years. host. guest: some of the protesters are carrying anti-american banners. it has long been seen by many egyptians as the main backer of mubarak's regime. but the fact that president obama and other members of his administration are pressing on mubarak to introduce meaningful reform and quickly is giving everybody the impression that mubarak may not enjoy the full support of the obama administration. that is something that may in bold and some of the protestors to press ahead with the demonstrations. host: in this morning's "the washington post", it may best captured the scenes in cairo as a military tank is being surrounded by protesters in what appears to be a peaceful scene. can you touch on that? guest: a love fest has been unfolding between protesters and the army. they enjoy the respect of many egyptians, possibly because they the police forces are condemned for their brutality and alleged corruption. the army is in a delicate situation. it has yet to move against protesters and in an emphatic way to restore some of the order that the city needs. at the same time, it does not want to be seen as taking the side of the regime, something that would turn the protesters against the army. the army is walking a very delicate line here. it needs to restore law and order, at least, but at the same time, it does not want to antagonize the protesters. it needs to be seen as not part of the regime. how could it not be if we have mubarak himself and >> we will continue to track events in egypt online. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> tonight, we will talk with former president bush about his life and his administration. >> vale lot of the actions that truman -- a lot of the actions that truman took made my presidency's year. a lot of the decisions i made through executive order, such as listening to phone calls of people who might do us harm, became the law of the land. i went to congress and said that we need to ratify through legislative action that which i had done within the constitution by executive order. the congress, in spite of the fact -- passed law that now enabled the president to have these certain tools. people said, why do not live under executive order? in some cases it would have been too hard politically for president to put out an executive order that, for example, authorized enhanced interrogation techniques. but if it was the law of the land passed by a legislative body, issued bleak -- it would be easier to use that technique. >> see the interview tonight on c-span 2 "q&a." >> congressional budget office director douglas l. lindor told reporters that he expects deficit spending of $1.20 trillion this year. cbo projections also shows the national debt rising. the outlook also shows moderate economic and job growth over the next few years. all of these projections are with any absence of any laws in the next few years. this tax program is one hour. >> good morning. this morning, the congressional budget office released they -- you can find copies of the budget at www.cbo.gov. we will take your questions after the report. if you were kind enough to please remember to identify yourself by your name in your news organization, we would appreciate that. thank you. >> good morning, as we say in our report, the united states faces a daunting and budgetary challenges. the economy has struggled to recover from the recent recession. the pace of growth and output has been anemic compared with past recoveries. unemployment has remained quite high. federal budget deficits and debt have soared in the past two years owing to a combination of the severe drop in economic activity, the policies in response, and an imbalance between revenues and spending that predated the recession. i'm fortunate, it is likely that a return to normal economic conditions will take years. even after the economy is fully recovered, a return to sustainable budget conditions will require significant changes in tax and spending policies. let me discuss the economic outlook first and then turn to the budget outlook. cbo expects that production and employment will expand in coming years but only at a moderate pace. it will leave the economy will below its potential for some time. we project world gdp will increase about 3% this year and again next year, reflecting continued strong growth in business investment, improvements in both residential investment and exports and modest increases in consumer spending. but we have a long way to go on the employment front. the recovery in employment has been slow by output and by structural growth. we estimate the economy will add roughly two 0.5 million jobs per year over the next six years, similar to the average pace during the late 1990's. even so, we expect the employment rate will fall only to 9.2% in the first quarter of this year and 8.2% in the first quarter of 2012. only by 2016 in our forecast will the unemployment rate reached 5.3%. the cbo projects inflation will remain very low this year and next, reflecting a large amount of unused resources in the economy. it will average only 2.0% in 2012 and 2013. economic developments and the government response has have -- have had a big impact on the budget. we expect current laws to remain unchanged and the budget deficit will be $1.50 trillion or 9.8% of gdp. that would fall of deficits of 10% of gdp and 8.9% of gdp in the past two years, the two largest deficits since 1985. -- since 1945. if current laws remain unchanged, as we assume for cb 0's baseline projections, we will drop markedly over the next few years. deficits would average three by 6% of gdp from 2012 to 2021, -- 3.6% of gdp from 2012 to 2021, totaling nearly $7 trillion over that decade. that is the bottom line on that picture. debt held by the public will keep rising, reaching 77% of gdp in 2021. however, that projection is based on the assumption that tax and spending policies unfold as specified in current law. it understates the budget deficits that would occur if many policies currently in place where continued rather than allowed to expire when scheduled under current law. for example, suppose three major aspects of current policy work continued over the coming decade. first, that the higher 2011 exemption amount for the alternative minimum tax. second, that the other major tax provisions in the recently enacted legislation were extended. rather than allowed to expire in 2013. third, that medicare's payment rates for physicians were held constant rather than dropping sharply as scheduled under current law. all the policies have been extended for one or two years. if they were extended permanently, deficits from 2012 to 2021 which average about 6% of gdp rather than the 3.6% in the baseline. the cumulative would total nearly $12 trillion. debt held by the public in 2021 would rise to almost 100%. -- debt held by the public in 2021 would rise to almost one under% of gdp, the highest level since 1946. -- 100% of gdp, the highest level since 1946. spending on social security and the government's mandatory health programs, medicare, medicaid, and insurance subsidies provided to exchanges, will increase to roughly 10% of gdp to about 16% over the next 25 years. to prevent that from becoming unsupportable, congress will have to restrain the growth spending, raise revenues significantly above the historical share of gdp, where produce some combination of those approaches. -- or pursued some combination of those approaches. the longer be necessary adjustments are delayed, the greater the negative consequences of the mounting debt, the more uncertain individuals and businesses will be about future policy, and the more drastic and the ultimate adjustments will need to be. however, changes of the magnitude that will ultimately be required would be disrupted. congress may wish to implement them gradually so as to avoid a negative impact of the economy, particularly as it recovers from the recession. to get families, businesses, and other levels of government to give -- to have time to adjust. allowing for gradual implementation would mean that remedying the fiscal imbalance would take longer and major policy changes will have to be enacted center. thank you. we are happy to take your questions. >> i am from the associated press. in 2009, the recession, lower tax revenue helped fuel these large deficits. what is filling it now? -- what is fuelling it now? >> there are several factors that have kept the budget deficit from starting to improve in the way that economic news may suggest. the most important one is that the economy is recovering slowly. although output has been growing, it has not been growing at the rate one might have expected based on past experience in our company with these recessions. slow recovery is consistent with international recessions caused by financial crises. it has been a slow recovery by our standards. the labor market in particular has been coming back slowly. incomes have been coming back slowly. it will take some time. it will take further recovery before we see the rebound in tax revenues. that comes with an expanded economy. one important difference in our current projection for 2011 relative to last august is the legislation enacted in december that pushed off for another two years many of the scheduled increases in tax rates. also, in particular, and limited a payroll tax cut that was not in place last year. that also is providing some boost to the economy, but means less revenue is being collected that would have been collected otherwise. a third thing to emphasize is that there is an underlying dynamic affecting the government budget. spending on the large entitlement programs -- social kicks -- social security and medicare -- is moving up over time. on top of that, we have had a number of entitlement programs that focused on people in economic trouble -- unemployment insurance payments, food stamps, supplemental nutrition assistance programs -- they are laying out a lot of money right now because despite the improvement in the economy, many families remain short on income. it does the combination of the slow recovery and legislation keeping tax revenue from growing very rapidly with spending growth that is unusually slow because the economic conditions. >> i am with the wall street journal. can you tell us about the interest payments? what is the impact of this on the index? >> we say in our report that interest payments in nominal dollar terms will more than triple over the coming decade. even relative to gross domestic product, will double. that is a consequence of both an increase in debt and increase in interest rates that we project. interest rates are very low right now by historical standards. we do not expect that to persist throughout the decade. in fact, our forecast calls for looking for them to begin to rise at the very end of this year into the following year. if one applies these higher interest rates to the debt, the cost of servicing that debt becomes very large. our projection for interest payments over the next decade is more than $5 trillion. that is one of the consequences, of course, of accumulating debt. we have written a number of pieces over the past years. a few last year that talk about some of the consequences of rising debt. one, of course, is the traditional argument, at least to economists, that by directing savings into government borrowing rather than into productive capital, one is slowing down the growth of production capital and holding down future incomes relative to whatever might occur. we also talked about the more one has borrowed, the more one pace in interest. that requires higher tax rates for any given path of debt the government suggest is unsustainable or inappropriate. the third problem we talked about is that as debt prices, it reduces the flexibility that the government has to respond to unexpected problems either -- unexpected problems. the more that one has, be less room the government has to respond to that. the fourth consequence we talked about of rising debt relates back to your question about interest payments. it is the rest of the fiscal crisis, by which investors lose confidence in the government's ability to balance its budget and the government loses its ability to borrow at a good interest rate. as we said before it repeated in this report, there is no analytic basis for judging the tipping point or where it might be, but the risk does rise as debt rises. we think it will also rise to some extent as investor confidence in the global economy and global financial system rebounds. there will be more willingness on the part of investors to invest and not just in u.s. treasury securities. the more we have to borrow, the more important it is to borrow at reasonable interest rates. >> , the president last night proposed a five-year spending freeze. the republicans' proposed scaling back spending to 2008 levels. in the greater scheme of things, even if these proposals were enacted, what impact would they have on this larger debt problem that you were describing? >> i am not sure what the proposals or that are on the table. non-defense spending is a well- defined budget category. you'll find it in our report. haleh security spending is not well defined. the money goes to a number of pre-existing budget functions or budget categories. you'll not find that specified in our table. many people can mean different things by it. if you look at -- we did an exercise of freezing and non- defense discretionary spending. apart from that, it goes to the homeland security appropriations committee. if one friezes that for five years and then for us to grow again at the race we use in the baseline, but at the lower level -- this saves us about $400 billion over the decade. that is a large amount of money, the doubt, but it is also clearly less than 10% of baseline budget deficits that we project for the coming decade. only a few percent of the budget deficits that we project assuming the continued extension of those policies i extended -- i mentioned. i want to say, i do not think there is a single policy change that will eliminate the fiscal imbalance. i would not want my comments to be interpreted as "you cannot do it all, so it is not worth doing anything." as one can see in the work of the fiscal commission appointed by the president and in the work of other groups that have offered their own proposals, addressing a problem of this magnitude requires a number of different pieces of policy working together. >> if yes? -- you look at what the impact on the deficit would be. what about the impact of the economic recovery at those cuts were made now? >> we have not studied that specific -- the economic effects specifically of any of these changes in appropriation. i could offer a few observations. the analysis we presented last january, we look at some changes in tax policy and some changes in spending policy. we looked at the effects of increasing spending on infrastructure, increasing spending to state and local governments. when cannot roughly, not precisely, but roughly reversed the findings of those effects if thinking about the consequences of reducing spending of those sorts. i state roughly because those estimates are sensitive to economic conditions. it is not an all-time estimate. you can see some of the effect there. beyond that, we have a very large economy. gdp is about $15 trillion. that makes it hard to move for good and for real. that is one of the reasons that despite the large increases in spending a reduction in taxes over the past few years, the economy has not let up words even though we think it has been supported by these actions. -- the economy has not leapt upwards even though we think it has been supported by these actions. the savings are fairly small and grow over time if we are talking about the defense budget. we are coming up the baseline at a slower rate and been turning up. with respect to the budget in 2012, it is single digit billions of dollars. in 2013, it is about $15 billion. the $400 billion, much of that number comes in the last half of the decade. i think what is important and was highlighted in my opening remarks, it is important in judging the mass economic effect of the policies being considered -- partly the magnitude, partly the timing, and partly the specifics of the policy being undertaken. not every dollar of higher spending will lower taxes. it depends a lot on the nature of the policy. >> i am from the washington post. your new deficit projection for 2011 is about half a trillion dollars a bigger than he suggested in august. is it fair to say given that you are putting the tax bill at about $400 billion that the tax bill is largely responsible for changing your trajectory? >> yes, that is right. one caveat i would note is that the numbers we provide in here hold macroeconomic conditions. in fact, in our baseline projections week look at the economic effect of our projections. the change is to provide -- is to support more economic growth this year than we otherwise would have had. there is a little feedback on revenue, but not enough in that sense. it is a very large share of the

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