That we are that shallow that we dont demand more from him. He talks about lack of judgment in Hillary Clinton using the server. What about his lack of judgment . Hes been times of thousands of dollars trying to prove the president was not born in the United States. He washat thinking, what am i doing, im already bored. He is being applauded as the next president of the United States. Host lets hear from sammy in paris, texas. Caller i want to do Nothing Congress to get up and do something. Here in texas, we are a big state. Our roadways used to be very good. All we want to do is go vote on issues that have already been decided and what the supreme court. Host what would you like them to focus on . I would like to focus on fixing the infrastructure for texas. I am in houston right now. It is just a mess. Traffic is terrible and its dangerous. Not . Ve the money, so why we are not doing the congress is not doing its job. Dan in oakland, California Democrats line. Caller im calling about the Iranian Nuclear deal. Had caller everybodys a couple months ago everybody said iran has Nuclear Material to be making bombs now almost. And so i think that the deal gets that material out of iran now is better way to go than be worrying about 10 or 15 years from now. Host ok. From oakland, california, thanks for the call. Thank you talk about the iran deal. In washington right now minority leader harry reid is scheduled to speak at an event at the Carnegie Endowment for international peace, the topic the iran Nuclear Agreement. This is a planned topic and speech hes scheduled to give. Well go to that event now. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] good morning, a few people settling in. My name is george, Vice President for studies here at the Carnegie Endowment. Its my pleasure to welcome all of you back from the end of summer, lamentably, and the beginning of the work year here in washington, but we have a great occasion which we are honored to present to you to start it off. And that is an address by Senate Minority leader harry reid. And to introduce senator reid we have a dear friend and former colleague of his, congressman Howard Berman, who is also a friend of ours. We had the pleasure and honor of working together on a number of issues when he was chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee. Hes still very active in international affairs. So it gives us extra pleasure to ask congressman berman to come up and introduce senator reid. Congressman berman thank you very much, george. Just before i introduce the peaker, i just want to let our host know that, host of carnegie, that really how incredibly valuable your work has been to me during the 30 years that i was on the House Foreign Affairs committee. Issues like nonproliferation, arms control, u. S. Soviet can and then u. S. Russia relationship. So many other issues. Your writings and our your testimony, our conversations really helped shape my own outlook on a lot of key Foreign Policy issues. I owe you a lot. A special shout out to the great ople these days who are whenever i google members of congress with me never went to russia without stopping to get an analysis. In any event im honored today to be asked to interdues your speaker who has been my friend for 33 years. Senate democratic leader, harry reid, we worked together since he and i came to the house in 1983. We sat next to each other for four years on the House Foreign Affairs committee before he was elected to the senate in 1986. And as you know, the senator served as majority leader from 2007 through 2014. And he remains the democratic leader during this, his last term in congress. What most dont appreciate is the skill that goes into garnering the mantle of leader and majority leader in the u. S. Senate, and holding on to it. Senator reids commitment to a progressive agenda, his knowledge of the issues, and the parliamentary rules, his attention to detail, and his ability to handle the outsized personalities of his colleagues. Are legendary. He fights tenaciously for that which he believes and he produces the defendant compromise when that is the only sensible course. Relevant to discussion this morning, senator reid during all his years and to this day has given very special attention and focus to the u. S. Israel relationship. Fighting as strongly as anyone in the congress for the survival and security of the state of israel. He, like i, believe that support for the joint comprehensive plan of action is not only in americas security interest, but it is in israels security interest as well. Whats not wellknown is that the critical strategic work that then majority leader reid played from 2009 through 2012 in ensuring that binding far reaching sanctions were enacted and done so in a way that maximized president obamas ability to put together a farreaching International Coalition in support of sanctions. He wasnt the author of these sanctions bills. His name doesnt appear in the newspapers and discussions about him, but he was seized with the critical importance of preventing iran from having a Nuclear Weapons capability, and devoted great time and leadership to making this happen. Its not often a house member gets a call from the Senate Majority leader to discuss legislative strategy on a bill not authored by that senator, or makes himself readily and easily accessible to a house member to ensure a positive outcome. On this issue senator harry reid led not in name but in taking the steps that only a majority leader can take to ensure that the effort was successful. Im very proud to introduce enator harry reid. You mayreid as some of know i hurt myself on january 1 is it and basically blinded myself in one eye. Doing my exercise. As senator mikulski said in our first meeting when i came back to the congress, she said to everyone there, i told you, i said it all my life, exercise will kill you. So anyway heres the deal. I cant see out of my right eye, but it does let light in. So i got some new glasses and we are going to try for the first time, i got a new pair of glass, well see how it works. The light here seems to be just about right. If i have to go back to my dark glasses youll know why. So, howard, thank you very much. We are friends, we always will be friends. We bonded as freshmen in a very large class that tip oneill had to deal with way back in 1982. Hes a superb legislator, he was noted as great legislator in the california legislature, but back here when history books arity hen during these three decades he served, Howard Berman will be part of that conversation. Im so grateful he came from california toint dues me tafmente theres no one i would rather introduce me than my friend, Howard Berman. I also want to thank the Carnegie Endowment and your president , burns, he has a remarkable career and record and im grateful that he is somebody that i speak to and somebody hat i like a great deal. He is most is out of the public eye, i understand that. Hes known around this city and around the world as someone that has worked really hard to keep the world safe from a Nuclear Armed iran. So thank you, bill, even though you arent here. George, thank you for filling so ably in. When the senate is gaveled into session in just a few hours, a debate has ignited passion from tehran to tel aviv, from beijing to berlin and from coast to coast across our great country will take center stage in the worlds greatest deliberative body. The question at hand is no small matter. Is the agreement between iran and the International Community led by the United States the best pathway to peace and security for america, israel, our partners, and interests . I believe the answer is unquestionably yes. Today im gratified to say to my fellow americans, our negotiating partners and allies all around the world, this agreement will stand, america will uphold its commitment and will seize this opportunity to stop iran from getting a Nuclear Weapon. While the formal debate begin this is afternoon, the private negotiation that brought us to this point have been going on for years. And the publics review of the agreement has been going on for months. And during that long period president obama and secretary kerry were clear in their goals. Above all the United States will not allow iran to obtain a Nuclear Weapon. The United States also would not sign any agreement that takes iran at its word or relies on trust iran has not earned. The most difficult crossroads of this time concerning a technical negotiation, president obama and secretary kerry made clear that the hard choices belonged not to us but to iran. But now its our turn. Now the United States has a choice to make. We can enforce an agreement that forces iran to walk away from any Nuclear Weapons program, or walk away from that agreement. And assume responsibility for the consequences. We can take the strongest effort ever toward blocking iran from getting a Nuclear Weapon, or block the agreement. And ensure iran will have a fissile material it needs to make a bomb. In the matter of months theyll be able to do that. We cant have it both ways. Make no mistake, blocking the bomb, blocking the agreement are two distinct choices that lead to very different futures. I spent a lot of time talking, listening, thinking about the various elements of this agreement, so have my colleagues. I have heard from nuclear scientists, intelligence community, military leaders. I have listened to diplomats and experts. I have been briefed by secretary kerry and undersecretary moniz and a ects nuke already physicist who knows almost as anyone else the Science Behind the agreement and agreement itself. I heard from ardent supporters and passionate opponents. I talked with nevadans from all walks of life. I spoke with israels leaders. Prime minister netanyahu, ambassador dermer, and i have read the text of this long agreement and i have read it very carefully. Andn my my years can i not think of another debate with so much expertise, passions, and good faith on both sides. Its clear to me and to overwhelming majority of my caucus that this agreement gives us the best chance to get rid of one of the worst threats in this world, a Nuclear Armed iran. In fact, i believe the agreement is not just our best chance to divert what we fear most, i fear its our last best chance to do so. Before i explain why, let me first acknowledge some of the people who helped us get to this historic moment. I mentioned president obama and his cabinet secretaries which achieved a remarkable diplomatic breakthrough. I also want to acknowledge my colleagues led by senator bob menendez who helped set the stage for those negotiations by rallying the senate and the world behind sanctions that brought iran to the negotiating table. I also acknowledge senators cardin and corker for their leadership. They did a great job. The legislation they wrote created the process to review the agreement in congress. I support this agreement and the United States senate will support president obama for two simple reasons. Number one, pp this agreement will do a tremendous amount of good. And number two, blocking this agreement would lead to a tremendous amount of bad outcomes. He bottom line then is this, enforcing this agreement will prevent the thugs the things we must dread. Thugs, im sure of that. But undermining it would prevent these very same dreadful consequences. Those consequences are, in fact, totally unacceptable. We all recognize the threat iran poses to israel. Powerful weapons, hateful words, antisemitic smears, and pledges of jewish states destruction. No one can underestimate this menace and no one should dismiss how much more dangerous iran would be in this regard if it were to have nuclear bomb. We also recognize the threat of Iran Revolutionary guard corps, the threat from irans support for hezbollah, assad. My little en and teleprompter friend is slow there. Brazen Human Rights Violations to its own people and americans it holds political prisoners, and those who disappeared. We recognize the danger that iran poses to our allies, our interests, and our own troops. And of course can can diplomats serving around the world are a peril every dave their lives in the middle east, certainly. Every day of their lives in the middle east, certainly. No one is blind to the threat iran poses. Again, no one should forget that iran would become a threat of an entirely different magnitude if it were to ever have a Nuclear Weapon. I cant think a single challenge in the region that wouldnt get worse in that nightmare scenario. Thats why our goal first and foremost must be to keep iran from getting its hands on one of those Nuclear Weapons. Or building one. We have no allusions about the Iranian Regime which is exactly why when we are presented with the best way to stop its Nuclear Ambitions we must not let that chance slip through our fingers. We support and enforce the agreement we have reached. The Agreement Congress now assumes responsibility to review does a better job than any other proposal of reducing irans chance to get a bomb. When our negotiators came to the table, they did so with Andrew Carnegies advice in mind. The man who in 1910 gave his name and fortune to this institution once said, and i quote, our duty is with what is now practicable now, with the next step possible in our day and generation. In our day we know its not practical to bomb away knowledge of how to build a Nuclear Weapon. So our negotiators said even though we cannot take away the way to build a bomb, we can take away the ingredients and use of equipment to cook one. Thats what we are doing. Not only if the United States upholds only if the United States upholds and enforces its agreement. The good news is this agreement does more than takeway ivans ability to build a bomb. It gives us the ability to catch every move through strict limits and entrucive inspections, the agreement takes away irans material and irans ability to make more of it. This agreement takes away irans ability to build any facilities or fissile materials secretly and with impunity. The agreement iran signed prohibits from pursuing, building, or having a Nuclear Weapon ever. There is no Expiration Date on that commitment. Its not grounded in trust. This is isnt a peace treaty out of the goodness of our hearts. If we trusted iran we wouldnt need the video cameras and inspectors and all manner of technology to make sure iran supply complies. We are not asking iran complies. We are not asking iran to promise anything and taking it at its word. We are demanding prove to us it is complying with every last letter of this agreement. Before it gets sanctions relief, iran has to take specific actions. If it doesnt happen as some fear sanctions will be imposed on iran. We have done Everything Possible to make sure that if iran cheats well know quickly and well act immediately and with the International Community behind us. That makes us safer. That makes israel safer. That makes the world safer. Thats what Nuclear Experts around the world know, what diplomats know, and the overwhelming majority of my caucus knows. Thats why this agreement will stand. And to make sure this agreement succeeds, Congress Must provide the oversight to ensure monitoring and enforce verification. At the same time, Congress Must continue to hold the line against iran and arms tracking, funding against terrorism, and demanding a return of americans who have been taken prisoners and those who have disappeared. Parties that were never meant to be part of this negotiation must never, never be forgotten. This agreement offers a number of different ways to cut off irans path to a bomb. There is on the other hand one surefire way to open irans path to destruction and that is to reject this agreement. As i mentioned, the second reason i support this agreement is because of what happens if we walk away from it. That would leave iran with no limitation on Nuclear Weapons program in the United States, with no leverage to do anything about it. If we walk away from the agreement we helped secure, think about what happens the very next day. Iran gets to keep as many center fugse as it wants and build as many more as it would like. Iran gets to build its stockpile, the kind of uranium and plutonium you need to build a bomb. Iran gets to test