because everybody else has told you that. i cannot tell you or describe the amount of pain and suffering that not only my family or friends have experienced, but the community of blacksburg, our fellow survivors. i cannot going describe how important this legislation is and how much your support would mean to us in general. thank you. [applause] >> my name is maya. i'm here on behalf of my father. who was killed last september in a workplace shooting in minneapolis along with five other dads. i'm here because my family supports legislation to ensure that these kinds of tragedies don't happen and so they don't have to get the call that their father or mother or brother or sister or child will not be coming home that night. and so toiled thank you for your leadership. [applause] >> this is a picture of me and my mother, that i gave my mom soft in high school. my parents were returning to the safest city in thousand oaks, california in may 30, 2005 a man with a history of violence and easy access to weapons shot my cad three times and shot and killed my mother who stayed and tried to keep others alive. i cannot express the importance of this and other legislation and i cannot express the thanks for my family and community for all of you for everything that you do. thank you. [applause] >> this afternoon in the senate, i will be introducing this bill. caroline mccarthy and eduardo will introduce it in the house. ladies and gentlemen, we have done our best to craft a responsible bill to ban these assault weapons. guns designed for military use, bought all over this country and often use for mass murders. this is really an uphill road. if anyone asked today, can you win this? the answer is, we don't know, it's so uphill. there is one great hope out there than is you. because you are stronger than the gun lobby. you are stronger than the gun manufacturers. but only if you stand up, if america rises up, if people care enough to call every member of the house and every member of the senate and say we have had enough, these weapons do not belong on the streets of our towns, our cities, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our malls, in our movie theaters. enough is enough. we can win this. but it depends on america and it depends on the courage of americans. thank you so much for being here this morning. thank you. [applause] >> what is the best training far policeman? >> the best training you can get to become a good police officer and understand it is --ly say that until the die i die. you learn how to develop sources, you learn how to use intelligence information, you learn how to leverage relationship in the community. that is the key. people in the community trust you, they'll tell you the things that are happening that are not yet crimes. so you can gear convene. they'll tell you how to go about doing. itly earned the most of my career from those relationships. from high school dropout and single mother and youngest police chief in washington, d.c. on the next washington journal weekly standard editor bill crystal on how republicans in congress should proceed over the next four years or president obama's second term in the white house. then kevin locks at the safe gay rights in the u.s. after that the agricultural department and reporter charles of reuters discuss the effect of the ongoing drought is having on the u.s. economy and food prices. plus, your e-mails, phone calls, and tweets. washington journal live at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. >> one of the key themes, of course, for any exhibition on the civil wars are the abolition and e mans nation. we are fortunate that they came of age what they did. between the two of them, they make issues around e mans passion and abolition. issues around human rights and american freedom on a general nonrace specific level. ly go through every piece of include that johnson puts in the picture. i'll summarize by saying for you pay attention to the top half as well as the bottom half. what you get is a white cat in the bedroom window and dark skin black woman holding a child. there's a ladder and a fabric coming out the other. there's a way in and out without being seen. there's a rooster up here. roosters have a habit in the evening of finding a perch and calling to the hen to spend the night with them. the hen is on top of the slave quarters. if you add up of the little ins and outs and look down here at the white girl entering the black yard with the black woman checking to make sure it's clear. she's coming to heart music. she's the mistress or the masters daughter. she's not here to hear the music. no one is paying attention to her. look who is here. is she a product a one of those lie yai son? the civil war and the influence on american artists. part of the american history tv this sunday on c-span3. at 7 p.m. eastern and pacific. republican senator of indiana says that begin america's financial situation. it's ciflt to make a case for supporting aid. the ranking member on homeland security told the council on foreign relations the crucial to -- foreign aid being spent e officially where interest u.s. interests are at stake this is an hour. [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] hello, everyone. [inaudible] presiding after i did the last one i said it could be a cold day in washington before i did another. [laughter] i would preside again. here we are. pat yourself on the back for turning out in this weather, but i think strong turnout is a tribute to both yourselves and the guests we have today and the importance of the topic we'll be discussing. just a few points of business i have to go through before we start. so you to completely turn off not just put on vibrant brat all the cell phone or blackberry. it will interfere with the sound system. you wouldn't want to miss a word i'm going it say. if you would like to use an trok device like an ipad or something like that, you can do that outside, there's a space one i, i guess the folk outside there's a overflow. where you can see the live feed of the meeting. you don't have to worry about that if you want to use one of the devices. in contrast to some of our other meetings in the past. it's on the record. so don't blurt something out that you don't really mean or if you can't defend later on. it can be used against you. with that, let's welcome our guest, senator dan coats, who doesn't need much of an introduction. he's a -- obviously somebody you all know, certainly not just because of his role in the senate on the appropriations committee in his involvement with the issues of foreign aid there but also in his previous incarnation of u.s. ambassador to germany during the first half of last decade in which there were a few interesting matters like iraq and so forth. senator coats obviously is very interested in transatlantic relations. it's all to that experience and other experiences he's had. and his concerns have lad him to -- lead him to want to discuss the matter that we're going discuss today which is in a relationship between the budgetary pressures and other pressures facing the united states and the role in the world. senator thank you for coming out this morning. i know, it's not easy for you to get here in the snow either. i guess i'd like to begin by -- in a general way, asking you what is the concern? what is worrying you about possible interaction between limited resources here, pressure to cut the budget and what that might do in terms of limiting u.s. role abroad. >> well, the consequences, i think, both a diminishing pool of resources available all the fiscal pressures that are on the congress now in terms of the decisions they make and how to allocate funds, and the perspective to the future. not looking all that good. combined with, i think a less and less engagement, knowledge of, and participation by members of congress in global affairs. whether it is national security, military-related or whether it's foreign aid relate order diplomacy in our presence throughout the world. if you look back to congress twenty/twenty five years ago. it was made up of people who had a relationship to world war ii and the aftermath in terms of the u.s. engagement. the marshall plan and rebuilding of japan and america's presence, and the relationship also, i mean, and the lessons and the threat by the cold war. and those were very defining major umbrella issues that produced great statesmen henry jackson and others on a bipartisan politics -- water's edge. america's presence and engagement around the world. two super power and the umbrella that kind of was held over the world in stifled the kind of regional and local frankses -- factions and tensions that erupted after the cold war. it had had an significant impact on the american people and the commitment and the support for the commitment for the u.s. to be a globally engaged super power. it was the possibility of -- a fire and everybody's in to try to dheep from getting out of control. with the law, in the aftermath of that, there was a defining event and that was the iraq's encouraging in to kuwait. we saw the global presence put together by jim baker and george h. w. bush and the success in the engagement of it. but subsequent to that, we have seen a completely different scene. that is what i would describe as three alarmers and two alarmers. we about a dozen fires popping up here in different parts of the world within all of a sudden you have people who don't have the -- a lot of people in congress who don't have the previous reference have basically come to the conclusion that the world has changed and we can't afford nor do we have the public support for global open gaugement. -- engagement. when you talk to people back home and you say why do we give so much foreign aid? it is literally like saying, you know, you need to diet and lose a lot of weight and you get a haircut and solve the problem. the amount of foreign aid and presence now is shrinking to the point where it's relatively insignificant compared to it. but yet the will to support that going forward and even step out and say well we ought to be more engaged here or do more here or these are the functions that are working. it's hard to get public support for that. it's hard to get congressional support for that. so i think the issue here a long way of get together point is that is that what are the consequences of diminished public support, diminishing public support. i think pretty well articulated bit president both in the campaign and post campaign announcement the signals are pretty clear. we're not going everywhere. we're not going get in to every everything. we're going to retract. and the support of the american people basically saying why are we there and need to keep doing this? whether it is maintaining forces or presence in germany, to be a staging point for all that is happening in the middle east, whether it's engaging in syria or not engaging in sir why. whether it's leading from behind on libya, the pacific, you know, it's more like -- how do begin to have the resources to address those potential threats in the future. all of that, i think is something that needs to be carefully looked at and talk through, and we need to be realistic about the fact that the united is not going to be engaged on global basis in the current fiscal situation and given the current political will of the american people. obviously there's an interaction between the resource that we have available and the political will we have. obviously if we have inif i nate political will we find the resources, maybe vice versa. you -- in some of the speeches you made recently you talk a lot about nato. and the fact that the experience in afghanistan is not over yet but hasn't been a terrifically happy one for nato. that might sort of lead to a process which we just don't have the will anymore or the intelligence to intention to stay in nato. given the budget tear restriction? >> i think in the event that poses a threat -- the libya situation where clearly the united was not going to take the lead. it was going to supply reconnaissance, but a little bit of backup but nato getting together and going forward or not. you know, the threat and table stablized libya and the consequences for southern europe, the history when the european presence there. that was the precipitating event. i think it's going to take something similar to that one issue that i think potentially could be that is the whole situation where the pursuit of the nuclear weapons and iran and the fact that europe would be easily one the gun site and there would be a significant consequences for those nations closest to the middle east for the nuclear arm. >> that's a little bit on the security side. you allude to the development side. i think the general public talk about foreign aid. i think they lump everything together. when you talk about the quantity of the budget that is devoted to aid, that's what you have in mind is the development assistance. that is always going to be a vulnerable part of the budget. >> i recall joe biden saying there's a campaign, the only program will cut was foreign aid. tell us your view about how we can kind of put that one on a sustainable basis politically. how can you persuade the public it's being used e officially? what are the things working and those that are not? >> i think the keyword is efficiently. we have the to demonstrate is the money that the taxpayer money being sent overseas for foreign aid is number one in our strategic national interest. and we have to articulate what that interest is. second dpli, i think we have to go beyond just sending the money so it gets depositive its and who leads the country's swiss bank account. we have to demonstrate that money is being effectively used to address certain things. and give george w. bush significant credit for the challenge corporation program for -- [inaudible] in africa. because they set a set of standards they these are our values. these are our standards. if you are able to enforce implement and enforce the standards, we will provide you that support and very good success stories there. this is a difficult climate of which to go back home and tell people this is something that work. and it is international interest. we do have a ought to have a moral equipment on some of the tragic things that are happening from the standpoint of nutrition and disease and so forth. but as we see what is happening now in africa, particularly in the islamic and the threats there and the changes that are taking place, africa suddenly is become a place where we have more interest and the -- chuck was a deep tear of secretary i got from -- he was deputy to jim jones and spent a lot of time looking at africa from the standpoint of his position in europe. kind of foreshadowing what was to come then pleading for engagement and presence in dealing what was happening there. now seeing some of the consequences of this playing out. we have to make the case to the american people. we have to show that we're effectively spending thundershower money fur the right reasons and international interest and underlying, i think, moral commitment to address some of these major nutritional disease-related problems that in doing so america's presence is seen as a positive not a negative. >> there's a whole another issue arising now because of the sort of backlash against the united states and u.s. installations and country like pakistan and egypt which are large recipient of the united. there's a powerful sentiment that the people don't us. they take the money and burn the flag. let cut them off. there's resolutions and stuff introduces. talk about how you respond or how you think the country ought to respond to the powerful sentiment. >> well, i think the common threat here is the presence of al qaeda and the affiliate. and the threat it poses to the world. from the standpoint of stability. and peaceful transition of governments. we're reminded of that almost every day. and -- sweeps across the middle of the world starting in indonesia and coming across northern africa and moving down to the sub sahara part of africa. this is a threat that has enormous implications. we have seen that ignoring the threat as we did in afghanistan pre 9/11. t true that the american public is more wary but never the less, we're reminding every day on cnn n and other networks and journalists from "the washington post . >> talk more i want to get that mentioned in there. we're living in different kind of world. it's hard to define where the threat is because it popping up everywhere. it's like wack a mole. you wack one iraq and you think it get it settles and you're back in afghanistan. and we are in the arab spring and libya and algeria and things are happening that pose real threats particularly at the time when the possibility of the combination of weapons of mass destruction and terrorists can result in attack on american presence whether it's there or here. that is a threat, a grave threat we have to keep reminding the american people that we're only one attack away from a terrorist attack using the weapons of mass destruction potentially the total direction of the major u.s. city. we don't want to have to reengage our thinking and presence and how we use our security forces and diplomacy to address these kinds of things. and post 9-1-1 area. doing it now ahead of time. i mean, addressing it now without thinking well, we're not going to be able to do that unless there's another defining event. could have horrible consequences. >> follow followup on that, i guess, part of what you're saying there may a sense what we san diego lot of money to a country we should be spite latitude and -- spite latitude and longitude to locality or -- entitled -- it would be nice if they said thank you. yeah. whaition you're saying in a way the money we send to the place like pakistan or egypt is the price of remaining a player there. the price of being in the game in the countries. >> i think the mistake though is not holding the countries accountable to how that money is yiewt -- utilized and making it transparent back to the american people and the american congress that is being effectively monitored, effectively used, and meets precondition standards before we sent that money. and we have to make the case to the american people or they're not going continue to support it. >> the speck specter of corruption is from the foreign aid, i think what we've been saying in different ways, what is new now is the public sense that we're being asked to cut back here, right. we're being told that -- [inaudible] and phrase you often hear the president use it is, i've heard republicans use it. we need to start nation building at home. i casually informed that is extremely well. that line. it '02 not only a foreign policy figure but a politician. what is the effective counter to that? one, i think we have to acknowledge we have a lot of nation building to do here at home. and that needs to be the priority. and that reality i think is going effect the kind of resources we are going have available to do the kind of global engagement global diplomacy that we have seen in the past. and i think we're going -- we are severely resource constrainted and politically constrained and we have to prioritize and make the case for whatever expenditure go out relative to military presence and spending more state and diplomacy in foreign aid spending. so that is the reality that we have to deal with, we have to, i believe, we will be forced to have to make hard choices. in that regard. secondly, i would simply say as i say to virtually every interest group that comes in to my office saying you know -- here is the line. we know that resources are tight, we know we have to give it back, but our program is different than everybody else's. and that's universal. and rather than arguing with them, i simply say, look, i'm not here to argue as to weather your program deserves priority our the last group's that was in here's program. so whether it's bridging and roads or medical research or education or a number of other things fall under the discretionary category including definite spending. i simply say, we have to come to the realization that unless we can address our mandatory spending, which is running away with the budget and ever shrinking's congress' ability about how we use discretionary spending. unless we can get control of that, everybody is going fall short of what they want. i'm not debating as more money should go to medical research or building infrastructure or whatever. i'm simply saying all is being squeezed and i'm asking you to support your senator or senators or representatives in giving them the backbone and the courage to stand up we have to address this or everybody loses. and i think that is the message of the day. and now we had an election over that issue. we're having a debate in congress every day over that issue. until this point, the president has not indicated post election that he's all that happy about addressing the mandatory spending issue. and we can't get there until he does because without his leadership, no matter what the congress cobbles together in the regard, it's not going go forward. and so, that to me is the challenge of the day. it has a significant play on our national security, our ability to fund the military so it can engage where we need it to engage. we can't solve everything through drones. and that has major implications on the diplomacy, foreign aid, and in particular because it's way down the priority list of the american spending. and so that is the overarching issue, and i have to say, absent in intervening, like we had in 9/11, it's all of a sudden that priority became number one and everybody rallied around the impee -- impetus for changing our policy. we want to do everything we can do to keep that intervening event from happening. that causes us to reorient our thinking in that regard. >> senator, i got the idea for a new lobby listening to you. we get the groups that depend on the discretionary spending together and gang up on medicare. that way they save the money for the own things. >> in the coalition of the discretionary. >> yeah. >> and then marches down to the capitol. >> absolutely. >> tens of thousands of people saying wait a minute, you're going to . >> right after the meeting. >> i'm going talk to people. some pretty good. give us your a little bit preview. huge debate that is going to get bigger. give us your best sense how the accounts that we're discussing are going to fare the next two to three months. >> not well. the sequester is looming. you saw the house yesterday took the tactical position of taking the debt limit off the table for three months or so. but the focus will be on the sequester and those that have been saying ever since the budget control act we have never can threat happen. particularly on the defense side. we're going to see enormous frosh threat happen. everything else failed. we have not been able to come up with a grand bargain. there's nothing in play that right now that looks like the white house will accept on a grand bargain. and given that, the sequester and the continuing resolution, the budget comes due in march, those two are going to have some draconian spending attached to it, in my opinion. it's just makes the situation more difficult than it already is. >> thanks for your comments, and now to the -- now is the time to -- gentleman with the camera waiving at me. i want to know if i'm going the right thing here. >> [inaudible] i went to the -- [inaudible] my question is to those that -- how do you think the budget -- [inaudible] >> well, we have already seen decisions made relative to our presence our presence in afghanistan going forward. and i certainly -- i don't serve currently in the forbe relations committee. and i'm certainly not up to speed probably as people in the room relative to the assessment of what that might mean. we get conflicting reports relative to how successful this current government in afghanistan can be. without the significant american presence. we see that it's difficult enough in iraq on the small contingent there pretty much inside the perimeter. a lot of factions fighting in afghanistan it looks to me about a ten-fold magnitude of what potentially could happen with the u.s. reduction in presence. i've always said afghanistan is not just about afghanistan, it's about pakistan. and the nukes and instability there. and so but the picture being painted here is a significantly less presence of the u.s. -- in that region. with the consequences that can come from that. >> i should said . >> i'm sorry we're trying to spread around here. i should have said when you ask your question, ask them for the mic, stand and identify yourself and keep your question short. it if we have time. we'll get back to you, okay. >> yes, sir, right here. [inaudible] >> please identify yourself. >> jack from the american institute -- [inaudible] i want to ask you about europe and whether or not you think there is enough support coming from europe to deal with those issues. we talked about germany, as you well know, been going in and going out with us in afghanistan. there's been criticism of us holding back. you mentioned constraint. it not the case that we not only have to expect if we can get, europe can be helpful in areas we would like to, not necessarily have a large -- and secondly can you expect that. it you know europe as well as i do. the question mark is do you expect it's something question see more of in the future as we face our own constraint at home? >> i think the constraint -- in europe is even greater than ours in the public world to engage in that is even less than ours. that is why a lot of questions are being raised here by members of congress basically saying why are we still in germany. why are there 40,000 some troops there. we have the infrastructure. can't we bring them home? and, you know, how much do they step up when we need them? they don't they're still looking for the europe nato as well as -- [inaudible] excuse me the gnus nato and the u.s. money to nato. i think there's some defining moments coming for europe relative to the future of nato, and relative to the transatlantic relationship in dealing with this whole range of issues going all across south of europe and it's going have a direct effect on that. there's a day of reckoning coming. i wish i could be more optimistic about it. we see what the fiscal constraints are in the austerity that is being imposed, and they're going literally have to come the point where they have some tough decisions to make. because the u.s. simply not going to be there at the level and the presence and the protection they're used to and have relied oned in the past. >> [inaudible] i would your legacy. >> it's nice to sea see you. >> thank you, senator for coming and more than thirty years of service in your country. you're on the energy and resources committee also, we are continuing to send almost $400 billion a year overseas to buy oil, and your colleague senator lugar, for a long time has told us that the only way to beat a cartel is through competition and he sponsored what is called an open-fuel standard. to basically make a competitive market to move automobiles, trucks, whether it's electricity or ethanol or whatever, to have a market so that brazil, when you drive up to the pump you have a choice and the price goes down, we think. do you think that's a good idea? and with your colleague gone now and the loss to our country would you be support i have of the competitive way to break the opec cartel? >> i think the technology developments and -- has become that competitive. that is causing that to happen. we had the great fortune of this technology that breakthrough take is going to put us in a different position than we've been in the past. i don't think -- we have seen the effort to try to determine and development alternative competitive because the discovery of oil and gas through shale and shale and through frackerring that is a game changing it's going put us in a position where the most exeat competitive and lowest prices for anyone. just talking about germany they put themselves in a terrible position. they cut a deal at the end of the service there, the chancellor with the russians for and locked in twenty year supply of gas from russia at the price about four times the price of what it is on the world market now. at the same time the germans have taken the position of shutting down all the nuclear plants, human being -- huge subsidies for wind and solar. the problem is the sun doesn't shine much in germany and the wind doesn't blow in a lot of places. and it's highly subsidizeed and not competitive. and so i think there's, a game changer here. that is exciting for the future of america. if we can get our fiscal act together, i think we have some very, very bright years ahead of us in terms of returning to economic world leadership and in breakthrough technology it's just amazing. >> another question? right here. >> a former -- [inaudible] left went on to great things. >> frank with the carlisle group. i'm wondering for you can discuss a little bit from your perspective of the appropriations committee obviously people committees will figure out how to puss bills and put a number out there. impacting the policy is going to be far more difficult to do. .. in the senate this year, one way or another. demonstrate the regular process of the committees, working through the process given whatever cafés in our ability, forces us which is what we should have been doing all along, forces us to make decisions as to what are the essential functions of government that need to be funded and how do we find resources to fund those? how do we separate at from the lake to do but can't afford to be right now? how do we separate those entities no longer are available. should they transfer money from here to the essential? it's a triage process that has not taken place in the past, but the budget constraints are forcing us to make those kinds of decisions and that is because the pie is shrinking on discretionary and without that change come of this is what we have to do. you will have a direct effect on policy, how ships we can build, where he went to locate troops. we talk about the specific payday. were going to pay 600 marines on a six-month rotation basis in australia and they're going to be there looking north to china and indonesia. all of the pacific. that's a shift. how many carriers can i put in the pacific if we cut down numbers are going to have, on and on it goes. work at half to make some tough decisions on prerelease. the toughest decision hasn't been made and must be made or rollicking posterity and i cannot much less than we need to be doing is getting control of our breath away mandatory spending that is just leaving all of us in on austerity position that in the long run really hurts america. >> alan wang. senator, he served as ambassador to germany. could you comment on germany's role in the world today arguably uneconomic strains, could may be doing more, the second world war is 70 years behind us now. could you give us your view on germany's role today? >> i could. they someone that they. compared to the rest of europe it looks terrific. when you look at the gdp growth, 0.4%. to get to 1% they call it a holiday and celebrate. >> that's why they never gets 1%, always on holiday. >> it's really wonderful place to serve because you can sit in the café and talk. germans love to talk. because the dialogue about that. no action, just dialogue. germany isn't in a position that projects itself to be and has a reputation of obviously producing magnificent machines, cars and the germans do it right. but with some failing economies are weak economies, the heavily dependent on exports, the car industry and david knows that can go up and down. so two things. i don't think they have the political will to engage much outside the borders and i don't think they have the financial resources to do is not just making they should do and maybe even some of their policy people think they should do relative to their national security, their military strength. we're just not in a position to do that now and there's been a heavy reliance on u.s. prison. as that diminishes they have tough decisions to make in our other nations. yes, ma'am, ratepayer. -- ratepayer. >> good morning, barbara massey. i've got a question about the 21st century wrote large. you've described it sounds like you consider to be an inevitable retrenchment if not a potential return to the united states, whether for political reasons or budgetary constraint purposes. that is a very different position than america as the guarantor of security and liberty globally. they may not have the resources to take up the baton. could you describe what you think the risks are to the united states and not serving as the leading nation physically, particularly in the context of soft power, trade relationships, trade agreement and economic power as the postmodern way of guaranteeing security? >> consequences are potentially very significant. america has always been looks to since the end of world war ii as a nation that paves the way. much like we have selected california is the future for the other 49 states. they're always the lead. today we look at california and say it's a basket case. a lot of the world but cannot america today is basically saying they are not the power they once were. they don't have the will and commitment to be that for the resources to be that. and they've read more carefully than the american public does and they look at the remarks of the president that is made relative to our national security and engagement in the future. they look at the congress, our fiscal situation recently said america is not what it once was and what happens, the consequences are free to people to do things not in our best interests. they don't have the constraint of the threat of american presidents and american influence in american engagement to restrain them. so we are severely underresourced and the islamic area of africa, trying to make up for a piii with intelligence and reconnaissance, surveillance and syndrome if we can get the mayor. and yet there is this growing presence of radical muslim extremism now growing and not part of the world. and so i think the consequences are very great, which is why i'm going to beat a dead term here, but i keep going back to without a dynamic growing company, we're not going to have resources to be that nation is the world could look through, sort of the overseer of tension and a nation that you can turn to to help resolve some of those tensions. we haven't talked about arena, syria's continued movement towards nuclear weapons capability is a game changer for the whole middle east. proliferation concern at the list ration of other nations. pursuing that i cannot foresee how saudi arabia, turkey, maybe egypt can simply say we are going to let iran be that nuclear power in the leverage they would gain from all that. right now -- that used to be the high-profile issue, the threat. you don't read much about it anymore. the clock is ticking in tehran towards nuclear capability. some verbiage over here about or sanction and diplomacy and so forth, but no response the other way to leaders in iran. soon i guess, sir, in the back. >> senator steve cheney with the american security project. please to hear talk about weapons of mass destruction. i picked your thoughts about our weapons. under the new start the cap is at 1550 were thousands more in reserve. this is not an opportunity to look at the triad, significant reductions, perhaps new start and not the so the submarine, bomber and save a ton of money? >> that will be part of the debate, but at some point we have to decide what level do we need to be from a national security standpoint is to be viable and protect the american people and be seen as someone with the capability to do that. the larger question is that we need to focus on rather than reduction as what's happening around the world, what's happening in the area and what's happening in iran and what kind of access some of these terrorist groups are going to have to wmd capabilities. that's the greater threat. senator lugar and senator nunn great credit for being part of reducing -- destroying some of those other weapons and so forth and so on. the real challenges those nations totally ignoring the non-proliferation treaty and doing everything they can to move towards that capacity. >> senator, if i could exercise a privilege and follow it. what you're getting nowadays we need to promote the national security budget, we need to make priorities. the sequester seems to be this broad across-the-board cut. could you give us a specifically as you deem appropriate, a sense of what that is going to do to the defense budget? >> is going to undermine it tyrannically. you see what leon panetta has said. you seem dire warnings come out in terms of the hollering out across the board doesn't have anything to do with priorities. it's totally away from the triage i was talking about. one of the essential things we need. this is a consequence of our inability to support and set up a system whereby we can make those priorities. it is the worst possible last thing we can do to enforce some kind of spending discipline. i did not vote for the budget control act because of the sequester because i thought it was absolutely the wrong way to go forward in terms of that. but now every other option has been reject the by this administration, even bipartisan effort. i gave mark warner great credit for china to pull together this caucus in the senate working with a gain of six, saxby chambliss and others. at one point, 19 democrats in 19 republican senators sent a letter to the president saying, mr. president, we will support a grand bargain, even though each of us would want more of this or less of that, we will support this if you will take the lead and give you the cover you need politically then making us a bipartisan effort and it was totally rejected by the white house. so we are at the point where we have no other option in front of us as a foresee mechanism to address a problem that's going to make up this country and take down everything if we don't move forward. speenine yes, sir. >> i name is peter bomb bush, retired lawyer in washington have a good friend the senator is anything camphor coming. the question is your knowledgeable about europe, obviously the united states. this hit areas seem to have different views about current policy and israeli government and there seems to be a lot of stress and aggravation should. can you comment about that? >> is one of the issues i had to deal with when i was in germany. by the way coming out with my deputy chief mission for nick burns agrees and good friend of several of us here and someone who now works on my staff and knows a lot more about all these questions an idea. wish he was. that is me. peter, that's a really good question. i don't know -- the relationship between marco and george w. bush was very solid. and now, my mind drifted there for just a second. the essence of your question was the israelis. of course, i'm sorry. time for a refill on my coffee. many, many, many discussions at the germans relative to their position, relative to our position and israeli position. public sentiment in germany as a whole anything is strongly for a reconciliation to the palestinians, yet overline all of that is the residual of the holocaust. i think i can say this. i had this private discussion with the foreign minister on this topic and i had to do with iran and the nuclear threat to israel. and the position germany was taking relative to them. and i was questioning where they might be should there be a real threat or attack in israel. he said of course you know that's not what the public would want us to do, but given the holocaust, we have to be very. we cannot stand by and let another holocaust take place. so those decades of remorse and guilt over the holocaust dictates policy relative to support for israel, even though the public now decades on says why do we need to do that again quiet and do we want to get mixed up and not? so that's kind of a unique dynamic that exists in that regard. but it's somewhat of a tenuous relationship. we spent a lot of time with the israeli ambassador, who spent a lot of time at the german relative to german policy towards israel in a home in her of ways. so anything short of a direct threat or attack on israel, we wish we could get this resolved and we wish israel would be much more flexible relative to the west bank and relative to the palestinians. >> i think we have time for one more. all that it be to mark as they promised you a father. go ahead. >> this is a further question i suspect. >> tom davis, thank you, senator. he mentioned a couple times in a favorable light the desire to return to regular order and budget processes. norm ornstein asserted a couple bucks and if i was going to summarize, they're arguing as political scientist who bound up in this country with a parliamentary political structure without a parliamentary governmental structure. a lot of comments back and forth about the need for rule changes, restoration of things that go beyond regular order in a lot of ways. do you see the possibility congress will take a close look at itself and of its own rules are structured so we don't have a lot of gridlock over the past two years? >> the senate is doing that right now. i'm anxious to get back because it would be probably decided today in terms of a rule changes if any will be tempted to be imposed by harry reid on the minority. we spent hours and hours of discussion about all of this. republicans obviously in the minority now desperately trying to preserve the rights that traditionally the minority side relative to procedure, the challenge is to try and find that balance, which will allow us to get to some semblance of regular order, which were basically saying when i first came in the senate, george mitchell was majority leader and i came from the house. was the difference between the house and senate quakes in the house you have the rules committee and you're lucky if your codpiece gets one amendment and 30 minutes to talk about it before you vote on it and not. the great thing about the senate if any senator can offer any amendment to any bill at any time and that's a wonderful privilege particularly for the minority, which is not the time. when republicans have the majority and could have imposed rule changes to stifle that, even that would've been to their great benefit to do so, every single republican voted against making those rule changes come as same as the privileges of the minority is not only constitutional, but it is the way this should function and doesn't result in dysfunction, that results in all kinds of delay. can ultimately be worked there if you do regular order? yes, that's why we have these. offer your amendment. if it passes it will be attached to the bill he dealt with in conference. if it doesn't, you had your shot. regular order prevents that process and saying we're not going to go forward and presents the majority leader from filling the street, which nobody understands, including senators, but prohibiting the minority from having this right. they're going to decide exactly how we go forward with that today. but the go a lot to from both sides to make the process work so that ultimately a decision can be made on whatever is being proposed and everybody will have their unit or a night out there for the public to support or disagree with in this hiding behind procedures he don't have to take a test, the senate has to understand, you have to take tough votes. that's why you're six years of political protection so you can make this test for and that's what it's all about. we feel very strongly about this and i don't know how it's all going to come out. late yesterday mitch mcconnell and harry reid are still in negotiations. harry could force this on the senate by a majority vote instead of two thirds. but if he does, i think democrats will rue the day when they impose this because they will find out because so many have never been in the minority since the 2006 election seats that democrats will find out they just turned this thing into the house and parties can jam through anything they want. >> speaking of forcing. the caucus were sonesta finish. i'm afraid we have to call it quits. it's been effeminate in conversation. i'm sure he could go on much longer. [applause] [inaudible conversations] salamat [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> what's the best training for a policeman? >> the best training you can get to become a really good police officer and understand what it's all about, you learn how to develop sources. you learn how to use intelligence information. you learn how to leverage relationships and that is the key. people in the community trust you, they'll tell you when things are happening that are not yet a crime so you can intervened and not let you all about how to go about doing it. i've learned most of my career from those relationships. >> california governor, jerry brown, state of the city address encourage lawmakers to focus on education, high-speed rail and trade with china. this is a half-hour. [applause] [applause] [applause] >> thank you, mr. speaker, mr. senate pro tem, fellow constitutional officers, members of the judiciary and all my friends gathered here this morning. the message this year is clear, california is once again compounded her critics. we brought in just two years a solid and enduring budget and makeup are going to preserve and keep it that way for years to come. [applause] [applause] let's not applied to match. this is my longest speech. we're not going to get out of here for not keep moving. [laughter] against those who take pleasure, seeing our demise, california did the impossible. yet the legislature cast difficult votes to cut billions on the state budget. cut prison spending and reform to reduce the state's long-term pension liability. then the citizens of california using they inherit power of the constitution finish the task. proposition 30 by a healthy margin of 55 to 44%. [applause] members of the legislature, i salute you for your courage or throwing yourself into the cause. i support their members and leaders who do show what american people can do. i salute those leaders in california business and individual citizen who stood with us. i salute the teachers and students in the whole school community and is a great tourist, oliver wendell holmes said when describing what there is to that action, feeling begets feeling a great feeling begets great feeling. you were alarmed. researchers sought to action and it dream is the outcome. that was 212 and affect both 2011 and 2012 were remarkable. you did great things. you wanted renewable energy mandate, farmer circus comes tatian reorganization of state government protecting our forests and strengthening timbering industry, reforming welfare system and what the nation first taste ecosystem. would of course governing never ends. we have promises to keep in the most important days of no limit to the people that proposition 30 past the victory jealousy and money temporarily made available. this means living within our means and not spending but we don't have. fiscal discipline is not the enemy of our good intentions, but the basis for releasing them. it's cool to lead people on bikes and a good programs only to cut them back the funding disappears. this isn't progress. it's not even progressive. it's an illusion. the stop and go, whom investors know when. this budget is balanced, but great risk and searching caves lie ahead. the federal government, courts or changes in the economy all could cost is willing and enjoyable: the budget. the ultimate cost of expanding health care system under the affordable care to run no. ignoring such unknown and does would be folly. to pay down our wallets at is how he plunged into a decade of deficits. recall the story of genesis and sir's stream of seven cows. that flash and while flavor came under the river followed by other cars, planes/. the link as it up the fact house. the fair could not interpret history until just a explain it to him that the seven fact house for seven years of great planning and the seven link house for seven famine they would immediately follow. the fair to the advice of joseph stood up during the years of planning. when famine came. the people have given us seven years of extra taxes. but i saw the wisdom adjusted, pay down our guests and stories receipts against the leaner times that will surely follow. in the midst of the great depression, franklin roosevelt said there's a mysterious cycle in human events. to some generations much is given. of others, much is expected. this generation has a rendezvous with destiny. we write in california have a rendezvous with destiny. around spc data and skepticism about about her future of america. but we have accomplished together all the people in assuming that you'll accomplish coming up. indeed the whole history of california belies such pessimism. i wonder how california began. in 1769 under king charles the third, orders were issued to dekalb ace, occupy important sites, san diego monterey for the crown of spain. his brave men made their way slowly north along an unchartered pass. eventually they reached moderate, could recognize that they had identified him as supplies failing, they marched san diego. for us to eat the flesh of pak meals just to stay alive. undaunted provisions from baja, california, retrace the steps are third, what was to become out camino real, the kings highway. this time should they see the rest is history. expect secular history of bold pioneers meeting every failure with even greater success. the founding of the missions saw sold off a little more than 50 years. displacement has a devastation of the native people. discovery of gold, coming of the 40 niners. first by the thousands and hundreds of thousands and during the civil war under president lincoln the transcontinental railroad and land grant colleges. followed by founding of the university of california and oil production, movies and aircraft industry. the longest breach of the world. aerospace. the first freeways, grandmother projects, jet propulsion laboratory, venture capital, silicon valley can silicon valley, hewlett-packard, apple, google and countless others existing and still just imagine, what is this but the most diverse, creative and longest standing mass migration in history of the world. that's california and we are sons and daughters. the special destiny never ends. it slows, it falters, goes off the tracks and ignorance and prejudice, the same reasons that god, more vibrant and was stunning in its boldness. the rest of the country looks to california, not for with conventional, but what is necessary to keep faith with courageous forebears. what we've done together and what we must do in coming years as state that in comparison to each decade thereafter builds a moribund in california. as legislators, it is your duty and privilege to pass laws, but what we need to do for her future will require more than producing hundreds of new laws each year. montaigne the great french writer the 16th century was zero, there's little relation between action, which are in perpetual mutation and fixed and immutable laws. the most desirable laws are those that are the rarest, simplest and most gentle. i even did would be to have none at all of them in such we have. constantly expanding the coercive power of government by adding features so many menu prescription to details and turgid legal system overshadows aspects of public service. individual creativity and direct leadership must also play a part. we do this not by commanding outshout or thou shalt not to renew the, but tapping into the persuasive power that can inspire and organize people. with the 10 commandments next to the education code in to see how far we've diverged in a christian content from that which forms the basis of a legal system. in the right order of things, education, that really fashioning of character in the formation of conscience comes before legislation. nothing is more determined the death of her future than how we teach our children. if we fail at this, we want social chaos and inequalities that no law can wreck site. california's public schools have 6 million students, 300,000 teachers so subject to tens of thousands of laws and regulations. teachers in the classroom we have a print about every school, superintendent and governing board of the state superintendent, state board of education which makes rosen approves and the sabres of us who just passed. then there's the congress which passes laws like the child left behind and finally the federal department of education whose rules, audits and science reach into every classroom in america were 60 million students study. 3 million california school-age children speak the language at home other than english in more than 2 million live in poverty. we have the finances to an overly complex, and bureaucratically driven in deeply inequitable. that's a statement of affairs today. tightly constrained curricula and reams of accountability data, all the better quiz bits of information regurgitated at interpose and stored in vast computers. of course en vogue distant authorities crack the whip, demanding quantitative measures and a start, single number to encapsulate the precise achieva auto of every child. we seem to think education is the thing that can be designed from a fire and simply inject it into her children. it is the irish poet william butler yeats said it's not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. [applause] this year, as you consider new education laws, ask you to consider the principle of subsidiary d. the idea that a central authority should only perform those tasks which cannot be performed at a more immediate or local level. in other words, higher or more remote levels of government like the state should render assistance to local school districts, but always respect their primary jurisdiction in the dignity and freedom for teachers and students. subsidiarity is a friend and producer that therapy is prescribed in minute detail what is taught, how it's taught and how it is to be measured. i prefer to trust her teachers in the classroom each day doing the real work, lighting fires in young minds. [applause] by 2013 budget they sent the case for cutting categorical programs and putting maximum authority discussion back at the local level with school boards. i ask you to approve a brand-new local control funding formula, which distributes supplemental funds, not basic funds, supplemental funds of an accident. time to school districts based on the real-world problems we face. this formula recognizes that a child in a family making $40,000 a year to speak a language different from english are living in a foster home requires for home. equal treatment for children and unequal situations is not justice. [applause] with respect to education, cost pressures are relentless and many students can't get the classes they need. houseplants and the sierra club attorney colleges than 2008. graduation employers is the exception and transition from one segment to the other is typical. university of california and community colleges are working on this. the key here is that will change, working with faculty in the college presidents. tuition increases are not the answer. [applause] -- default for tears colleges and universities. [applause] [applause] california was the first in the nation to pass laws to implement president obama's historic political career at. health benefit exchange called cover california will begin next year perverting assurance to nearly 1 million californians. with the rest this decade, california will steadily reduce the number of uninsured. today a call for a special session to do with those issues that must be decided quickly if california is to get the affordable care act started by next january. broader expansion of medi-cal is incredibly complex that will take more time. working out the right relationship of counties will test our ingenuity and not be achieved overnight. given the cost involved, great prudence should guide every step of the way. california lost 1.3 million jobs in the great recession, overcoming back at a faster pace than the national average. the nuance of business and economic development, gove is, one of the good bills -- [laughter] directly assisting more than 5000 companies this past year. one of those who stand some connectors headquartered in korea were tuba city and has a santa clara county persuaded sansone to locate thoroughly research and development facility in the world right here in california. the new facility in san jose placed up to 5000 people in high skilled, high wage jobs. we leveled the field on internet sales taxes, amazon centers and patterson in san bernardino and not treacy. this year we should change but the enterprise unprogrammed the job hiring credit. they are working. we need to reason could streamline the regulatory procedures, particularly california quality yet. her approach is to be based on consistent standards to provide greater certainty and cut needless delays. [applause] that gives the republicans something to clap about. california's exports are booming. to the people's republic of china are deep and chinese immigrants crossing the pacific in 1848 to hosting china's ex-president to los angeles less severe. this year we take another step to strengthen ties between the world's second and ninth largest economies. in april only to trade the best addition to china but the council and officially open california's new trade and investment office in shanghai. central to the life of our state is water and one sixth of that water flows through. silicon valley, prefer more valley, eastside between fresno and virus on the wayside between tracy and lifespan is, irvine, southern california and northern contra costa, all critically dependent on the delta for water. but because of an earthquake, a 200 year storm, maybe 100 year storm lasted 1860s or sea level rise if the delta sales, the disaster would be comparable to hurricane katrina were super storm sandy. i'm going to do whatever it can to make sure that doesn't happen. my proposed plant is two tunnels 30 miles long and 40 feet wide designed to improve the ecology of adults with almost 100 square miles of habitat restoration. yes that's big, but so is the problem. the olympics lasted a short while cost 14 million from the same cost project. this project will serve californians for hundreds of years. when you think about california's future, no long-term liability presents its greater danger to our well-being as the buildup of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. the latest report from the world think, carbon dioxide emissions are the highest in 15 million years. the planet could warm by more than seven degrees fahrenheit by the end of the century, an event unknown in human experience. some of you will be around for that. i won't. california is extremely vulnerable because of our mediterranean climate, one cosigned in reliance for so much of our water supply. tipping points can be reached before we know we pass them. it's a different kind of challenge that we've ever faced, requires acting out even though the worst consequences or perhaps decades in the future. california is leading the way for reducing emissions and meeting our goal of getting curbing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. [applause] key to our efforts as reducing electricity consumption to efficiency standards for building and planet. over the last three decades, these pioneering efforts have saved californians $65 billion were not through yet. that's what the legislature did over 30 years ago and were still taking profit from it. that's the future and that's what gets done. while so many renewable goals. than 20% renewable energy this year. a few years ago, every executive said it can be done. by 2020 will get a third of our electricity from the sun and the wind and other renewable sources and probably more. in the years following world war ii, california embarked on a vast program to build highways, bridges and roads. today california's highways has to accommodate more vehicles than any other state in the nation. most structures construct it before we know about climate change and lethal effects of dirty air. we now expect more. enter at the transportation agency to review thoroughly current priorities and explore long-term funding options. last year you authorized another big object, high-speed rail. yes it's bold, but so is everything about california. a lecture by trains are part of future. china has said that the massive high-speed rail and we intend to double that. spain has 1600 miles and is building more. more than a dozen other countries how there is successful high-speed rail systems. even morocco is looking one. the first phase would get us from madera to bakersfield, then we'll take it through the mountains construct and 30 miles of tunnels and bridges. the first rail line through this nonsense was built in 1874 and its top speed over the crest is still 24 miles an hour. then we're going to build another 33 miles of tunnels and bridges before we get to train to its destination at union station in the heart of los angeles. we all know the story of the little engine that could. the big engines were asked to call all the free trade of the mountain. they can't do it. little train set i think i can answer the engine pulled in front of the free cars and started passing away, i think i can, i think i can, i think i can. and over them out in the went. were going to get over that mountain, i have no doubt. [applause] it's taken great perseverance to get us this far. i signed the original has real authority in 1882, more than 30 years ago. in 2013, we finally break ground and start construction. this is my 11th year on the job and i've never been more excited. two years ago to write an obituary. it didn't happen. california is back, bridges alliston were on the move. let's get it done. thank you. [cheers and applause] [applause] >> louisiana governor bobby jindal on the state of the party. he was the keynote speaker at the winter meeting in charlotte, north carolina. after being introduced by rnc chairman, reince priebus comic criticized his party for focusing too much on washington. this is a half an hour. >> we are honored and blessed -- we are honored and blessed to have governor bobby jindal with us tonight. we have a great partnership that goes back quite a few years and i am just thrilled to have a partner like bobby as the rga. i think you all know that even among republicans, it's extra special when you know that you're dealing with a man of his word that makes the promise and keeps the promise, somebody you can delete them from the very start. i think we've got a great team we can build on in this party. it's called the 10th amendment and because of barack obama [applause] because of barack obama, washington is broken. they've proven nearly incapable of solving the most basic problems facing america. so i think it's time to send a lot of these issues to the 30 governors in our country, the republican governors in our country that is proven the ability to solve the problems, balance budgets, speak to republicans, democrats, independents. we've had great success in our parties. unfortunately sometimes we do a lousy job bragging about it, but there's a shining star in louisiana and somebody said it's going to be a great partner moving forward in making sure we win a big race in new jersey in a big race in virginia and the head of that effort and a partner of mine moving forward is a great governor of louisiana, please welcome to the republican national committee, governor bobby jindal. [cheers and applause] clap back >> thank you are very, very much for that welcome. thank you for that generous introduction. thank you for your leadership your software party, rnc commentary country. i understand you got a barn burner of an election coming up tomorrow. i sure hope you make it, though. one piece of advice as you start tearing up for this campaign. i don't think you should use double work at saint for your voter turnout tomorrow. >> under seven a little fun. but i no more serious than feared outcome i want to say on behalf of myself and other republican governors, i want to thank him for his leadership, service, great leadership of the rnc. let's give a round of applause to your chairman. [applause] as a point of personal privilege, i want to take a moment to thank the members of my own status louisiana. he's been a great partner. let's give him a round of applause. [applause] we also have our national committee women and state representative, one r. whitney does a wonderful job representing our state as well. [applause] and ross little, when i sat down i said you're no longer the most attractive committee first and from louisiana. i hate to take that, but does a great job in louisiana as well. now let me tell you in advance a plan to talk about the big picture tonight and i plan to say things that may challenge your assumptions. you may agree with all of it, you may not agree with all of it and that's okay. ours is a party that can handle an honest discussion and debate. let's be honest after losing two presidential elections in a row, it's certainly time for some candid and honest discussion within our party. first concept is simply this, america is not the federal government. [applause] take time to let that thought really sink in. america is not the federal government. in fact, america is not about government at all. in america, government is one of the things you have to have sure do want too much of it. kind of like your family visiting over the holidays if you know what they mean. i've got to be careful. my wife's hair. this is of course the polar opposite of the political debate in our country today. we've got one party that wants to be in charge of the federal government so they can expand it. we've got another party that wants western church of the federal government so they can get it under control. i'm here to tell you that's a terrible debate, fought entirely on our opponents terms. a debate about which party can better manage the federal government is a small and shortsighted debate. we simply don't deserve to win. our public discourse today, america is to find the government from the latest news that occur in washington d.c. if you were to land from outer space, watch tv for a week to read the newspapers, watch the news coming come to the conclusion that washington is the hub of america what happens in washington drives in washington driessen dictates success or failure of america. in addition to washington to come to conclusion a bunch of outlying areas because space weather pretty much as adjuncts of the federal government. it's not the idea of america, but this is what america will become a free don't really interweave thinking right away. our government grows ever larger will become what america is all about if we let it. this is our challenge. this is what we're here for. look at the debates that have dominated washington d.c. first the fiscal cliff, debt ceiling, joe biden's uncontrolled task force. these are sideshows we've allowed to take center stage in our country. as conservatives can with all the sideshow track. all of these debates are about government. governments and government power are the leading lady and they demanded government today. today's conservatives and disrupted the solving the hideous mess that is the federal budget, the mammoth federal debt, shortfall in entitlement programs. we seem to have an obsession with government bookkeeping. this is the wrong game for us to play. today's the fiscal cliff, tomorrow the fiscal armageddon. but i've got news for you. our government to stop the fiscal cliff. it happened years ago and every year for many years. today's conservatism is in love. if we can unite behind a proposal to cut the deficit and debt and put together a spreadsheet and powerpoint and tv out, all will be well. the succession procedures is focused on government. by accessing the service on the budget spreadsheet within a not-so-subtle signal to focus our country is on the economy of russian d.c. said of the real economy in charlotte, new orleans, shreveport and cheyenne. we as republicans except even conservative government numbercrunching is not the answer to our nations problems. without a summer cold hard fact. based on fiscal sanity would be deemed not serious are the media will fail the united states senate. in a proposal to restrain growth is immediately deemed not serious in washington d.c. term limits are deemed nonserious in washington d.c. kept in federal clothes by the federal budget but private sector economy also do not serious in washington d.c. the truth is anything serious is deemed not heiress washing to d.c. and then senator obama voted against raising the debt ceiling, he said he was doing up because the national debt was outrageous a train dollars. i want to quote the president because he clarified for effect $8 trillion. under president about our national debt is over $16 trillion climbing, larger than our entire economy and he's not worried at all. indeed, he caused the progress. remember his campaign slogan? have got news for the president. if washington's guidance going forward, america's economy is going backwards. instead of managing government, it's time to address how we can make america to please her she can once again become the land of upper charity, a place of opportunity. we should put all of our eggs in that basket conservatives and republicans. research any folks in washington d.c. to devote themselves from taking america so for the lechery cannot give back. we must do all we can to stop what is rapidly becoming the bankrupting of our federal government. we as conservatives must dedicate energy and efforts to bring america, to showing the younger generation south american in the future. if more government with the answer to our problems, our economy would be booming right now. you can't hire enough government workers were given a taxpayer money to your friends who happen to a great energy companies to create prosperity. the facts are in. that pat is a disaster. balancing our government thinks is not what matters most. government is not the end-all and be-all. the health of america's not about government all. balancing the books is in a cool calm but that's not our primary objective. the sticker the private sector. we need to focus efforts and ideas to grow the american economy. i'm going to talk about a couple points, but if you take nothing else from what i see today, please understand this, we must not become the party of a sturdy. we must not be the party of austerity. he must be the party of growth. of course we know government is out of control the public knows that if they just lost an election. we cannot afford to fight on our opponents terms. the republican party must become the party of growth, prosperous future based in economic growth, and opportunity based in every community and not in washington d.c. we have fallen into a trap of believing the world revolves around washington and the economy is based there. we keep believing government will grow so deep and take us all down with it. if iran goes to better manage the disaster that is the federal government, count me out. it's not a goal worth attaining. which one if you want to sign up to help manage the slow decline of the united states of america? i sure don't. that's what we have democrats for. last back [applause] the democrats promise to be the party of war from government. they're actually the party of less. as the party of economic contraction, austerity and less from the economy. the republican party is the party of more that creates more from the economy. as margaret thatcher observed, first you must win the argument, then you could win the election. either way, it's time for all of us to remember we are not in the stretch to win the election. we are in is to make america the greatest she can be, make america the prosperous land of opportunity. clap back to do this for certainly going to have to win elections. but first we must win the argument. if this election taught us anything, we will not win elections simply by putting up hillier said the other side. we must paint a picture of just how incredibly bright america's future is in that brings me to my second point. what does the future look like? how do we win this argument? for starters we have to recalibrate the promise of conservatism. i've been very clear we don't need to change but we believe as conservatives. our principles need to reorient our focus to where conservatism drives. they must have the contrast between liberalism's top down government solution and are bottom-up real-world philosophy. we believe in creating abundance, not redistricting scarcity. we should let the other side so washed instabilities to help the economy while we promote the risktakers. we promote the self-employed women whose one sail away from hiring first employee. but the democrats -- [applause] let the democrats saw the still power of federal programs will we promote the rejuvenating power of the businesses. we don't believe old top-down industrial age government becomes a good idea just because it happens to agree with us. we must focus on the empowerment of citizens, making relevant and different decisions in communities of democrats olfactory cell government to cranks out one dumbed down answer for the entire country. this made reach into nearly every social program in washington. very few work in my view can think of a one-size-fits-all approach has had his chance. if any rational human being were to greater government, if you were to start from a blank sheet of paper, we have a fourth of the buildings, half the government workers. we'd replace most bureaucracy with a handful of good websites. if we created american government today, we would not dream of taking money out of people's pockets, sending another way to washington d.c., handing it to politicians in aircraft to stay up without the pages of artificial obstructions, and where the money up by granting it to injury of bureaucratic friction and sending with up to the states where it all started in order to grow the american economy. what we do to govern ourselves as not just wrong, it's out of date and is a failure. we believe in planting the seed of growth in the fertile soil of your economy we live, where you work, invest in dreams, not the concrete washington d.c. if it's worth doing, black to the states. in the tussah streets, maybe washington should be doing it all. we believe solving problems closer to home should be our first, not our last option. hiring others as far away to greater social responsibilities to each other. state shouldn't be similar dilemma with a bite sized budgets of federal strings and rules and regulations stand in their way. while democrats work on taking more from working americans, we should stand for to dramatically simplify our tax code, not the benefit of washington d.c., but get washington d.c. out of the way. what does that mean? let's get rid of loopholes paid for by lobbyists. bluff incentives washington uses to force behavior from the top down. shouldn't be complicated for a taxpayer to fund us texas or live his life without fear of consequences of his or her choices. when it comes to education comes something i care deeply about, let the democratic since all virtues of our antiquated one-size-fits-all schools for the child follows the dollars. meanwhile solutions that meet the needs of the digital age for the dollar's father the child. [applause] these are a few examples of why we must fight the battle of ideas or how we must win the argument. washington to extort our states. it's time to quit arguing around the edges of corrupts us i'm not one of those who believe we need to abandon moderate come equivocate or change principles. i know it's badly disappoints many friends in the media force. the change means supporting abortion on demand without apology, abandoning traditional marriage between one man and one woman pay for them from real changes embracing government grows as the key to american success. agree to higher taxes and real change means endorsing the enlightened policies of european socialists. that's a real change looks like in "the new york times" editorial. but that's crazy talk. america has one liberal party. she doesn't need another one. [applause] government spending still does not grow our economies. american weakness on the world stage still does not lead to peace. i am about you, but i believe higher taxes so they'll create prosperity for all and more government still has to grow jobs. if you happen to believe in higher taxes and more government and if you believe in taking guns with law-abiding citizens, first and i suggest you probably at the wrong dinner tonight. [laughter] [applause] but the second dingers tell you is you have a party very well represented in washington d.c. the republican party does not need to change your principles. they might need to change everything else we argue. here are seven things i believe we must change if going to a massive unworthy of principles to be in a position to win elections in late america as we deserve. first, we've got to stop looking past the regrettable the show at the future could look like with free-market policies. the good news is many republican governors are doing just that. conservative ideals are aspirational. the battle of ideas must be waged in the future. we've got to compete for every single vote. 47% and 52% amanita combination that adds up to 100%. client not president obama and democrats and divide america into groups or burn commands the interests. we as republicans will have none of it. we're going to go after every vote and work for all americans. we must reject identity politics. there's a notion are should be a colorblind society. we should pursue that idea with vigor. .. >> we have got to stop insulting the intelligence of voters. [applause] and we have to stop talking down to them and stop dumbing down ideas in reducing everything to mindless attack lines for 302nd advertisements. [applause] but we must have the courage of our convention -- convictions, principals and details to describe our views. also we must quit big we're not big business, a bailout of the big corporate proposals for big anything. we must not be the party that protect the well off. we have to be the party that shows all americans how. the ideas that could help the middle class and more to join the middle-class. we're a populist party we need to make that clear to every american. number seven. [applause] we have to focus on real people outside of washington d.c.. about the lobbyists, people inside washington. we need to stop competing with the job for the government manager but layout ideas for those american people. we made equal opportunity society that government does not see its job to pick winners or losers. think about this. ready ability won special favors? never met. where to go if you want a tax break? government. where you go if you want to hand out? government. this must stop for our government must pursue a level playing field. government is the on bubbler of the playing field. this is a pathway for for the republican party. one that honors our principles the american people and will also help us not only to win the argument but also to win elections. let me conclude by making this observation. america it is basing her greatest joys. we could either go down the government that were the american path. turning us into the government acted to the american path. shame on us. we believe as republicans and conservatives freedom incentivizes people to do extraordinary things that makes america be exceptional nation. the last few years it has become fashionable -- fashionable to talk about american exceptional is that we're better and different than any other in the entire planet. as republicans we criticized obama for not believing in and embracing our american exceptional is some. now it is imperative, not only that we promote american exception was the but of fight at to tell people what we mean when we say that. during the inauguration i heard commentators talk about the peaceful transfer of power. let's not get confused. even we must never take for granted that a peaceful transition of power we are not great because of the design of our government. we are not exceptional because of its commitment to free elections. the genius is our strength and power and growth coming from the individual actions of our people. [applause] government cannot order greatness. government cannot command outcomes that exceed those of other nations. for free individuals, taking risks, a building businesses, inventing things from thin air and casting and values from one generation to the next, that is the root of america's greatness. [applause] that is our mission as be build a new republican party. we must shift our conservative movement away from managing government towards the mission of growth. it falls to less. it shows the wisdom and great benefit of the american path and it falls to was to unleash the new dawning of the american dream that our parents came to this country. , prosperity and equal opportunity purposes are possibility to seize this opportunity you made our country to a new era of prosperity and progress. of falls to us with the principles of freedom to apply them to the future. make no mistake about calling for a purist nation. far from a. now's the time for action i call for us to get busy winning the argument and after that winning the next election. thank you. god bless. may god continue to bless the united states of america. thank you very much. [applause] >> personal finance starts with sylvia porter from the 1930 self-help movement. known for everything from the hard economic times use the alcoholics anonymous develop to napoleon hill thinking, i get rich, a social activist movements, fascism, communis m. suddenly -- sylvia porter's her goal is to educate people that the great depression will never happen again but it is an idea to teach people certain skills and if they learn them, we will be okay. >> i want to thank all of you for coming today. i really want to welcome you. is a tough battle. i am pleased to be joined by a cross-section of americans. who have been affected by gun violence. we have with us today police chiefs, mayors, the teachers, doctors, members of the clergy, and others, a gun safety groups, victims of gun violence, and many others who care deeply about this issue. i really want to thank my colleagues in the senate and in the house, who have chosen to stand together with this important issue. some of us have been working to prevent gun violence for decades. together reintroduce legislation to help end the mass shootings that have devastated countless families and terrorize the community. today you hear from some of my colleagues in the senate. senator dick durbin of illinois, a part of the leadership of the democratic side. senator chuck schumer from new york who helped me immeasurably in 1993 by beating the efforts in the house of representatives, which was successful. richard plume of paul and chris murphy the distinguished senators from connecticut who know first hand about assault weapons and also congresswoman mccarthy from new -- near to knows firsthand about the devastation of gun violence all so congressmen prowl butter from colorado and also congresswoman who represents new town. also mayor nutter to leave the united states conference of mayors and commissioner of the philadelphia police department, the current president of the major city police chief association who will speak about the display of weapons you will see to my left. also victims from recent mass shootings and i would like to recognize other supporters who are here today on the risers behind me, we have police officers from several departments and i thank you for joining me today. [applause] and russell like to recognize when million moms for gun-control that is represented today doctors for america the american academy of pediatrics and the american federation of teachers. now i would like to introduce the reverend gary hall dean of the national cathedral to open this morning with a few remarks and a prayer. >> ague's senator feinstein it is an honor to be here with you to share work with you and your colleagues with the work against gun violence. i spoke twice at the national cathedral on gun violence and in the pulpit and in the media and with fellow paid leaders now we come to the end of the preaching and we're moving forward today with a tangible solutions to the epidemic as we stand with senator feinstein and her congressional colleagues as they introduced the assault weapons ban. people have a moral obligation to stand with and for the victims of gun violence who worked to end this. we tolerated school shootings, mall shootings, a sniper shootings, a theater shootings, a temple in and church and urban neighborhood shootings 442 ball. the deficit enough. everyone seems to live and tear of the gun lobby. i believe it is no match especially when we stand together as people of all faiths through the landscape of america. i don't want to do take away someone's hunting rifle bike and a lot just by a society of those other than military or police to own weapons like these that permits the sale of high-capacity magazines to kill as many as possible. on behalf of my interfaith colleagues, i ask you join me now in there brief moment of prayer as the come together around the consensual middle-of-the-road, a common sense, legal actions being proposed today. let us pray. go bayou may human beings in your image and give us hard to feel the pain of others and mines to create solutions for human suffering. give us as a people, compassion and vision. help us to respond to the crisis of gun violence, not only with word that action. bless our elected leaders with the wisdom and courage needed to bring about the changes that people demand. grant that in so doing our streets and costumes and theaters and churches may be peaceful and safe. we ask all this is in god's holy name. a man. >> 8q very touched reverend paul. i was horrified by ab mass murder committed at sandy hook elementary school and i am grateful we have both senators and house member representing that community. i am also in says -- incensed that our laws allow these to be carried out again and again but weapons designed originally for the military to kill large numbers in close combat are replicated for civilian use and fall into the he of the one way or another of grievance killers, and gains, those who are mentally unstable or ill. they are sold out of trunks and back seats as well as gun shows with no questions asked. massacres have taken place in businesses, law practices, malls, movie theaters and especially schools. the massacres don't seem to stop but carry on. columbine, virginia tech, aurora, tucson, oak creek, the common thread is each then man used a semiautomatic assault weapon or large capacity.ammunition magazine. military-style assault weapons have one purpose. in my view it is a military purpose to hold at the hip and spray fire and kill large numbers. since the last assault weapons ban expired 2004 and in the 10 years since no one took it to court. within 350 have been killed with assault weapons. more than 450 injured. we should be enraged how easy it is for perpetrators of these horrific crimes to obtain a powerful, a military-style weapons. today my colleague and i are introducing a bill to prohibit the sale, transfer, a manufacturer, and importation of assault weapons and barge capacity ammunition devices that can accept more than 10 rounds. be briefly described the legislation introducing. we prohibit 158 specifically named military style firearms. since the 1994 law expired, there is an influx of new models of assault weapons for their more powerful, legal, and more technologically advanced in 1993. our bill also prohibits other semiautomatic -- automatic rifles and shotguns that have a detachable magazine and have one military characteristic. one criticism of the law is backed it was a to characteristic test that you find it and it was too easy to work around. manufacturers could remove one of the characteristics and a firearm was legal. the bill be introducing today we'll make it much more difficult to work around by moving the one characteristic test. the bill prohibits specifically polls such as the slide a lawyer in stock which can be added to the ar-15 which essentially makes it mimic the autumn -- automatic weapon and it is legal. they're all modifications that easy for manufacturers to evade the law. the bill prohibits semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine to except more than 10 rounds. a ban on importation of assault weapons and a large capacity magazines. elimination of the 10 year sunset. what the bill will not do, it will not affect hunting or sporting firearms. instead it for tax hunters and sportsmen by protecting 2200 specifically named weapons used for hunting or sporting purposes. they are by make and model exempted from the legislation. with this bill in 1993 there were 375. of today there are 2200. the bill subjects existing work grandfathered weapons to the background check in the event the weapon and is sold or transferred. we have tried to learn from the bill. we try to recognize legal hunting rights. we try to recognize legal defense rights. we have tried to recognize the right of a citizen to legally possess a weapon. no weapon is taken from anyone. the purpose is to dry up the supply of these weapons over time. therefore there is no sunset on this bill. i would now like to introduce a wonderful woman. a leader in the fight, a victim of gun violence herself and our lead house co-sponsor the distinguished representative from the great state of new york, carolyn mccarthy. [applause] >> thank you very much. you would think after all these years in congress and writing for this issue, would not be nervous standing here in front of you. this battle has been a very lonely battle for many, many years. think a lot of victims out there, a lot of groups have been fighting for this for so long have felt this way. when you look over here with senator feinstein with a gun violence that she witnessed. senator schumer who took the lead when i was then congress for the first assault weapons ban, the mayors, police chiefs, and everybody behind me, and all of you. a lot of words can be said i have a great speech in my staff worked on it a long time and i will do what they always tell me not to. but just talk from my heart. i have watched the slaughter from so many people and i have met with some of the victims over the years. in congress, nobody wanted to touch the issue. the last several years the massacres are going on more and more. i kept saying what is wrong with all of us? how many people have to be killed before we do something? i thought for sure after virginia tech we would get something done. aurora colorado, something happened in new town connecticut. the people of america asked how could this have been? how could this happen to our children? when we meet with these nra over the last few weeks, trying to find out we can work together, it is frustrating. i still have great hope. but to be honest, i cannot trust them to be there for the tugboat. that is why all of us coming and the president, vice president by then, all of us fighting for this will spread the word to the corners of the country. nra members have been speaking out to get something done these are good law-abiding citizens -- a citizens who want to go duck hunting and the guns that they use you are allowed three bullets. deer hunting depending on what state only allows five bullets. most hunters will tell you if you don't get it on the first you probably will not get the second chance. but we have machines, a large magazines, that can take down 20 children in seconds. the only reason that slaughter stops is because first responders were there and the killer ended up taking his life. some people say this bill will work. let me tell you why it will. because if you don't have these guns and large magazines on the shelf shelf, those who do the horrific killings would not be able to go into a store to just buy them. did not have the background to look wear the black market is to buy these magazines and guns. they go to the simple place. if not in the store, they cannot be bought. aid of the lives that can be saved. lot of people in this audience whose families have gone to a killing in their family, losing a child, losing a husband husband, losing a wife. single killings. we must do something to stop that also. this is only the beginning. wheat will be working on a holistic approach, how we can help our young people so they don't go to the world of drugs. we should be helping those children that might be having psychological problems so they don't feel they have to take the gun to commit suicide to take down classmates. you will hear from some on the opposite side that it cannot be done. it can be done. with my heart and soul, i tell you it can be done. the president has said the people have to make those decisions. new telekinetic it made a difference. -- new town, a connecticut native difference brass to ask why can't we do something about that? between the battle now and when this is passed, you will hear from the nra to say that will not do anything. i say that we can save lives. think about this. since new town connecticut's 1,000 people have died from guns. 1,000 people. those children, their dreams, the dreams of those that have died through violence never to be fulfilled. the day that incident happened i was giving an interview. a reporter following up how do i get through the holidays and she said oh my god. do you have the television on? it is the beginning of my nightmare again. every victim has to go through it every single time you hear of the killing. it has to stop. it has to stop. we can do it. we can make a difference. we can save thousands and thousands of lives. i would be remiss if i did not say those who survived those horrific side -- who have survived like my son did and will never be the same, how much it cost with health care to take care of the victims, that is what this country is facing. we have to say yes, we can do this. our police officers will do the right thing. it the american people don't stand up that we can't do anything about gun violence, who loses? the future of our children. we can do this. please. be out there for us. thank you. [applause] >> that would like to introduce the senators who will now be speaking and i will introduce them at one time then they will follow one another. senator derbent is part of the democratic leadership and is part of the cause and also a member of the judiciary committee of which this bill will go. senator chuck schumer and carried the original assault weapons bill knows this bill backwards and forwards also a member of the judiciary committee and senators blumenthal and murphy who have been so diligent to convert the families of new town. senator plymouth fall is also a member of the judiciary committee. please come forward. >> thank-you. for your steadfast commitment to the issue over the years and to senator schumer for the same and the house and carolyn mccarthy, your words touch our hearts so many victims to stand and fight for change she did not just speak out but ran for office so her voice would be heard in the halls of congress. and want to thank those who are here today, we cannot do this without you. law enforcement we need your validation. and families coming victims, a faith communities whose step up now. this is not an issue of constitution but conscience. we have one basic question what teh's it take to move a nation? what does it take to move a congress? we knew about the thousands of victims of gun violence and no not that long ago there was a tragedy in arizona where one of our own, gabrielle giffords was shot point-blank in that faith and others were killed in the same location. even that incident did not move us to act. what does that take? twenty children from newtown connecticut and six others to show an extraordinary courage to save and protect those children, the image of those children that each and everyone said that could be my grandson or granddaughter and it made a difference. the tipping point* of this national conversation. i won't forget when dick clement fall and chris murphy came back to tell us first and what they thought it new town netiquette. he talked about standing in the building with the parents as they brought the children out of the school in the parents would rushed to grab there babies building they were safe but at the end of the day there were 20 parents standing alone. what will be do about it? what can we do? we can only do as much as the american people help us. we need their support. silence cannot win. they have to speak out. in the month after new town where 26 lives were lost to the automatic weapon and a person who never should have owned it we have over 26 killed on the streets of the city of chicago with victims of gun violence the tragedy continues to repeat itself. when that the superintendent of police in chicago he brought with him a piece of evidence. and uzi. the night before it was used on the streets of chicago and turned on a police van that they goodness it jammed after one round and nobody was hurt or killed but let me close that another group we need in the conversation we need responsible hunters and sportsmen to step up and join us. i'd wrap in downstate illinois there are plenty of sports but in my family. they value this part of their american tradition for the use their guns safely and responsibly in store them safely and comply with every aspect of the law and they shake their head when i say the gun lobby speaks for them saying things that they don't believe that you need a weapon like this to hunt or for target practice we need their place for the conversation the critic say it will not stop. that is true but if it can save a life for spare a tragedy it is worth our support and effort. [applause] >> thank you senator dorgan for your eloquent words. i would like to thank senator feinstein that has been indomitable and never forgets we talk about this every month since the ban expired and the fact she leave the issue gives us the face and also one word about carolyn mccarthy have you i know goes to bet every night thinking about what happened to her family but lights a candle in stead of curses the darkness. but now senator feinstein and i have a long history. 1994 we passed the crime bill that had the original assault weapons ban. the crime bill made an incredible debt of criminal violence that was plaguing our country. the successful band of weapons was a key part of that. times have changed. so have the capabilities of those who do us harm. i applaud senator feinstein for having updated its more and more robust version of the assault weapons ban that he has outlined. it comes down to this assault weapons were designed for and should be used on the battlefield. not the street. some don't get that. we can have a rational discussion. the heller decision said there is the second amendment right to bear arms and it should be a respected just as all others. it means that none of us what you take away the hunting rifle that you were given when you were 14 years old. nor do you want to take away the sidearm that the business owner feels they need in a dangerous neighborhood. but the heller decision had a second part written by a conservative court majority. it said there is a reasonable limitation on the second amendment. just as there are and the others. the first, we loved it. freedom of speech. you cannot cry fire in a crowded theater all those limits the ability to speak freely anti-pornography laws , libel laws are limitations on the first amendment that are reasonable. the limitations that are supported from senator feinstein's bill are reasonable limitations. we know there is no unalienable right to own and operate 100 round clips on the assault rifle. that is certainly within the framework of the heller decision were hopefully both sides can meet in the middle. underground clips and not used for hunting or self-defense but maximize the damage one can do in a short amount of time. the american people know this. look at the polls. of a understand there is a second amendment and right to bear arms and should be reasonable limitations. and they're wondering why we're not doing anything to protect them. in the '90s even begin to assault weapons ban that we passed help to save lives. the new and improved bill will save many, many more. let's do have a thing we can to spare the heartache and loss we have seen connecticut, a cover-up -- colorado, new york and other less public tragedies around the country. we owe it to our constituents to try. [applause] >>. >> 84 being here today for this historic occasion and signature moment in this profoundly significant effort to achieve the end -- and gun violence in our country and particularly senator feinstein for her effort but especially for leaders of connecticut's it and my colleague chris murphy state legislators and our governor who formed a powerful team in the effort to reduce gun violence and keep faith with the people of connecticut. but like to thank the law enforcement community here today. for several decades as a federal prosecutor, and state attorney general, i listened to our police, prosecutors and law enforcement community. i listened to that in countless forms and numerous tragedies. they have said, do something about the guns. ban assault weapons and prohibit the high capacity magazines. a number of police said to me we could have stopped that shooter even with our body armor with that kind of assault weapon in the shooting at us. our law enforcement community is outgunned by criminals, domestic users and criminals and those who should be separated from those weapons. but also the people of newtown. i was there the afternoon that parents arrived at the sandy hook firehouse. i came there as a public official but what i saw was through the eyes of a parent i would never forget the sight and sound of that day as parents' emerged from the firehouse learning there pride and six year old children would not be coming home that night. s.w.a.t. team members who were hit in their heart and did that by the brutality and cruelty that they saw. i listened to the people of connecticut who's said we have to do something about the guns. and we need to keep faith with them. this measure would have helped prevent the new town tragedy. but for assault weapons banned by this measure hundreds of thousands of americans would be alive today but for the high-capacity magazines and in their sale by this measure. and educators and children might be alive today. this measure was banned these weapons that have been so destructive and approval to create violence. this is more stringent than the band in connecticut and would prohibit the weapon used in newtown. past to be seen as one step, a comprehensive strategy that should include health initiative -- school security, background checks for all firearms sales, not just licensed dealers, a private sales, a gun shows and background checks for all sales of ammunition. right now a fugitive, a felon, and drug addict can walk into a store and buy a shopping cart full of the ammunition although he is provide -- provided without a background checks. we need to change that. newtown is a call to action and reform. i hope is we will seize this moment with the sense of urgency and sustained this momentum. make no mistake it is a hard fight ahead. and always remember newtown. >> debut very much senator of the menthol and senator feinstein for of leading this effort and to my colleagues and law enforcement. i was there that day as a father of a four year-old and one year-old there are a lot of moments i could take back what i saw, that grief that comes in those first moments trying to understand what happened. make no mistake, the grief and trauma of newtown is not abating but multiplying in the tiny town like that to take the lives of 20 children and six adults that lived in tiny neighborhoods by children came from one street. let me tell you what happens today in new town connecticut. sandy hook alimentary has moved. lot of teachers have not come back or students have not returned but therein is a safe board and in one third grade class it is monkey and he will yell it out if he is in a conversation for the third graders talking about what he saw that day and the book in the shooter's i. that is what happened today ended committees that deal with the mass atrocities. not just the family is that agreed with the grief that washes over then in the weeks and months afterwards. kids would be alive today. that this was in place december 14 of last year. widely know that? the data tells us, despite the gun lobby, the first web been banned even with the warts worked. within nine years there was a two-thirds drop of crimes committed with assault weapon did overall drop of gun violence across the country by 7%. 40 percent of the mass shootings and 40% in the history have happened since that assault weapons expired. more kids would be alive today if this law was on the books we know what the numbers tell us that we know what happened that day. most of these incidents and when the shooter hast to reload, the gun gm's or people can intervene. if you get off 100 rounds in 10 minutes, he had to reload twice. things would have been different if that was nine or 10. and a question if he would even have driven in his mother's car in the first place if he did not sit have that what been in the first place with a video game that gave him the ball since appeared -- courage there would be little girls and boys alive today. the gun lobby has said over and over this is just a few good piece of legislation. they are right for you would feel good that allison, the charlotte, josephine, got to enjoy christmas with their parents. it would feel good if catherine and chase and james took the bus to school this morning. if grace, emily comment jack, and jessica were alive today. order parents all across this country to not have to wake up every morning that without action their kids were at risk just like those from new town. this will be hard. this will be difficult. but to honor those 20 lives we will get it done. thank you very much. [applause] >> i am so proud of the courage of my fellow legislators. give them a big round of applause. [applause] carolyn mccarthy, such a poignant speech but her co-sponsors in the house will say a few words. i have come to know congressman perlmutter who represents a rural colorado. hopefully he will tell you about it and his staunchest to move forward and house member who represents the brave town of newtown. >> good morning. i and a said perlmutter i live in the suburbs of denver colorado. on one side of my district is columbine the other side is ora. as you heard some senators speaking today these defense, a mass killings affect just as people killed or wounded or those that were traumatized in the theater, the whole communities and neighborhoods. i know we have their members from tucson, a virginia tech and newtown here today. what to read something sent to us yesterday by some of the families of the aurora victims. >> our loved ones were murdered in the aurora colorado theater july 20th and 1 of the worst massacres in u.s. history by the exact weapons and high-capacity magazines that senator feinstein is addressing in her proposed legislation today. our loved ones were gunned down in an entire generation of our family's taken away in a matter of seconds. we listened to the 9/11 tapes played in court and sat in agony as we heard 30 shots fired within 27 seconds wondering of one of those bullets killed our children. the ar-15 was used in that massacre. in 2012, this nation saw 15 mask shootings, innocent and law abiding people are dying violently every single day. we should not be a country whose firefighters have to wear bulletproof vest to do their job and save lives. what have we become as a nation when her family, friends and even babies are losing there lives by just being as school, watching a movie, going to church, shopping. trees, and buying christmas gifts? our everyday freedoms as americans are being taken away by acts of gun violence. thank you for working to stop this epidemic of gun violence. they end with a quote from martin the 13. our lives begin again the day we remain silent on things that matter. our future, our lives, our children matter. >> we will make this letter available to those who would like to see it signed by families of seven of the people killed and zero laura. this is a tough issue for all of us. there are constitutional implications for all of this. but our responsibility is to be advocates for those that we represent. i know the people of the denver area need to see a change. we don't want to trample on second amendment rights but they exist self-defense, hunting, a sporting, we have to do something about these mass killings that military and law enforcement uses. it is our responsibility. thank you for bringing this forward. thank you. [applause] >> good morning. my name is elizabeth and i represent the connecticut smythe district. as a new member of congress to got started as the pta mom and first grade room period this was an unbelievably difficult situation to walk-in to. i want to talk about the cost of inaction. robb was in my office the other day as a volunteer firefighter many generation from the small community of sandy hook. his wife and him have two children in the sandy hook school he received a call that morning from his wife who had gone to the school to take medication to their son and he got a call saying there is a man coming toward me with a gun i love you. and hung up the phone. that is what the people of the attempt to netiquette are dealing with now. grace's parents came to the white house last week and gave a painting by their daughter. i know my friends and senators joined me in this unbelievably sad parade of funerals for six and seven year-old. eight girls were in the same girl scout troop and five of the boys were in the same boy scout troop. every graduation, every eagle scout ceremony, those families that all of their friends will be grieving the pain is not over. when i have heard again and again meeting with the letters and phone calls i have received we must make meaningful action to save lives what happened in newtown december 2012 was an and speaker double tragedy but what happens now is up to us. newtown must be a call to action for congress and all americans who believe would note that we can respect of law abiding gun owners at the same time save lives because newtown is paying the price of the inaction. communities across this country and my sad but growing community of fraternity and sorority members of congress have this and their district, the community's that are paying the price of political inaction. because we can no longer sit by and let the loss of precious little children, six and seven year-old, a courageous educators go unanswered. we cannot allow our brothers and sisters and parents who are cut down every day by gun violence. it is time to act. it is time to renew and strengthen the assault weapons ban and that time is now. i am so proud to join congress may and mccarthy and perlmutter to introduce this important legislation in the house of representatives also thinking my house of representative colleagues from connecticut and enormously to senator