Transcripts For CSPAN2 Campaign 2020 Tom Steyer At Politics And Eggs 20240713

[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] like how bad could that be . Like, him almost every day ita great day. Im like, what am i missing . Ill tell you what has surprised me. The two things i say, one, i do meet so many nice, hardworking inspirational hardworking people that it blows me away. But the other thing i see, when you go to states, if you go to red states, a republican governor in both houses, the cruelties theres no other way to put it. That is the thing that ive seen when you hear how close to the bone people live. Some of the real suffering that should not exist that really exists. I feel like we use these fancy words but its just fancy words that disguise the true spirit and the truth is, some of these policies are straight up cruel to americans, pretty much started at birth and going to when you see it its very upsetting. I think doing this for seven years. I have a really good friend in college, one of my best friends, and i think hes a rightwing republican. Weve never actually talked about politics. A really close friend of mine. And i said david, you went with me you would see america and you think i wont put up with it. [inaudible] i promise you you would be with me going, forget it, not okay, not going to happen. And he said im already with you. I agree, im already with you. I see it. I think hes honest with me. Republicans, no, youre right, we can have it. If i could have your attention so we could begin the speaking portion of the program and allow you to leave early to go shopping. This is christmas week, after all. We are absolutely amazed at the attendance here today, knowing how close we are to christmas. But i think, and our guest speaker would agree, this is why New Hampshire is so new unique and we fights or to make a the nation a good resonance of this wonderful state take the politics very, very seriously. They are to be commended but i think its also a sign why we should be and continue to be number one primary and the United States. [applause] and i want to thank all of you for again for being here. Today is the new England Council i think i can say with confidence our final, our final event of the year, 2019. And what a a year and has been for the new England Council. We have hosted a little over 80, 80 events throughout all new england and in washington, d. C. , with all the members of congress, the 21 members of congress that represent all of us in new england, the six new england governors, the 12 United States senators. Weve had cabinet secretaries speak at the new England Council. We had to speak of house of commons speak to the new England Council and today we have 21st president ial candidate speak to the new England Council, politics eggs here at st. As, which is extorted. I thank you for all of your support and this event would not be possible without all of the wonderful neighbors that you see their banners along the wall. They are truly outstanding civic Corporate Leaders here in this great state and in the nation. If you see anyone affiliated with any of these companies you should say thank you for supporting politics eggs. This is been a great series but is only possible with the support of these wonderful, wonderful corporate citizens. We will be taking a break from these events, but stay tuned r some announcements in early 2020, and we hope that many of you will also attend those. For purpose of introducing a a very special guest here this morning i can think of no one better to do the formal introduction than a man who has made this event such a huge success, somebody in washington would use that word, huge, but this is been a huge event to say the least, and its possible only because of the work of Neil Levesque was done an outstanding job. So for purposes again welcoming our good friend, Neil Levesque. [applause] well, welcome. Welcome to the New Hampshire institute of politics at saint anson called for another great series. Youre right, were still hopeful well have one more before the end of 2019. Punch them right in. A lot of special guests here today and a lot of really good friends. These are people but not on support the institute but support the college and all we do here, and without you we really couldnt do this. And so often, and thanks to all the chickens after her producing all these eggs because we keep serving them up and its great. I think were running out of eggs at New Hampshire at this point. We have a very special guest here today, so special that even my sister all the way from a a decided to come and join, my sister christian is here. Kristin. A lot of people know who tom steyer is but im going to give you just a brief history that i think is very telling of his character and his background. Tom steyer graduated from yale. He didnt get into st. Anselm. [laughing] and he earned his mba at stanford. He turned to San Francisco rather than go to new york and started a small investment firm. He produced doubledigit returns for his investors, mostly universities and nonprofits, some individuals. In 2013 he switched his focus to politics and in private and founded Nextgen America, a Nonprofit Group that aims to combat climate change, promote social justice and increase participation in our democracy. He then launched the need to impeach into visiting a public call call to impeach donald trump that got millions of petition signers and a couple people signed on in washington. He and his wife devoted countless hours of the time and donate tens of nights of dollars to charitable projects. In 2010 they sign the giving pledge to donate half of the fortune to charity during their lifetime. Wow. By the way, Senior Vice President of our investment jim flanagan is here today. [laughing] mr. Steyer most recently spoke at an event in april. He spends a lot of time doing tv here as well. When he officially announced his candidacy for presidency. Im going to tell you that all across the country want to go across the country or hereinafter i always get asked, what is with the belt . If youve seen this ad a know you have, you say theres a belt he always wear. People always ask me, so i had asked him, and so theres a project that hopefully he will talk a little bit more about in kenya where the goal is to educate young girls and, of course, if you work on educating young women in a lot of these countries it gives them selfesteem, and educated population obvious he is better for a lot of these countries. And this is what that belt represents in kenya, and i think it goes along with your entire biography. So, tom, welcome. [applause] good morning. So let me say i am impressed. December 23, really . Its amazing. We would talk about, jim and i were talking and it really does Say Something about the commitment of people in New Hampshire to doing their homework and knowing whether talk about in terms of the president ial primary. So duly noted, amazing. I will tell you a little bit about the belt before i get going, which is neil is exactly right but the thing that is true its not just about selfesteem when women get educated. When women get educated, which doesnt happen the same with boys get educated around the world, it actually changes the world. I wear the belt because the education of women will save the world if, in fact, we accomplish it everywhere. So i wear the belt because if i were not doing this i would be doing that. Its incredibly powerful to understand how much it changes at select a site of 20 things that we can do to arrest climate change, three of them have to do with the education of girls and women. And when you think about that, you never think that thats one of the most powerful levers or combined one of the most powerful levers and what to combat climate change, but it actually is. So just saying that. Doing a good thing can often of ripple effects that are hard to imagine around the world, and this is one of them. But let me explain for a second about why i am running for president. I would really like this to be question and answers as much as possible, so if you will prepare whatever your cruelest, hardest questions are, completely contrary to the spirit of the season i would be happy to take them. Look, im running for this simple reason that i wouldnt because i think the governor is broken. I think it is been bought by corporation. I think the reason that the people are not being served in terms of affordable healthcare, in terms of the antigun violence, having some significant climate legislation, education, i really think is because it works perfectly for corporations. I know i speaking to business audience. I spent 30 years in the private sector. I believe in a vibrant competitive Innovative Private sector. I just dont Want Companies to write the rules. I want the government to work for the people of the United States and that the private sector work within the rules that serve the people. Thats why im running for president. [applause] and i think neil alluded to in a little bit but i spent the last ten years putting together coalitions of americans ordinary citizens to stand up for the rights and to push back when you think theres unchecked unfair corporate power. So i started in california my home state taking on Oil Companies about the most Progressive Energy loss in the world. People thought i was, i read in reverse iq test, if youre stupid enough to do you will definitely lose, and we got 70 of the vote. Ive had a chance to take on Oil Companies, Tobacco Companies, utilities to get them to push them towards 50 clean energy by 2030. Ive closed the Corporate Tax loophole that was just a mistake for 1 billion and gave it to the public schools. We got a twodollar cigarette tax which the Tobacco Companies had fought for 20 years and one, 17 times in row three to four dollars a year and give to the medical which is a Healthcare Services for the lowest income californians. I also started the largest grassroots organizations in the United States Nextgen America which neil refer to, which in 2018 did the largest youth Voter Mobilization in american history. History. We went into 38 republican congressional districts, 421 campuses. I think we are in Something Like 40 campuses in New Hampshire and we been her since the beginning of 2014, and we flipped 33 out of the 30th. We more we more than double turnout young people. If you think about the New Hampshire law that was passed to set an outofstate College Students cant vote in New Hampshire unless they get a natural license plate, that was a direct response to College Student voting and more than twice the rate they been voting at and being a margin of victory for a lot of close victories in the state by democrats. So really what i believe in is more democracy, more power to the people. Its really been ten years of trying to push power down to the people of the United States because i actually trust the people of the United States. We were talking at breakfast about what have i learned basically went for president. And running for president is kind of a more intense version of what i have been doing for seven years, which is to travel around the United States and talk to americans and listen to what they are saying about their lives and listen to what theyre saying about how the government affects them and problems they are dealing with. And so i believe i have met an Incredible Group of people who are not a typical americans. They are normal americans, really hardworking, really decent inspirational across the country. That has been my experience for seven years is to think the people of the United States are wonderful. Just wonderful, and they do things every day are tough out of the goodness of the heart. I cant tell you how inspirational, fun it is to travel around this country and meet people. And a lot of them are suffering, and so when i like to say we use fancy language in politics here we use the language of econ 101 and polly sy 101, and it really takes a set of whats going on. Because Actual Stories about what people are going through other stories of human beings who are often really suffering. And so my attitude about this is a Pretty Simple one. We have more than enough money to do all the things we want, to have affordable healthcare quality Public Education from the prek8 college, a living wage pay people a living wage so one job can support a family. Secure clean air and clean water for everybody. We can afford it. But were definitely not delivering, and the reason is, its not profitable for a lot of corporations and that isnt a good enough reason. Because what weve seen is i think those are rights of americans and thats really what were going to get if we break the corporate control of our government. And thats what i intend to do. But let me say wow, you guys are quiet. [laughing] let me say this. People always describing, i sometimes say so im going to change my name normally 2 billion or tom steyer instead of just tom steyer. But let me say, formally when i walked in i rented some whose one of the sons of my parents best friend in life whos been running a summer camp for 22 years. So let me say this. My mother taught in the new York Public Schools and tutored prisoners at the brooklyn house of detention and remedial reading. My father who was a partner in law in law for years. Was first generation of brooklyn, first generation of the sums to go to college. My grandfather was a plumber. My father quit the law to go into the navy in world war ii, ended up because he was a lawyer being what other people prosecute the nazis at the end of the war, the war criminals. One of the things my father always said to my two older brothers and me was, if you see something wrong in your society, at the heart of your society, then fight it really early and keep fighting it. Because i was referring to the nuremberg trials. He said thats what the germans didnt do. Basically when you see something wrong, you cant let it take root. That really was a big part of what i start the need to impeach movement. There was something i thought consistently wrong at 1600 pennsylvania avenue, and i said to people when we start over two years, over 8. 53 people signed a petition, said if you dont believe me, read the paper tomorrow here if you dont believe tomorrows paper, read the next days paper. Because this is a pattern that is not going to change for as long as this guy is president. So i will see two more things and then i really am ready for questions. One is you should know im the only person in this race who will say that climate is my number one priority. I say it because a hefty because its true. It has to be true. Ive been working on climate for more than a decade. We have pushed successfully for clean energy, stopped power plants, also kill plants, stopped pipelines. I have taken on companies on this, but let me say we have to do it. We can do it. I guarantee you we can do in a way that cleans up the air and water, particularly in the black and brown communities that have air you cant breathe and water that comes out of the tap that will make you sick. We can do it from that angle and we will come and we can do it and forget literally billions of good paying union jobs. So when people talk about this, we have to do it, we cant do it, and we can do in a way that is just a winwinwin it cheapr energy, faster growth, more jobs, healthier. What we have to do it and we have to lead the world on it. If we dont look at this on a global basis, we are not looking on a realistic basis. You cannot solve this inside the boundaries of the United States. So unless we lead the world morally and financially and technologically and commercially, we lose. Theres no other country that can do it, just to be clearer if you look at what just happened in madrid, if u. S. Doesnt lead, it doesnt happen. And so heres of the good news. People are always asking me how do we come together as a country . Are so partisan. I think this would be a very emotional, very competitive thats a nice word for what i think election. And how are we going to come together . Everybody feels distraught about the divisions and partisanship and the country, and i do, too. What i can say is my experience of playing sports is, do you know who loves each other . Winning teams. And if we take on the biggest challenge in the world, which we have to take on together, cant the democrats doing it. It has to be americans doing it. If we take on the biggest challenge in the world and succeed and reestablish ourselves as a moral value driven country, thats how we will come together. Is being a winning Team Together in pursuit of something we have to do and that we have to succeed in. In the last thing i want to talk for one second about economics. I mean, we know what mr. Trump is going to run as, because he has said it about ten days ago. He was talking to i think the israeli american conference. I dont know if you guys read this quote but he said you guys dont like me, and i dont like you. But youre all going to vote for me because if the democrats get control, they are going to destroy the economy in about 15 minutes. Thats what hes going to run as. When hes been impeached he said you cant impeach me, the economy will fall apart. Like, really . So what im saying is of this. He can win. For us to win we will have to have a candidate who can actually go after him on the economy. We cant have a candidate where he can paint them as a socialist, will destroy the economy, because Americans Care about growth and prosperity as well as economic justice. And after 30 years building a business from scratch, figuring out what creates prosperity, i feel like i have unique experience and expertise in terms of pointing out the fact that mr. Trump is actually a fake business person and a failed business person. He actually played a businessperson on a Reality Tv Show comment that he is actually a terrible steward of the american economy. If you actually look at the things hes done, they have been counterproductive and bad for the American People. And so i think we need somebody who can take him on and take them down in terms of economics because that is definitely im not exaggerating when he said to those people, his basic campaign shtick is on a criminal who hates 80 of america, but you cant afford to get rid of me. And what we have got to prove is we can afford to get rid of him because we actually can afford to get rid of him. We will do much better with a completely different understanding about what creates true prosperity and true growth and true success for americans. And that is going to be something that we have to establish in 2020, and really talk to people about what actual productivity looks like in the United States, what actual Value Creation looks like, which is investing in the American People. A completely different idea that he is using the terms of what success looks like. And that has got to be a conversation we had have. With that i would love your toughest christmas questions. [laughing] [applause] we have time for a few questions. We have students, i believe, that have the mic, and will roam around. Just identify or so. If i could just ask the first question, mr. Steyer. The house of representatives asked a major trade bill this past week in first major trade bill passed since 2005. Usmca. Unions, mr. Trumka, aflcio endorsed the bill. White house would like the bill, Many Democrats are busy voted for the bill as well as republicans in the house. I think 385 members voted for it. Sherrod brown, never voted for trade Bill Anderson says this is something i think i cant embrace and support and vote for. If you were the president , would you sign that bill . Let me say this, if i were the present i would never have they go should that bill. Let me explain why. I understand the point about workers, organized labor, and what actual wit into that bill to make it acceptable to Union Leaders around the country. Thats true, but what ended up happening for trade bills. It had been good for gdp, but weve look in terms of gdp and looked at in terms of who is benefitting from gdp and what the impacts are in terms of the different people in society and thats why unions were screaming about nafta. It may be good for the corporations and gdp, but its going to hurt working people and the United States. Thats what the fight was about in terms of usmca. That in fact, what weve seen focusing on gdp, which weve done for the last 40 years, has an implicit assumption in it that gdp is shared equally between people in society. And what we know is thats not true. Its over the last 40 years the richest people have gotten all the increased income in the United States of america and well over 90 of americans havent had a raise in two generations, so you think if that isnt success, if you value people equally, which were supposed to do in a democracy last i checked. So, this trade bill actually did work on this and they went back and redid it to try and make sure that it would work for working people in the United States. But the other complaint about trade bills traditionally has been that they havent dealt with the environment, that in effect, we allow other countries to do manufacturing in ways that are environmentally destructive and sort of exporting our pollution to other countries and at some lev level, that falls apart in terms of climate. Because when you talk about climate, the pollution in china is also the pollution in the United States. The pollution in mexico, and canada, is also the pollution in the United States. So if you look at this trade bill, what jim said is exactly true, all of the now, i think virtually every union came on and supported the bill, in the way it was rewritten. But all of the environmental groups fought it and are opposed to it because the other issue has been if were going to do trade we have to do it in a way that mr. Preserve the natural world. So when i look at this bill, it brings up the idea, who is at the table really matters. You know the old saying if youre not ott the table, youre on the menu. I can tell you climate was on the menu. Its not mentioned in this bill. So, in fact, when we think about what were going to accomplish around the world, if we dont have climate as a primary i would honestly say the primary point of our international relations, were not going to solve climate and if you guys have been reading just the last weeks information about whats going on in the natural world, in terms of the amazon, you can go back, if you want to have a sleepless night, read about the amazon and where we are, and if you want to just take a look at a picture. Take a look at sydney where literally, its completely surrounded by smoke from the fires. Australia is on fire. It was 107 degrees average in the country last week. So, actually, jim, if i were going to do that bill, they redid it based on working people and they should redo it based on climate because these people need our market. They dont want our market. They cant survive without our market. And we have to use that to make sure that theyre behaving in ways that serve the people of the United States. So i would renegotiate that bill on climate period. And i believe that you have to have working people at the table to make sure that those concerns are really met in the real world, and you need people who are going to worry about climate to make sure that those concerns are met in the real world and if you dont, then you get presented a bill that has positive things about it compared to where we are. And also, has things that are completely unacceptable. And that is proof i mean, we have a president who would never think about using the word climate, who at the International Climate conference, america was there to try and sabotage the conference. All i can say is, that were talking about the health and safety of every american citizen in terms of dealing with this in a smart and effective way. And at some point, you know, its exactly like everything else, announce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We have to do this, we can do it and we can do it in a way that makes us pretty mucher and heal and makes us richer and if we dont do it, its as far as the eye can see. Thank you. [applaus [applause] just one further question. The dnc is going to increase the standard eligibility for the people to be on the next debate and some people are saying theres no diversity at all in these debates and that we should revisit the standard, maybe lower it, allow people like cory booker or Julian Castro to be back on the stage to give the richness that reflects the diversity of the american public. Your thoughts on what the dnc should do . Theyre in a tough spot, ive got to say. After Kamala Harris withdrew, i wrote an open letter, i think that day or at latest the next day to say that they should lower the requirements so wed have a larger and more Diverse Group of people on stage because i think its important to hear a diversity of opinions and i think we have a very diverse, thank god, Democratic Party. And i think im i like people to hear as many messages and as many truths as they can and make up their own minds. I know thats not in my interest. In my interest its the game of Musical Chairs to continue as fast as possible, but i think in the interest of the Democratic Party and democratic voters, to loosen their restraints and get a more Diverse Group and they do what they always do and not listen to me. We have a roving mic. And raise your hand and we have a good friend from aarp with a question. [laughter] good morning and welcome to New Hampshire. And will you remind everybody of your name . My name is mary robers, and im a volunteer with aarp New Hampshire, and my question is, basically about prescription dru drugs. We all know that the cost of prescription drugs is continually rising. Weve all had personal stories of friends or relatives who have had to make some difficult choices and have also been in some very difficult situations healthwise because they could not afford their prescription drugs. What would you do to hold Drug Companies accountable for the high cost of prescription drugs . So, mary, i started by saying im running for president because i think that corporations have bought the government, and if you wanted one of the many obvious cases, the Drug Companies are pretty good argument for that, you know, we pay its not just that we pay high prices, we pay many multiples of what others way for the exact same drug and i know people in New Hampshire know that we can pay ten times as much as canada and then they wrote a law that says you cant drive to canada to buy the drugs. And the more you know about how drugs are priced in the United States, the angrier you get because theres the price and then theres the inability to go anywhere else to buy it, but the common behavior in terms of maintaining high monopoly prices based on patents when its no longer appropriate, when you hear about the behavior thats come on in order to continue that, its upsetting. Because you realize were getting ripped off. And the government doesnt represent the people of the United States to stand up for us. Every other government negotiates really hard and thats why they pay a fraction of what we pay and let me say this, i understand that Drug Companies do research and come up with new molecules and were going to get a lot of new drugs in the 21st century, thank god, but theres something going on here thats absolutely flagrant at the defense expense of americans and that they should work on behalf of the citizens not the Drug Companies. So what would i do . Look, i happen to be in the larger case, im one of the people who believes in a public option not in medicare for all and i could take you through that, but we cant wait for that. Yeah. Im just saying, we cant wait for that. So what i would do, i would negotiate very hard on drug pricing. And i would use the power of the United States government to buy, to push these people, because what theyre doing isnt appropriate. And for reasons that are obvious. We havent done that. And so when i think about what they charge us relative to other countries, the United States government is a gigantic purchaser and we have the ability to drive these prices down for americans, period. We dont do it. If i were there, i promise you, to me, im a competitive person. I am 100 on the side of the american citizens here. We have a lot of power that were not using over these Drug Companies. I would use it. And its like a negotiation. They are killing us. Sometimes literally. And its not right and so, i have no qualms whatsoever about pushing back and there are theyre going to make arguments about needing money for research, and theyre bogus. And so, i would push really, really hard on drug pricing and i would push really hard, especially after the seven years of the original patent, because this is something where they are really extending prices. If you looked, there were hundreds of drug prices that went up on january 1 of this year, completely unrelated to anything, but wanting more money. Theres no cost increase. Its just a question of what they can get away with the american government. And we have an enormous amount of power to push back and i would push back really, really, really hard because we are our health care in general is device as expensive as it should be and this is absolutely an egregious case getting ripped off compared to other countries, ten times for insulin, compared to canada. We pay 100 times what some australia ps pay for drugs. 100 times. Thats unconscionable. So we have to take it seriously, but im telling you, im running for president because i believe these corporations own the government and i want structural change like term limits and direct democracy because i want to change their ability to run the government and start thinking that health cares actually about serving the American People, not about promoting profit lines for Drug Companies and Insurance Companies and private hospitals. [applaus [applause] other questions for mr. Steyer . Yes, maam . Just identify yourself. Trudy, im originally from baybridge, brooklyn. Im here from cape cod and i just want to know, you talk so much about big business. Where in were in the opiate epidemic, and other side big business not providing the treatment that our next generation needs for addiction. So, id love to hear your thoughts on that, not only do i work in the field, but i am the mother of a 32yearold son in longterm recovery who is doing very well today because i was forced to sue our Health Insurer in order to access treatment, took them to the state attorney general and won my case. [applaus [applause] so, trudy, youve had this very personal experience. I think almost everybody has been touched by this at step removed. My best friend from growing up is a dead heroin addict, so no illusions how this plays out. Two questions, one was what to do about opioid addiction and what to do from the companies that pr prospered from it. I know those people are going to pay huge fines, but that seems to me to be criminal behavior. If you go into a room and conspire to addict american citizens to a oip opioid and you think of that as a legitimate business practice, i think in a sense theres overall that if you do it in a corporate setting, it may be a fine, it may be a civil penalty, but its not a criminal violation. I just dont think that we can do that anymore. I think that people have to be sitting in the room saying, am i doing the right thing . Am i obeying the law . And i think this is a perfect example because when you read the notes of those meetings, it curls your hair to think about what those people said without real attention to the consequences for american citizens. So, one thing id say is, you have to put criminal sanctions on the table and have the Justice Department look at it and pursue it, for starters. In terms of, 72,000 people died of opioid overdoses last year. You know, that is a gigantic number and the only reason it was so low is because there are new drugs that can stop you when youre having an overdose from dying. So, this is obviously a gigantic problem. Let me say that i do support you in your thinking that this is a health issue where we need to support the people in this from a health standpoint and i propose putting 75 billion a year into that, but i also think in addition, this country is suffering from a lot of Mental Health pain and separately, i would also put a lot of money into that in a way that we havent. And i think that this is an example of the Mental Health pain that people are undergoing here and its specific like every single example is specific, but i think we actually need to address it, focus on it, resource it, and deal with the pain people are feeling around the country and particularly in New Hampshire. And let me say this, there was just a study out, which was very painful, i dont know if you saw it, which says for the third year in a row, American Life expectancy went down for the third year in a row and New Hampshires Life Expectancy for people between 25 and 60, went down the most of any state in the country. And the reasons were, all health related, but three of the top four were alcoholism, opioids and suicide and i know that thats a really uncomfortable thing to talk about and i know this is the Holiday Season, but lets talk about when i talk about the country coming together about climate, when i talk about partisanship and what i believe in. I believe theres a gigantic need in america for purpose. What are we doing as a country . What do we stand for . Who are we . What does being an american mean . Traditionally being an american was leading the world for freedom, justice and equality and thats what being an american is and were the moral leaders of the world who stand up for democracy and freedom and the sanctity of human beings. And thats gone. I mean, we have a president who absolutely doesnt believe one word of that. But when i talk about climate, what im really talking about is the United States going back to our traditional role of leading the world. And when i think about people in despair in this country, which is, thats what those numbers mean, that really, is that people dont know, feel like theres a purpose that they have for Walking Around the earth on two legs. And what were talking about is if theres a bigger purpose that you can imagine for all of us than to actually take on the biggest challenge and save the world, i dont know what it is. Its not a fake. We actually have to do this together. And it is an absolute gift of meaning for everybodys life. So when i think about somebody, if i think about my dead friend, if i could have said to him, dean, here is what were going to do. We need you to do this. You know, i know that theres some hard things in your life, but we need to do this together, thats what i want to say to everyone in the United States. There is a purpose for what were doing on this planet. There is something that americans do differently from everyone else in the world. And we have to do it, so lets do it and lets take incredible joy in doing it. Lets succeed together. That is what i think we need to do. That is what were missing. You know, god did not put us on this planet about gdp per capita. Theres a bigger purpose to the United States of america and thats really what i think the solution is. [applaus [applause] hey, you guys, could i tell you a funny story. My mom and dad got married, i think in 1953, so the week before he got married, by father went to go gambling in nevada, which was the only place in the time you could go gambling and they went to lake tahoe too, the north shore, and they went with vin brodericks uncle, Joe Broderick. They come back from gambling, and Joe Broderick becomes a catholic priest, it was his last hurrah, also, until he married a nun. And ive always thought i could see these two guys [inaudible conversation] ; is that right . Life can be super, super, fun in a pure way. The gentleman here. Identify yourself. My name is dustin. Good morning, tom. So, my question and being a veteran, its important to me the United States constitution at one point, i swore an oath to uphold and defend that. And the this being a Constitutional Republic and we have a bill of rights and i guess my question is real simple to you. Are you going to if youre elected are you going to uphold the u. S. Constitution and the bill of rights up to and including the Second Amendment . So, dustin, let me start by saying what i think is only fair. Thank you for being a vet. Thank you for your service. [applause] and out of some sense of responsibility, i recently reread the constitution of the United States, including the Second Amendment. So, lets talk about the Second Amendment which is obviously the right to bear arms. And here is what i think about this and let me say that i raised grass finished cattle, pigs and chickens. And we give gun safety lessons for anyone for free can come and be a safe gun owner and, you know, basically get hunting licenses. We also have gun violence in this country at levels that are unbearable and i think that people focus on the Mass Shootings, where were off the charts compared to every other country. Well have 400 Mass Shootings here in the United States of america and you can read about them every single day in the paper. But in the next country, in terms of Mass Shootings, well have 400, the next country will be mexico which i think will probably be five. We also have spousal abuse, gun related spousal abuse, streets that people are scared to walk down and we have to remember that 60 of gun related deaths are suicides. So what do i think about the Second Amendment . I believe in the Second Amendment, but i also believe in protecting the people of the United States. So what does that look like . For one thing, over 90 of americans, including more republicans percentagewise than democrats and 70 of n. R. A. Members want background checks on guns, gun purchases, so that if you fall into the category of felon, convicted spousal abuser or certifybly having mental problems, you cant buy a gun. That hasnt happened because Gun Companies actually control the n. R. A. And they dont want it to happen, but if you look at what im talking about, i dont think were abridging anyones Second Amendment rights to ask for background checks. I would license gun corners, the way we license people who drive cars. People have a right to drive a car, but you have to be able to be licensed and safe. I would register assault weapons so that wed know where they are. I would have voluntary, but not mandatory buybacks of guns because this is really about the number of guns in society and make sure theyre in the hands of people who people dont put into these categories of people who cant have them. So, the real answer, dustin, when i think about guns, we have an enormous number of guns in society and a lot of it is done on a state basis. When you look at how things work out in the states where there are fewer guns per capita, theres less gun violence so i dont want to take away peoples rights to own guns. Im a gun owner, too. But i want to make sure that we do it in a much, much, much safer way and were at a stage where, lets face it, theyre doing active shooter drills in first grade. Thats a level of fear in our society thats damaging and inappropriate, if i may use unemotional terms. So i think were balancing the Second Amendment with the rights of people to be safe and to feel safe. And i look at it a little bit the way, you know, the famous example of theres freedom of speech in the United States and thats in the bill of rights. But you dont get to yell fire in a crowded theater. Because thats putting other people at risk. And thats how i feel about guns. I want to respect the second moment, but i dont want to allow somebody to call fire in a crowded theater and put at risk hundreds of other people. [applaus [applause] just wait for the mic. Good morning. And thank you for being here. Our state in New Hampshire is an aging state. Of course, not in this room, however, but second in the nation only to maine. So, we have some concerns that affect our aging populations, which is the ability to live independently in communities as we age. You know, there are transportation issues, there are Affordable Housing issues, there are limited income issues that all restrict and con strain peoples ability to do that. What would you do if elected to help that population stay in their communities . See, thats a series of questions so im going to go down will you remind me of your name, maam . Nice to see you. Let me start with one that is an obvious one that you didnt specifically refer to, but you indirectly referred to which is Social Security. Look, Social Security is for 75 of seniors, is their main source of income. For Something Like 40 of seniors, its their sole source of income. So, the idea that the Social Security trust fund is going to go bankrupt and were going to cut benefits has to be completely off the table. That just cannot happen in the United States of america. We cannot have made a promise to seniors to a huge number of people who have been citizens their whole life and then renege. Cannot happen. So we can talk about the different ways and id be happy to to make sure that that never happens, but that has to be off the table. Thats for starters. Secondly, in terms of Affordable Housing, we have seven million too few Affordable Housing units in the United States of america. The government basically, of the federal government pretty much got out of the housing business, assuming that with incentives, the market would take care of it. And actually we can see i live in the center of homelessness in the United States, known as the golden state of california and so we can see what happens when you have too few Housing Units and it drives up prices, so for people on fixed incomes or limited incomes, they get driven out of the market and theres no real answer. Thats why we have so many Homeless People and thats one of the upshots. Part of what well do is address the overall housing problem. One is by putting tens of billions into building houses and the other is if we have to rebuild the country from a climate statemendpoint so far ot is climate housing, and Building Seven Million Units to so people arent driven out. If youre feeling it in New Hampshire, i promise you theyre feeling it in San Francisco, feeling it in charleston, South Carolina, people are feeling it across the country. This really is econ 101, supply and demand. Too many people need to live in a house, too few houses, the price goes up. Thats something that we absolutely have to do. In terms of health care, i mean, were talking every one of these things is a reaction, in my mind, to what Ronald Reagan said in 1980. Look, were still going off the reagan model of the United States of america, which involves all taxes are bad, government itself is bad, the market will take care of it, the market is efficient and just. Unions are bad and trickle down works. It turns out that every single one of those things, i completely disagree with and i think weve got 40 years of data to say, actually, youre wrong and so this is a perfect case where the government has to step in on behalf of seniors. And theres no question about it. And the only question is, how are we going to pay for it, and how are we going to focus on it and if youve looked at what ive said and i know that people from New Hampshire do their homework, but ill say it quickly in case you skimmed that part of the lesson, im for wealth tax. Ive been saying that for over a year long before i was running for president. I think its the only way, really, to deal with the inequity, redistribution of people in this country for over 40 years. Im for undoing the tax breaks for richest people in the corporations that theyve pushed through. Im actually for treating passive Investment Income the same way you treat income for people who go to work every morning and if we do those things, we can get these programs and cut taxes by 10 for 95 of americans. So [applause] i believe weve seen growth injustice for 40 years. Ive definitely profited from it. Its one of the reasons i took the giving pledge. I felt, this isnt right. But i think Going Forward we have to stand up for the people of the United States, and really, thats what youre talking about here across the board. [applaus [applause] i love doing this. If i could just theyre going to have to take me out of here. If i could ask one question, mr. Stire. The house of representatives has impeached the president. And the speaker held back sending the resolution to the senate until she feels theres going to be a fair process at the trial. Your thoughts on what should be done now . So i was pushing a petition, because i believe that impeachment is about not about the house of representatives or the senate, ive always believed that people who counted are the people of the United States. And i did a petition because i know for sure that nobody in the house of representatives is going to listen to me if they have 50,000 of their constituents who care, who sign a petition and go write them letters, theyll care a lot. And so this was always about trying to give voice to the people of the United States. And i believe that those people pushed the congress to do the right thing and not to look at it just a question of their reelection, which is how they were looking at it, but to look at it in terms of right and wrong, that we have the most corrupt president in history, so do the right thing because if you dont do the right thing, then the rule of law doesnt really mean a lot. If the rich and powerful arent subject to the rule of law, then the rule of law isnt really existing in the United States and thats a terrible thing. So now we are where hes been impeached and the majority of the leader of the senate says i dont intend to do a fair job. Amazing. And Lindsey Graham has said, i dont intend im not trying to be fair here, really . So what Speaker Pelosi is trying to do is use the leverage she has to try and see whether the senate will have a trial not so much to convince the senators, but so the people of the United States can see what happens. You know, this president has refused to allow members of his administration to obey subpoenas, which is the law that they have to obey to go in front of the American People and testify about what happens under oath on tv. So we can see. Thats what im for. And so, anything that will get that to happen, to get the people who know in front of the tv cameras so that people of the United States can see what happened. Thats what i care about. Because i tell you, the only way were going to ever get republican senators to actually look at their conscious, is if their constituents say to them, get rid of him or well get rid of you. [applaus [applause] you know what we call that . Thats called democracy. Because i can tell you this, Lindsey Graham will stop talking about breaking his oath of office in public the minute the people of South Carolina say to him, lindsey, keep talking and youre out. Thats the words he can understand. And thats what, if you guys remember for in 1974. Thats what happened, the senators can remember or well get rid of you or ill remember my parent saying, he lied, hes got to go. Nothing to discuss about this. And nixon lied, he has to go. And they got to see it on tv. And everybody on that went to see the truth and we made up our minds and that actually made the difference and thats what im asking for here. Put the people in charge. [applause]. Last night was the first night of hanukkah, christmas is in two days, could we please have a joyous and loving Holiday Season . Good grief its fantastic. Thank you so much, i cant believe you came out on december 23rd. You must be insane. thank you so much. [applause]. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] thank you very much. [inaudible conversations] im highly aware. My son works awesome, im glad that he does. I know you understand. And have that conversation. Your response did not make way for the rest of the players. I understand where you are and the reason people the reason that people ask and the reason i answer, you can [inaudible conversations] the amount of money we save on the other side, hospitalization and et cetera. Look, if you look at it good luck. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] drugs that people came out with. Trying to think, just came out a and [inaudible conversations] hep c, thats the one, hep c. [inaudible conversations] could i get a quick photo. I know im monopolizing, but provide you with and data. I will listen. Ive studied this for 20 years. Ive looked at not only the initial period, but the followon period and all the different things. It takes seven years of pricing to. Its not free pricing. [laughter] and you know how you do it to answer to wall street. Unless you take wall street out of the mix. In all fair neness [inaudible] done drug research. My son works in drug research. As long as you look at the whole picture, a balance. Great to meet you. I will. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] hey, could i get one quick . I know, i know. Nobody mentioned your exit time. I know, gosh [inaudible conversations] health care and education, right. Getting so many out of poverty. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] thank you, sir. Ready . Ready . Thank you so much. Okay. I will come back and i have to go talk to it. I understand all the its start with what the American People wanted. The American People want. Its different when youre up against corporate america. I know, look, to me the first thing, as they say, turkey for thanksgiving there you go. I said it. Dont have a chance for tom to meet everybody, and put up the sign and five minutes. When do i have to do this interview. Five minutes. A buddy of mine, frank derosa. Love frank derosa. Incredible, anyway, love him. Ill tell him you said i tell him the truth. [inaudible conversations] want me to take that for you . How are you . Thank you, mr. Steyer. My pleasure. [inaudible conversations] that would be great, thank you. Could actually be in a great mood. Im not kidding. Thank you, thank you. Thank you very much. [laughter] [inaudible conversations] thank you. You guys, tag teeming, brutal, brutal. We are, this is not our first rodeo. [laughte [laughter]. Hi, thank you so much. [inaudible conversations] thank you so much. Frank has been on the board of church related and i know how nice used to be a nice guy. And impacted by clean energy. Exactly. Exactly. I was going to ask you [inaudible conversations] hi. Going to have to start forging my signature. Thank you so much for coming. A pleasure. Thats it. Youre killing me here. Youre destroying me. Im doing the reverse i. D. Do they . I didnt go into it. Merry christmas. Merry christmas to you. Thank you very much. [inaudible conversations] a famous name. He changed it. No way. Whats his real name . Youre killing me. Were running a [inaudible conversations] im the worst, i dont know what im doing daytoday, if you talk to and ask a question. What do you think about [inaudible conversation] if will ferrell is making fun of you, its a win. Thank you for your work. I responded, thank you very much. I couldnt agree more. [inaudible conversations] thank you. How are you . Great. The most unique thing. Thank you. Someone was telling me it was the palmer method, whatever that is. The way they taught me to write in the first grade and ive never grown up, sadly. Thank you very much. Have fun. See how i follow the rules . You guys are both i loved the conversation, if you have the conversation. Thanks so much. Have a nice holiday. I just want to say youve got a great staff. Really. Theyve done really good. Merry christmas. You, too, thank you very much. Hi there, how are you . Good, how are you . Thank you for coming. My pleasure. Wonderful to hear you. Different from not really, no. [laughter] hey, how are you, good to see you. Im sarah mckellen. Oh. [laughter] and you know joe, my son. Oh, my gosh. So we came up from boston to see you. Katie said you were going to. Im glad hes at home for christmas. Hes already home, that rat, oh, gosh. Thank you for talking about climate. Seriously. Oh, i know im im so jealous. I called her up when she got engaged. I know, so exciting. You know, had been to visit and met him. Oh, nice. [inaudible conversations] i know, its so exciting. I probably wont see her till getting married. She assured me shed be here for that. Youre getting married. Joe, my son. Oh, oh, great, great to see you. When youre back again, well come and visit. Okay. God bless you, too. Thanks. I had several working on your campaign. They learn more about politics working on a president ial campaign up here than they can anywhere. The other thing they can do is go work for we shared an office space with them in durham, just 2016. Ive been on unh campus. You know, i went to. Yeah, yeah. Its not my first trip to un. Maybe snuck up there on weekends . And i also taught basketball and soccer. Good. Summer camp with a lot of kids who are College Players from una. Thank you for coming. Nice to see you. Thank you so much. Thats my son, by the way. Weve met once before, and i know you just joined the staff on wednesday. You did . Yeah, i just moved up here from pennsylvania. Just before christmas. Im very excited, thank you so much for all youre doing. [inaudible conversations] how are you guys . So, mr. Steyer, you talked about [inaudible] about changing your name, how much of a problem is it for you to have that attached to your name as you campaign . Look, my goal in this is to explain who i really am. So, i have to introduce myself to people because im not a famous person and i think its just part of the experience is for people to actually thats why i try to talk a little about my family so i can give them a senses, i am not this two dimensional person, a family who has a Long Committee to social justice and to the United States. Some of the benefits that weve gotten. Is it a challenge . Does it keep people from voting for you . I think that most people in the United States actually think that succeeding is a good thing and that starting your own business from scratch is a good thing and so, i dont feel its a you know, a negative and i want to make sure that people understand its not the sum and total and substance, its something i did, not ashamed of it at all and i think most americans have given up on the idea of success . I dont think so. Americans like to succeed and win. And you spoke with the opioid epidemic, if you believe in safe needle exchanges and safe houses. Yes. Why. We should get people back on their feet. Thats one of the ways to keep them safe, is to help them get back on their feet. Were you on the stage when they were talking about fund raising. Should there be a cap on how much a person can spend personally and pour into their own campaign . Look, i havent thought about it. Im for public fansing of campaigns. Ive actually been thinking about it and the way that the house bill reads, hr 1 is six times matchup to the contribution, i think the idea of giving people vouchers to contribute to political campaigns brings a whole bunch more people into the mix and actually be in favor and thats where i think we should go. Public financing campaign. Lets stick with fund raising, were you on the stage when pete warren went after Pete Buttigieg for wine caves and thats what all we were talking about. Then we learned that she had her own fundraiser at a winery. Do you think she was being a little disinagageagain disingenuous when she took him on. And i think we should take on donald trump. I dont think the way to do that is to tear each other down. To a large extent, to me the question i asked Pete Buttigieg on the stage, why dont you have a Better Climate stance . Youre 37 years old of a generation who understand this is the number one issue in front of us, why arent you stronger on climate . That to me is an absolutely critical question for him to answer. So, ive tried to stick to the things that i think really, really matter and that havent been answered. And so, im on a different, you know, im pushing it a different way. Did you feel you got a good answer from him . No, i dont think so. I dont think he responded to it really directly at all. I mean, i think thats look to me there are real questions here and ive tried to make it clear that we need to be doing is go directly to the American People what we think matters, how it their lives are going to be better and why we are the actual better pane and thats why i was talking about teamwork. We have to beat mr. Trump and we have to do is by actually having better answers for the American People. Could you speak a little to Election Security and processes youre looking to implement to better protect our its a concern for everybody in the United States in terms of its a concern on two levels. I think your question is asking me about being hacked by Foreign Countries and its obvious that this administration is welcoming hacking from Foreign Countries because they believe it will be on their behalf and thats obviously ridiculously improper and unconstitutional and illegal. And theres also the question about the attempt to, you know, strip the voter files of people in red states. Its been a consistent attempt to purge people who otherwise vote, who they think would vote democratic. So when you talk about Election Security, we are talking about an administration thats not doing what it can to protect our election system because they think that the hacking will be on their behalf and were also looking to the Republican Party thats consistent in an organized fashion, trying to take away the right to vote for africanamericans and young people and were in New Hampshire right now. New hampshire passed a law to try and restrict the voting of College Students from out of state who live in New Hampshire. Were seeing it consistently so were trying to push back, but the United States government needs to protect us against the, you know, the cyber warfare of hostile foreign i talked about term limits, but under the constitution the president cant do that alone. What are your plans to try to get that to happen . Look, the first thing that has to happen is for the people of United States to decide together through the president ial election process of whats important. So im talking about what i think the thing is thats gone wrong in the yoits United States bye i think the corporations bought the government. And term limits. 12 years or congressman and senators, and i understand that all of those have processes, constitutional processes that are lengthy, this election is trying to frame out it works. Mr. Trump has a frame work, in my mind its a cruel and racist framework. Hes going to make a case how America Works and how it should work. We have to make a different case and part of that is to say, which i firmly believe that this government is broken and has been purchased by corporations and here is an answer. So, in fact, the actual steps of getting there, are significant and you know, and thats not the point of the president ial election. The point of the president ial election is to determine that the people will us to break this corporate strangle hold and well go after it with the will of the people at our back so this election is really about defining the problem and pointing out the solution and then we go get it. Last question. How is it that you seem to know so many people in this New Hampshire audience . Well, first of all, i went to high school in New Hampshire. And second of all i didnt know that. Which one . Exeter. And second of all, you know, gosh, ive been to New Hampshire and weve been organizing a New Hampshire at next gen since the beginning of 2014 so ive been coming here to go on to college campuses, to talk to activists, to register people and go doortodoor in New Hampshire what is that, six years, and so if you do that, you meet a lot of democrats. It was an absolute treat to run into the son of one of my fathers absolute best friends whos dad and his uncle were incredibly nice, nice, nice guys. The guy who ive referred to who was running a summer camp in New Hampshire. Which is what i would expect. Doing a valuable fun thing to do to help other people, ben broderick. Around the country im not kidding, you meet so many nice people and fun to see them again. Thats really all thats going on. And many taxes what makes you think that would work in the United States . I think that the well return to tom stiers remarks in a moment. And first going to the u. S. Senate for a brief pro forma session. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington,d. C. , december 23, 2019. To the senate. Under the provisions of rule 1 paragraph 3 of the standing rules of the senate, i appoint the honorable roy blunt, a senator from the state of missouri, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed chuck grassley, president pro tempore. The presiding officer under the previous order, the Senate Stands adjourned until 3 15 p. M. On thursday, december 26, 2019