Transcripts For CSPAN First 20240706

Looking forward while considering the past. We asked middle and High School Students to create a five to six minute video addressing one of these questions. In the next 20 years, what is the most important change you would like to see in america . Or over the past 20 years, what has been the most important change in america . As we do each year, we are giving away 100,000 in total prizes with a grandpa rise of 1000. And every teacher who has participated in the competition has an opportunity to share a portion of an additional 60,000. The deadline is friday, january 19, 2024. For information, visit studentcam. Org. Cspan is your unfiltered view of government. We are funded by these Television Companies and more. Including midco. Midco supports cspan as a Public Service along witthese other television providers. Giving you a front row seat to democracy. First Lady Jill Biden unveiled the white House Holiday decorations inspired by the theme magic, wonder, enjoy of the season. She acknowledged the more than 300 volunteers who worked over a week to design and install the decorations. Amazing. Seven years ago in our nations capital, one of the finest in the world, joshua bell was in the morning rush hour. It was part of an experiment to see what would happen or to see if anyone would notice. Hundreds of commuters rushed by absorbed in their busyness of daily to the beauty floating in the air around them. But time and time again, one particular group noticed, arching their necks, suddenly captivated in surprise as they heard the music. This group consistently wandered over to the violinist delighting in the beauty pouring from his strings. Any idea who it was . Children. Thats exactly right. Children are unbound by time and inherently know beauty, the rich, colorful mosaic of autumn leaves piled high on an emerald blanket of grass, the mesmerizing rhythm of soft, powdery snow as it falls from a glistening night sky, the gorgeous sound of an extraordinary violinist. Its this childlike marvel and awe that inspired this years holiday theme. The magic wonder and joy of the season. Each room is designed to capture this pure, unfiltered delight and imagination. To see this time of year through the eyes of the children. As guests enter the east wing they walk underneath the bridge. Wasnt that so amazing . We were mesmerized to see the Christmas Tree that pierces through the facade of the east wing. Its as if they were children again, they gaze up in wonder like we did at the twinkling lights and feel the soft pine needles above. The first Christmas Tree featured inside the white house is adorned with gold star ornaments, and theyre engraved with the names of the Fallen Service members. This gold star tree honors the heroic i get so emotional for those of you that did it, i know there were so many gold star families who helped with that tree. The heroic men and women of our nations military. Those who have laid down their lives for our country and the families who carry on their legacies. May god bless our troops and their families. Yes. The east colony greets guests with the sweet treats of the season floating above their heads reminding children and families of the delicious flavors of the holidays. Lining the marble arches of the ground floor corridor, our holiday message is from americans across this country. Letters to santa claus magically fly in and out of vintage mailboxes ready to be sent to the north pole with a stamp and a wish. In the library, guests are transported to the nostalgic bedtime stories of holidays past and present as santa arrives by the window in his sleigh. In the vernay room we celebrate the joy marement and music bring us in the holidays like the sound you heard from the band here. In the china room, a sweet shop with baking ingredients and cooking supplies reminds us of familiar recipes that bring generations of Families Together year after year during the season. In the east room, the joyful anticipation of the holidays is front and center with advent calendars counting down the days of christmas and each door will reveal a surprise for children of all ages to enjoy. Be sure to follow along on my flotus channels on instagram and threads to see each days moment of magic wonder and joy. In the greenroom we honor the peace and strength we find in faith. Its often in quiet candlelit rooms we see most clearly, center ourself and embrace the wonders of the world around us. The blue room behind me features the official white house Christmas Tree, a stunning creation covered in Holiday Cheer from across the country. Im sure you all walked in and the first thing you did was look for your state, right . I did the same thing. So vintage trees, leaves around the tree base. I know the kids will just love it when they visit. The red room is filled with our favorite holiday crafts, reminding guests at the limitless reaches of their imaginations. And to honor our military families, the ornaments in the red room were made from the handprints and the family portraits of military connected children. Yes, lets clap for them, too. In the cross hall we have the official white house menorah created last year by our white house carpenters who are so special. Using reclaimed wood from the beams of this house, saved from when president truman honestly, dont miss it. When he renovated it over 70 years ago. And finally in the state dining room, the magic wonder and the joy of the holidays all come together in a recreation of santas workshop. Throughout the house we pay tribute to the 200th anniversary of the publication of it was the night before christmas a poem etched so deeply in so many of our childhood memories. We worked with the library of congress to bring a sampling of editions from the last 200 years here to the white house. Youll also notice that this years Gingerbread House have you all seen it . Oh, my god, suzy did such an amazing job, and all her volunteers. It creates the classic tale. And in the grand foyer where we are right now, santa and his reindeer fly through the air. Im amazed, they were made from paper mache. Its just so cool. And its like theyre leaping from the storybooks pages. I dont know how you feel, but i feel its just breathtaking. Yes [applause] the holidays offer a time for reflection and a break from our hurried lives. Its a season to be fully present with our friends and our families. Its also a season of gratitude. And i want to take a moment to thank you to the hundreds of volunteer decorators and designers. Youve traveled from near and far to bring the spirit and the cheer of the Holiday Season to life. Without your hard work and painstaking attention to detail, none of this would be possible. I hope that this experience has been as meaningful for you as it will for the thousands of visitors. And we upped it this year. Were having over 100,000, which is just amazing. And everyone is going to enjoy your craftsmanship as they walk these halls. Also, i hope youre leaving with more than just a few friends. The kind that can only be forced together when working together to shape chicken wire into magnificent art or meticulously pinning those gum drops, honestly [cheers and applause] to the gum drop pinners yes, side by side, hours on end. Thank you, gum drop pinners. Today we also honor and thank the people who work all year to help us stay in touch with the american people, our correspondence volunteers. I know its a lot of work, you know, reading the mail, answering the phones, but youre an essential part of our democracy. Whether youve been volunteering for years and years or just a few months, or maybe a few decades like some of you. So with all of my heart, thank you. Magic, wonder, and joy. I know they can be hard to find sometimes as the day gross shorter and weather gross colder, as our hearts grow heavy in the face of a tumultuous world, as we miss those who are no longer with us, an empty seat at the table of our holiday gatherings. But its in these times when we are searching for