Liquidity to the nations Mortgage Finance markets. You may have heard mark zandi say that it werent for fha, the Housing Market wouldve completely shut down. You know that fha is enormously important to the Hispanic Community. 610,000 hispanic households have purchased a home using an fha guaranteed mortgage since president obama took office. In 2012 alone, 55 of hispanic homebuyers used fha. We want to make sure that future generations have the same opportunity by ensuring fha is strong for years to come. That is why we have strengthened underwriting standards and our portfolio resulting in dramatic improvements. Our Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund has gained 15 billion in value over the last year. We now anticipate that the fund will return to the required two percent capital reserve ratio in 2015, that is two years sooner than we projected just a year earlier. To build on this progress, we will continue to execute policies that reduce losses, increase recoveries on troubled legacy loans. We will look for innovative ways to get credit to those ready to buy and ensure these transactions have the best possible chance to succeed. Through our homeowners armed with knowledge or hawk initiative, we are working to embed housing counseling throughout the fha origination and servicing process. Through updated manual underwriting guidance and our back to work initiative, we are ensuring that lenders look at the whole financial picture when underwriting a loan. This helps those who may have experienced damage credit due to crisis but are fundamentally creditworthy borrowers to be considered for mortgage. Fha continues to fulfill its mission of helping open the doors to homeownership for a wide variety of qualified borrowers. It has been critical to our housing recovery and to our overall market. Sales are up, starts are up, confidence is up. I also know that none of us is content. Just think about what would happen if our Housing Market were to collapse again. It would undermine all the progress that we have made, particularly in the Hispanic Community. That is why we have to ensure that a crisis of this magnitude never happens again by reforming our Housing Finance system. Naturally, that will require action from congress and you heard the president just last tuesday night, call on congress to move forward on Housing Finance reform. I also know what many of you or maybe all of you are probably thinking. With all that has happened in washington in recent years, what makes Shaun Donovan crazy enough to think that we can get a bill through congress . What i would ask you to remember is that housing has always been an area of Common Ground in our country. President truman and senator taft worked together on the housing act of 1949. Ed brooks and Walter Mondale worked together to produce landmark legislation decades later. Last year, we saw bipartisan progress in congress on this issue. It is time for everyone to come together and make Housing Finance reform a reality. Last august, the president outlined a series of principles that he believes should be at the core of our Housing Finance system. Three of which i want to focus on today. The first is that private Capital Needs to be at the center of our system. We all know that our Current Conditions where the federal government guarantees more than 80 of mortgages in this country is simply unsustainable. The risks and rewards of mortgage lending have historically been in the hands of the private sector and need to be in the future. How do we structure reform to attract back private capital . To start with, we should put private capital in a first loss position so that we can ensure that taxpayers are never again on the hook for bad loans and bailouts. That means winding down fannie mae and freddie mac in their current form. As the president said, for too long the model was heads they win, tails taxpayers lose. We can change this by making a smooth transition of all their assets, their loans, their people, and their infrastructure as part of governments new limited and targeted role. As we make this transition, we know we have to pay very close attention to how we do it so we dont disrupt the credit market in the short term so that recovery can continue. Second, the Government Role needs to be very explicit, clear, and defined, as opposed to before when it was just implicit, where nobody really understood what government would do in the face of a crisis. This requires that new entities pay for the Government Insurance similar to the way banks pay for fdic deposit insurance. One of the benefits of that in addition to making the guarantee solid and clear is that it also allows us to expand a Housing Trust fund and our Capital Magnet Fund so that we support dramatically more affordable housing. We need to ensure, we need to come together to ensure that reform yields a fund of more than 5 billion a year that could help to support down payment assistance and a range of other goals. This will be good for the Hispanic Community and for the nation as well. A third principle of reform that was outlined by the president is ensuring access to safe, responsible financing like the 30year fixed rate mortgage. Lets remember that as we talk about the Important Role the federal government should take, there will be those who say, the federal government gets involved, we will have another crisis again. We need to have a purely private market. The president disagrees. He believes that that guarantee is a fundamental part of our future that has to in a safe, explicit way that follows the principles i have just outlined, but is there to make sure that those who have too often been left out of our system can take those first steps to homeownership. That means maintaining the 30year mortgage. It also means shaping a competitive marketplace that will ensure that no family, no community is left behind that will ensure that Community Banks and small lenders have the same access to capital as big banks. All of that is part of shaping the system that is not only safe for taxpayers, but that builds opportunity in the way the president is focused on. Let me just say, six years after the financial collapse, it is time to get this critical step done. We must move Housing Finance reform through our congress this year. We know that the Senate Banking committee thank you. [applause] we know that the Senate Banking committee is working on bipartisan reform as we speak. We expect to see a bill in the next few weeks. We need to work with the committee, with the entire senate, and with the house as well, to keep the momentum going so that we can get legislative action as early as possible this year. This is an election year. The longer we go, the later it gets, the more difficult it will be to get this reform done and help make sure we have a rocksolid foundation that will build the homeowners of future generations. Make no mistake, it will not be easy. You know, nothing about our housing come back has been easy. I also know that nahrep does not back down from a challenge. In good times and bad times, you fight for progress and opportunity. Over the course of this conference, you will hear a lot of ideas about what we need to do next to continue this fight. But to use the ernie reyes quote once again ideas are great, but they dont mean a darn thing without some action behind them. So lets act together. Lets act to support the president s 2014 agenda to create jobs and expand opportunity for all. Lets act to get more people covered with Affordable Health care so that they can secure their financial futures. Lets act to get Immigration Reform done once and for all. [applause] lets not stop there. Lets act to increase access to credit for responsible families. [applause] lets act to reform the Housing Finance system to make sure that we dont have a crisis like we had ever again, but to make sure the doors of opportunity are open for the future. In short, lets act in partnership to shape a fairer and more prosperous Housing Market and nation. We have a great opportunity to do big things this year. Lets answer that call for action. Thank you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, Shaun Donovan. [applause] the next washington journal, we will talk to the president of the league of conversation voters. Formerk of key governor Homeland Security secretary joins us to talk about threats about u. S. Security. Taking overellen the federal reserve, we will examine some of the Central Banks upcoming decisions on Monetary Policy with a reporter for the wall street journal. Plus your calls, tweets, and facebook comments. Washington journal airs every morning at 7 a. M. Eastern on cspan. Senator rand paul was our guest this weekend on newsmakers. We talk to him about the debt ceiling and foreign aid. The potential 2016 president ial candidate talked about his relationship with the Senate Democratic leader. I like senator reed is a person. We have had many good conversations. Im so try to figure out a way that i can do things with him and to me that means we dont agree on every issue, but we would try to narrow the issues. I said the same thing to president obama recently. I said we dont agree on everything but there are some things we do agree on. Thats never the focus on those things. Both parties worry about jobs going overseas. We worry about our economy and joblessness here. One of the things we could do is let itrican profits, come back at a lower tax rate. It will bring in tax revenue that can be used for infrastructure. It is something that the president actually agrees with me on. I said lets make it part of include manyt will parts, many of which we will disagree on. Lets take a few items that we agree on, and i have said this was senator reed, lets Work Together. We can pass that next week. You can watch her interview with him this sunday at 10 a. M. And again at 6 p. M. Eastern right here on cspan. I think it is an evolutionary process. You grow into this role. My sense is that you never get comfortable you are always pushing for change and growth, not just in yourself but in the issues you care about. You are never done. There was never a point in time that you feel like, i am now here and i can do this the same way all the time. It is always changing. First Lady Michelle obama monday night on cspan. President obama and the first lady joined thousands this week at the annual National Prayer breakfast in washington. The washington talked about religious freedom and tolerance and he praised americas commitment to freedom of worship. The event featured a keynote address, s. It featured democrats and republicans. It is an hour and 45 minutes. It is nice to have the president of the United States here, isnt it . [applause] it is great to have the first lady. Thank you so much. [applause] you may be seated. We will begin the program. We are so glad yall are all here today and for our foreign friends i did say yall. There are a lot of things we appreciate about england and the british, but they didnt give us a second person plural and we had to fill that in. It is yall. We are glad yall are here. That yall includes everyone here as well as the hundreds in the overflow room joining us by video and includes the cspan audience. And we have many faithful people praying for this breakfast right now in the prayer room. Together janice and i will lead the house of representatives Prayer Breakfast every thursday morning from 8 00 to 9 00 when we are in session and this is just an adjunct of what the senate Prayer Breakfast does on thursdays and house Prayer Breakfast does on thursdays but one thing is sure. The singing today will be much better than we have at our breakfast. It is pretty good. But i will not be singing today. That already makes it much better. I do have to say the breakfast is better where we eat than this. But that is another matter. [laughter] these people paid a lot of money for this breakfast. I wish it were really true that you get what you pay for. You know, you can see why i have trials and tribulations with this man. I came to congress not that long ago, about two and a half years ago. When i stepped off the plane in washington, d. C. , i remember reflecting on the great words of jesus. Turn the other cheek, forgive 70 times seven. And i thought that will get me through the first week. I grew up with the red letter bible that highlighted the words of jesus. And i thought about that a lot, too. This is the jesus who said love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who treat you badly. He said everyone who makes themselves important will be made humble but everyone who makes himself humble will be made important. Whoever wants to be your leader must be your servant. Jesus said it is the sick people who need a doctor, not those who are healthy for i didnt come to invite good people but to invite sinners. Those words used to be easier to live by before i came it congress. Where fighting for leadership and sound bites and making the evening news is common practice. The house is a pretty cantankerous place but what we are trying to do in the prayer group is provide a sanctuary from the bitter discourse. [applause] as you can imagine, it is not easy. But it is working. Coming together around jesus and prayer has a way of calming us and opening us to if you possibilities. My faith in jesus is inherited from two great strong women. My grandmother on my mothers said was a church of christ missionary and was born in tokyo and my grandmother on my fathers said turned to god for strength when she faced the task of raising seven little boys all under the age of 10 when her husband suddenly died. That journey of favorite from both of these women ultimately helped me find my journey of faith. It has always been a great source of inspiration. I believe in the power of prayer and its ability to unlock doors and soften hearts. Our group is important and essential in keeping me grounded in my hope for change. I cannot imagine doing this job without that fellowship. But i will be honest. It is not always been easy. [laughter] it is a struggle. Some days you have to dig deep to find the resolve to love your enemies and put aside the fundamental differences and pray for each other. I have to dig really deep, louie. When you held that press conference criticizing that poor woman for buying crab legs for food stamps. You were not there. It could have been immitation crab. Really. Our experience encourages us to think of a fellowship of nonlike minded people with the lord in the middle of it all. [applause] i love her. What can i say . Then again i have a sister who is a democrat so. That is how i grew up. There were four siblings and we would argue and fuss. But we loved each other. And we could still enjoy each other and heaven help anybody that tried to come after one of the four of us because we were tight no matter what we argued about right before somebody might try to take us on. You might understand then it is easy for me, i feel like im right at home, people say are you ready for washington and back stabbing and meanness, i explain i was the deacon of a baptist church. I was ready. I was blessed to come from a family where my mother and father were followers of jesus and some time after my father died i mean my mother died and father remarried and she loves me. Go figure. But i was raised in a home of followers of jesus. So that was not too difficult. We learned that jesus was the only great leader in the history who said im the way, the truth, the life, no one goes to paradise except going through me. So, as c. S. Lewis said, he didnt give us a lot of choice. You have to either believe he was a liar in essence or a lunatic or he was who he said he was, the lord. It reminded me of when i had kathy one day ask me, louie, you want supper. I said sure. What are the choices. She said yes or no. It is kind of the choice you get. [laughter] anyway, but a lawyer and my dad, it took him a while to get mother and dad wanted me to go to med school and they were pretty broken hearted when i went to law school. Dad has kind of recovered from that. It was a lawyer that asked jesus, tell us what is the greatest commandment. He said, love the lord. He said, the second is love one another. On those two things hang all of the other law. Everything. In scripture. That came true for me, it made more sense, my mother was found to have a brain tumor in the late 1970s. They told her it could be back in a year or 20 years. It took 15 before it took her. The neurologist at one point said she may have six months to live. At point this brilliant woman who put herself through baylor without any help, she was without any help, she was reduced to a wheelchair and could not really speak without really struggling. So all four siblings would come and spend time. We decided just the four children would spend a weekend with mother. Since we were getting closer to the end. And it was great. Saturday morning we sat around the breakfast table. There we were, good natured but going back and forth, giving each other a hard time but remembering things, discussing old times, laughing. We were probably there two or three hours before mother finally was able to struggle and speak a word. But it had been such a wonderful time. Just laughing and enjoying bringing mother, reminding her of great things and fun times. She finally spoke up and said this we got quiet. She was the reason we were there. She struggled on and said is my favorite thing. The next day it came clear as i drove home. What were we doing . We were loving her. We were loving each other. And if you were the heavenly parent, wouldnt that be your two favorite things as well . That is what we come together to do here today. [applause] one of the most remarkable thing about this breakfast is all the International Friends that have come to be with us and liven up this experience more than 130 nations are present in this room this morning. Isnt that amazing. Give it up. [applause] we have far too Many International dignitaries to introduce all of you. But we are so grateful you are here. We are so blessed and honored to have you here. Thank you for coming. We have two extra special guests that i would like to ask them to be recognized. The president of albania is here. Would you stand. [applause] and the president of haiti. Thank you for joining us. We welcome all of you especially our special guests and your spouses and with our best wishes and our prayers for your countries best. We would like to introduce the head table. These are the folks that will lead us through scripture, prayer and inspired song. Please hold your applause until we have them all introduced. All the way down to my right is fourtime grammy award winner gospel singer yolanda adams. When the president doesnt hold his applause i guess it is ok for all of us. We think she is worth this whole trip by herself. She is from houston, texas, and at one point was a second and third great teacher before embarking on a career in music. Next is stephanie hamilton. She will deliver a reading from the scripture and share inspirational remarks. Im pretty sure she is the National Prayer breakfasts first surfer, other than you, mr. President. Her story of faith, courage and resilience has inspired millions through her book soul surfer. Next, rear admiral richard breckenridge. He studied Aerospace Engineering and served on submarines. So we know he knows the job. Next is ray lahood. He represented peoria and he is a former teacher who taught about the constitution. He will offer a prayer for World Leaders. Next is bob casey of pennsylvania. Senators casey and wicker organized the weekly senate breakfast. Tomorrow morning, they go to work on putting together the 2015 National Prayer breakfast experience. Gods blessing on you. Finally, anchoring our side of the table is a great champion for our kids, a strong role model for us to get healthy, the first lady of the United States, michelle obama. [applause] im not forgetting him but i will get to introduce the president later. To our first lady i have been called an anchor before of the Republican Party but i dont think it was a good thing the way she was talking about that for you. That is a good thing. [laughter] by the way, weve get a lot of cameras in front. It probably is worth a picture because this may be the only time you will ever see janice hahn to my right and me to her left on anything. That is true. It is my honor to introduce the folks on this side of the head table. We are honored to have the presence of our energetic irrepressible Vice President mr. Joe biden. Next is our speaker. I want to introduce his spouse. Let me introduce shavon shaw, right here. Next to her is my wife. And the way things go in this town, yes, we are separated by three people. Ok, we are separated at breakfast. But we are not really separated. Ok . Dont start that rumor. 35 1 2 years together. She renewed the option for another year. [applause] our next to that i get it introduce are friends. Roger wicker and i served in the house before i ran literally ran down the hall. And i really like roger and really like elliot engel. And i hope it doesnt ruin your chances for reelection that i say that publicly but i really like both of you so much and im thrilled that you are here. Elliot engel serving in the house and it is an honor to have you both here. Roger wicker will be cochairing next year. So, see there, it will just get better and better. Clearly. Also on the end weve a singer extraordinaire. I think the first song that i heard from him that captured my heart was people need the lord but he has a voice like just it blesses my heart. So, i was so thrilled when steve green could be here this morning. He was raised in south america, so he speaks more than english very fluently. He has sung in over 50 different countries. And his parents were missionaries in south america. Hes always had a heart for the lord. And the only thing that exceeds his incredible voice is his humility. Ladies and gentlemen, help me welcome steve green. [applause] black clouds across the sky, the son of man lays down to die with every pounding blow upon the nail, thunder rumbles all from deaths barren wounds the captives cry who is there to free us should he die his grace becomes a door, he enters in to face the author of all sin he sees death at the grave, he takes the key and with them every captive free. And from deaths barren wounds the captives cry, arise for our redemption draweth nigh. For he holds the key, he holds the key and though weve been held captive at long last we are free, for he holds the key against the gates of hell i now resist for the shackles that had held my wrists lay before me now upon the ground, to sin i am no longer bound from deaths barren wounds he heard my cry and loosed the chains that bound me to a lie for he holds the key he holds the key and though weve been held captive at long last we are free, for he holds the key and to all the things that have kept you away, that keep you defeated day after day after day, the heartaches that nobody sees, that eats at your soul like a cruel disease he, who sets the captives free, it is he, it is he who holds your key he holds the key he holds the key and so we have been held captive at long last were free, for he holds the key he holds the key [applause] at this time representative elliot engel will come and share a scripture with us. Good morning, everybody. I knew they would put me on right after steve green, so i couldnt possibly compete with him. It is wonderful seeing were and wonderful seeing so many people. The late great song writer and singer pete seger passed away last week. He wrote a song which has always been one of my favorites called turn, turn, turn. He wrote it based on ecclesiastes chapter three. That is one of my favorites so i would like to read the first eight verses this morning. To everything there is a season. And a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to break down and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. A time it seek and a time to lose. A time to keep and a time to castaway. A time to rend and a time to sew. A time to keep silence and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. Thank you. [applause] mr. President madam first , lady, mr. Vice president , ladies and gentlemen, good morning. As you have been told im senator roger wicker of mississippi. Together with my colleague been bob casey of pennsylvania we are responsible for presiding over the senate Prayer Breakfast each week. The senate Prayer Breakfast is a special time of the week for us. An hour on wednesday mornings for prayer, for singing and for one of our colleagues to share a few thoughts and reflections. Our group represents different faith traditions and away certainly represent all points on the political spectrum. We hold our policy views strongly and we often fight for those views on the senate floor. But when you join hands and pray together as we do at the end of every Prayer Breakfast it becomes a little easier to Work Together in the constructive spirit. It is remarkable how often i personally leave our breakfast with a new blessing and perspective. The fellowship and camaraderie of the senate Prayer Breakfast extends to parliamentarians all over the world. A few weeks ago a foreign head of state said he would greatly appreciate our prayers for his country. We welcome these opportunities. We also join together in singing hymns. We seem to prefer the old traditional ones such as amazing grace, joy to the world or it is well with my soul. A word about our song leaders. Until his retirement last year senator danny akaka of hawaii was the one who always made sure our group had the right song. As he as a house member and as a Senate Member held this role and served in this capacity for decades, we miss danny now in his retirement but we are fortunate to have Chaplin Barry black, who leads us now with his voice, the closest thing to the voice of god that we will here on this earth. The senate Prayer Breakfast is a tradition that has endured for more than 65 years. In so many ways it exemplifies 133 1. Behold how good and doesnt it ren to dwell together in unity. Ladies and gentlemen, my brother and colleague senator bob casey. [applause] thank you, roger. Good morning, mr. President , first Lady Michelle obama and mr. Vice president and distinguished guests, here in the United States and around the world. We are honored by your presence and grateful to have it in the Prayer Breakfast and the senate with roger wicker. It is a time for one day a week for about an hour for us to come together in prayer and fellowship but it is also a time to express gratitude. As my mother would say, to count your blessings. Sometimes we dont do that enough. I hope it is, and for many of us it is a time when aware reminded of our obligations. It is a great hymn entitled we are called and the refrain goes as follows. We are called it act with justice, we are called to love tenderly, we are called to serve one another and walk with god. The first words of that hymn go as follows. Come live in the life. Light. We hope i think it is true of most weeks in the senate Prayer Breakfast we hope the light of that breakfast helps us throughout the week in all we do. It is our prayer this morning that the light of this breakfast will not just warm our hearts, but help us appreciate our Many Blessings and go forth. God bless you and thank you. [applause] good morning, mr. President. First lady mrs. Obama. Mr. Vice president. Im chief of name operations. Naval operations. Distinguished guests especially , our friends and allies around the world, ladies and gentlemen, it is great to be here. Senator kerry, as a small son of a lobsterman from the south shore of boston never i thought i would be able to come and lead us in prayer as a nation at this setting. I want to thank each of you for being here. I know many of you travel to be here. But what a testimony of the fabric of our country that were a praying nation and we rely upon god and his good land hand upon the United States. I know security and other challenges might have made it hard but we get the opportunity to put away the distractions of the world and unite our hearts and spirits as we pray for our great nation and pray for our leaders. In the military leadership by example is a big deal and i can think of no finer example than for our commander in chief to be here each year to again demonstrate his reliance on god. [applause] thank you, mr. President. So, lets take a deep breath, quiet our hearts and we continue to seek gods blessing. Our gracious heavenly father, worthy is your great name. Lost or saved, find our way at the sound of your great name. All condemned feel no shame at the sound of your great name. Hungry souls find their strength at the sound of your great name. Every fear has no place at the sound of your great name. God, you are high and lifted up and we praise your great name this morning. As we consider your glory we become mindful of the time when we fall short and choose our own way apart from you living in a manner contrary to image bearers that carry your name. Restore us and lead us in a way that reflects your kindness and reach out in the power of your name. Father, we are especially mindful of the poor and hard you here in our own country and around the world, and the special heart you have for them. We lift them up to you and ask that you equip us it serve them. We are thankful that you your plans cannot be thwarted, but stand first firm forever. That the purposes of your heart endured across generations. We see this in the way you the courseast of our nation. We lift up our national leaders. You have appointed and established them in positions of tremendous responsibility and we pray you equip and encourage them as they exercise their duties. These are trying times for our country and we need the best of them. We need their best focus and leadership. Heavenly father, we confess that we often fail our elected leaders by becoming quick to criticize and slow to pray. We ask you to change the nature of our hearts. In your word you command us to pray for all officials serving in high officials for our president and Vice President where we lift them up right now in your midst and ask for your blessing on their lives and families. For members of congress and the constituents they represent that you would give them more strength, more perseverance and more tenacity to do your good will. Father, for leaders in our military, for the service secretaries, service chiefs, all the way down the chain of command to men and women in uniform and families, that is a big number but we know as we pray and bow before you that your blessings can ripple down and spread through the military. Away pray the leaders will have the wisdom to provide security, d freedom,er, an that we may lead people and quiet lives. Give them the inspiration and fortitude to act on difficult decisions and sensitivity and compassion to care for all they lead. We ask this with confidence knowing that yours is the greatness and power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Blessing and honor come from you. You are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to absolve and give strength to all. We give you thanks and praise your glorious name. And all gods people said amen. [applause] aloha. I am coming out from hawaii, where i was born and raised. I am so honored to be here with you. I will be reading two scripture passages. Please join me, luke, chapter 10, verses 29 37. So he asked you this, and who is my neighbor . In reply, jesus said the man was going from jerusalem to jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So, too, a levite when he came to the place and saw him all passed by on the other side. But the samaritan came where the man was and when he saw him he took pity on him. He went to him and demanded his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. When he put the man on a donkey and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he paid the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when i return, i will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. Which of these three do you think was the neighbor to the man fell into the hands of robbers . The expert in the law replied, the one who have mercy. Jesus told him, go and do likewise. Our keynote speaker will be sharing more on this passage soon. I would like to share a second passage that speaks truth of my life. Please join me in reading verses 1421 of ephesians three. I bow my knees before the father for whom every family on heaven and earth is named that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit and your inner being, so that christ made well in your heart through faith, though you being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the same what is the breadth, witdth, height, and depth, and know the love of christ that surpasses all knowledge that you may be filled with the fullness of god. Now to who is able to do far more abundantly than we ask or think according to the powers at work within us. To him be the glory in the church, and in christ jesus through all generations, forever and ever, amen. Amen. When we face difficulties and adversity in life, many of us find it hard to comprehend the struggles. Growing up in hawaii, i started surfing when i was about four years old. My parents pushed me in, my dad would catch me and get me back out there. I was happy go lucky and loved being in the ocean and spending time in gods creation. As i grew up, i grew these hopes and dreams of doing well in my surfing, venturing the world, learning all that i could. And then when i was 13 years old, i faced a very difficult time and i lost my arm to a shark. I thought for a time i had lost more than just my arm. I felt as though my hopes and dreams to become a pro surfer and venture the world were stripped away. But the faith i had in jesus christ gave me strength to comprehend and lean on him for understanding, even as a young girl. God, who is able to take my life and do much more than i could ever ask or think just beyond surfing. I am now honored to be a role model and inspiration to many young girls throughout america and the world, and to people of all walks of life. Ultimately, to share the hope and salvation that is in jesus christ. Because of what jesus has brought me, i have no regrets for the adversity god has allowed me to go through. As i look at my life, i see that, you know, maybe you could look at me and think, wow, have pity on her, she lost her arm to a shark. But i look at it as something beautiful, and god has taken something that seemed awful and turned it into something incredibly amazing. I just look at young girls, you know, kids facing diseases i was recently in hawaii and i had 10 makeawish kids. All of these kids are facing a tremendous amount at such a young age. I got to take them surfing and just remind them that theres hope, and remind them of the love that jesus christ has for them. For many of us, it is easy to look at the things of this world with all of our challenges and obstacles in life, but when we submit our life to christ, his grace, mercy, truth, peace, and love will bring true fulfillment to our lives. Thank you. [applause] [applause] and i have to follow bethany. [laughter] this is the day the lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad. Now, i am a practicing catholic, and that means many things to me, but it also means i believe in miracles. And i want all of you here today to recognize that we all have experienced a miracle. Gohmert has been transformed. [laughter] i never thought i would see the day. I served with louis. Many of you have served with him. You cant believe this is the Louie Gohmert you knew before you walked in to this room. He has been transformed its a miracle [laughter] now, we have to hope and pray and i know there have been a lot of prayers by the organizers of this National Prayer breakfast that america would happen for louie, and it did your prayers have been answered lets hope this miracle continues, louie, beyond the 9 30 meeting. Let me begin by thanking all the World Leaders to our here. The success of the National Prayer breakfast depends on you all being here. And we are grateful for your traveling far and wide to participate in the National Prayer breakfast. It means so much to the success. Thank you. [applause] and also part of the success is having president obama and mrs. Obama here. I know that we all think that you all came to see us, but many of these World Leaders came in the name of the lord but also, mr. President , thank you for coming every year, participating, offering your reflections. It means a lot to the National Prayer breakfast. We are grateful for you and michelle. [applause] and also the Vice President has been here every year. And when he was a senator participated. So, mr. Vice president , thank you for honoring us. [applause] let me read a passage from scripture, and then offer a prayer to conclude. I want to read the beatitudes, because i think it does reflect what World Leaders need to be thinking about. These are jesus words. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see god. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of god. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you, you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salt lessness, how can it be made salty again . It is no longer good except to be thrown away and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on the hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand and it gives light to everyone in the house, in the same way let your light shine before others so they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven. Let us pray let us pray for all World Leaders, that their leadership will be inspired and carried out through the grace of god and motivated by jesus word, to help the poor, help the infirmed, help the less fortunate. We pray that all World Leaders are motivated to do what is right and just for the people who provide them the privilege to serve and the honor to serve. God bless, everyone. [applause] thank you, ray. You were talking about considerable blessings, kind things about you. I really appreciate it. And im not sorry that i invite invited you. You are still a class guy. I thank you. [laughter] just as we heard our dear friend eliot engel read from scripture, there is a time to every purpose under heaven. And there is a time when we can argue and debate the important issues in our disagreement and how to go about achieving the best for america, and this is not it. This is the time we come together in one heart, one accord. [applause] and our next speaker is going to illuminate that issue. We have been encouraged by the prayers that have been prayed, instructed by the scriptures that have been red, inspired by what has been sung and said. Now we will be challenged. The administrator of the United States agency for International Development 20 billion agency , a charged with the task of promoting Global Economic growth, health, Food Security and democracy. Dr. Shah has earned a medical degree and masters degree in economics. He worked for the gates foundation, was the undersecretary of agriculture, and was appointed head of the usaid, all before he was 40 years old. You would think a man who has done all of that would not be as humble as he is. And if you read one of c. S. Lewis books, you find that a senior demon is encouraging the young demon, saying, the guy you have been assigned to attempt is a very humble guy. Have you pointed that out to him . Because that is a good way to to pull them away from being humble. And even if he catches himself being proud of being humble, it is still not all lost. Point out to him he should be proud that he caught himself being proud of being humble. [laughter] but our next speaker has not yielded to the temptation to be proud for being humble. He is an amazing man with an amazing background, and he is still humble. He has become a very good friend to a number of our senators and house breakfast groups. A couple of the senators have shared with me that they pray together regularly and have traveled abroad with him, they have seen his heart. And they have prayed with him about the issues that he is going to talk about this morning. So friends, help me welcome dr. Rajiv shah. [applause] thank you, representative gomer for that incredibly , generous and kind introduction. Wow, this is a big room. [laughter] mr. President , mr. Vice president , mrs. Obama, secretary kerry, members of congress and distinguished guests from around the world, thank you. I am so happy my wife is here with me this morning. This is a great change of pace for us, as the parents of three young children, most of our breakfast conversations are about keeping toys off the table and sticky hands off each other. [laughter] so we are pleased to be here. President obama, thank you for the opportunity you have afforded me to serve our country. And i see my friend senator in hofe here today. We make quite an unlikely pair. At one point we were traveling in rural ethiopia when our van got stuck in the mud. After a pause, the senator generously suggested that everyone under 70 should get out and push. [laughter] the next thing i knew, i was covered in mud, and once again because of congress. [laughter] [applause] and in this city and 180 countries around the world, prayer groups like these are strengthening our heart, giving purpose to our lives, and helping all of us lead with greater moral courage. That was my experience when i was invited to join a small Senate Prayer group. The labels a party and background fell away. I saw how by remaining devoted to faith and setting High Aspirations we can transform our world for the better. This morning, i want to share an overarching purpose worthy of this room that has come together to follow the teachings of jesus. Let us Work Together to end extreme poverty in our lifetime. [applause] because this is now achievable, but only if all of us from science, business, government, and faith come together for the poor. We can end extreme poverty for the 1. 1 billion people who still live on 1. 25 per day. We can end it for 816 Million People who will go to bed hungry tonight. And we can end for the 6. 6 million children who will die this year before ever reaching their fifth birthday. As terrible as these numbers are, they do not adequately describe what are pretty is and poverty is and what extreme poverty does. It drains our basic human dignity. And if we are being honest, sometimes it drains our compassion for those who suffer. But there is good news of a practical nature to report. On continent after continent, a smaller share of people live this way than at any other time in our history. And today we know that a condition that defined the state of humanity when jesus walked the earth, and only started coming down in the last 200 years can now be completely eliminated in the next 20. Jesus teachings, like so many faiths, clearly call on us to practice our faith the hard way, by serving the least fortunate. Governments cannot do this by themselves, businesses wont do this alone, faith communities and charitable efforts alone are not enough. But together, we are making astonishing progress. Thanks to the leadership of president obama, and the president s of both parties before him, and so many of you in this room. And i believe that the spirit of this Prayer Breakfast is essential to strengthening our hearts and uniting our purpose to finish this mission. Holding hands in prayer with Senate Leaders is not what i ever would have expected to do in my life. I grew up in suburban detroit, where every family in our Indian American community had an immigrant story to share, of hard work, sacrifice, and absolute faith in the american dream. When my grandfather gave his life savings to send my dad to america, i think he hoped but never could have imagined how this nation and its values would lift our family. That my mom would run an awardwinning montessori school, or my dad would work as an engineer on an Apollo Mission and at ford motor company. As a child, my cando heritage hindu heritage was an extension of my community, a place to fit in and feel loved. Growing up, the holy words of god and the wishes of my mom seemed interchangeable. For the longest time, i thought gods first two commandments were sit still and dont slouch. [laughter] the desire to connect with my familys history drew me to Southern India the summer after college. To fight disease in a very remote communities. On my first day, i was exhausted from jet lag. I had taken three flights and a long bus ride deep into a jungle, but i was buzzing with nervous energy. I was ready to make a huge contribution to humanity that very afternoon. I dropped off my bag and walked into a neighboring village, and along a dirt road i stopped short. There was a child, maybe four or five years old, rags hung off her emaciated body. Her feet were bare and she looked at me with uncertainty with her wide eyes. I thought i had known the face of poverty, until i saw that little girl. And i have seen her again and again. I have seen her in the slums and of dacca and the hills of guatemala and the villages of eastern congo. And then, two years ago, i saw her one more time. I was standing with dr. Jill biden and dr. Bill frist in the Worlds Largest refugee camp close to the somali border. Children for weeks through terroristheld valleys. In the dust and dirt of the camp, i knelt down next to a young woman named habiba. Let me tell you her story. Desperate to escape the famine, she began a long journey to safety with her two children by her side. As she pressed on, her children became too weak to stay on their feet. First she carried one, then the other. Eventually, the strain became so much that she struggled to continue. She looked down at her two children and she said a prayer. And then she made the excruciating decision to leave one of them behind so she could save the other. That girl in india, that child left in somalia, were they somehow lesser than our sons and daughters . Did their fathers love them less . Did their mothers . Did god . A few moments ago, bethany shared with us the parables of luke. I grew up with this teaching, and i know many of us did. But i hope we can listen to it with new ears today. Because not only does everyone else, prominent people walk past a man lying half dead on the side of the road but they , actually walked over to the other side to avoid having to deal with him at all. Until one good man stopped. One. Go and do likewise, says jesus to us all. So how do we today go and do likewise . We now know better than ever how to help. We know we have to put the power of business and science into the hands of those who live their faith and serve this common purpose. I saw this new approach at work that same day in that refugee camp, wherein the swirling dust horror and hardship, there was also hope. Children were receiving great new vaccines that were not available a few years ago to poor kids. Have built decade we partnerships and have immunized 440 million kids, and saved 6 million lives. [applause] similar efforts have cut the rate of children dying from malaria in half. And we are close to eliminating, completely eliminating the transmission of hiv aids from the mother to their children. [applause] today, we are building on this approach by including countries and faith institutions and Community Health workers, so that every child everywhere lives to celebrate their fifth birthday. After leaving the refugee camp, we visited agricultural scientists, developing seeds that could withstand drought and Irrigation Systems that poor farmers could afford. In just a few years, our partner countries have increased budgets for agriculture and made critically needed reforms, and businesses are investing in food production. As a result, we have improved nutrition for 12 million kids, and more than 7 million farmers are moving their families out of subsistence poverty through the their own hard work and enterprise. Today we are building on this by including University Researchers and Civil Society leaders so that every child everywhere has been nutrition he needs to thrive. And in just the last few months, we brought this new approach to energy. In countries that have embraced reform, we have shared partnerships with Multinational Companies and local entrepreneurs in africa so that jobs can be created and children can read at night. Today, we are exploring projects with unlikely partners to bring affordable, clean energy to 20 million homes and businesses in the markets of the future. Taken together, these efforts are dramatically changing the face of extreme poverty. Just look at tanzania. As we have beaten back diseases, that nation has cut child death by more than 2 3. A breadbasket is emerging in the south and Energy Assets are allowing businesses to create jobs. The economy is growing at seven percent and a nation once defined by widespread extreme poverty can now envision elimination its elimination before the end of the next decade. [applause] this is true, this story is true in country after country. Six of the 10 fastestgrowing economies are in subsaharan africa. Leaders from College Campuses to corporate or grooms across our own country are increasingly focused on the needs of the worlds poor. And as more nations end extreme poverty, the challenge will narrow, allowing us to focus our energy on a smaller number of countries, until extreme poverty is gone. But the only way we will get there, the only way is with the leadership from this room. Those who lead this work in government will need to focus on data, accountability, and results. Those who lead our partner countries will need to fight corruption, and work with businesses to solve problems. Those who lead our great nation will need to make tough keep us committed to this mission and continue our as thes proud history worlds unquestioned humanitarian leader. [applause] and those who lead communities of faith need to do just as pope francis was teaching and to shine a bright light on poverty. Prayer reminds us of this common purpose. This morning i would like to tell you about a colleague for whom i have prayed. Her name was toni. She was the mother of two small children, alexander amelie, who she loved dearly. For runningssion marathons and learning new languages. As a Usaid Foreign Service officer in haiti, no challenge was too big or too complex for her. Summer, i stood on the tarmac of Dover Air Force base waiting for a military plane to land. It was dark and silent as i stood with tonis family. The lights of dover eliminated a small area in front of us. At 1 00 a. M. , the casket of my fallen colleague came home to her family. Toni was a Community Health specialist who was on her way to a clinic in haiti when she was hit in an accident. She had been on the road that day to ensure the clinic was stocked with the right medicines to save kids lives. She loved those kids like her own. Dover, her mother in law , through the pain of her had beend me thattoni so very proud to serve her country. To represent the best of our values to the world. [applause] i have learned from toni, as i have learned from my colleagues and many of you, that this work, like prayer, changes us as much or more than a changes the world. Is light had a calling and a purpose. Can we adopters. Of commitment . Can we love all children like our own . Sphere we whatever live, embrace our faith, some in our current age, and go and do likewise . Thank you. [applause] [applause] [applause] thank you for that amazing and inspiring challenge to us all. And now mr. President , we thank you for the privilege of having breakfast with you and the first lady. And all of us, all of you can go home and find an opportunity do a little name dropping that while in your opinion washington, d. C. You had an opportunity to have breakfast with the obamas. Mr. President , you know from the days when you were a member of the senate group that put on this breakfast that one of the core values and key purposes of this breakfast is for the citizens of this country and the citizens of the world to come around our president and to show our love and extend our support in prayer. So mr. President , madam first lady, for the challenges you take on, we admire you. For the sacrifices you make, we honor you. And for the burdens you you alone can bear for all of us we pray for you today and everyday. My daughter katie, who volunteered for compassion international, flew in from colorado last night to be with her mom this morning. While we were getting ready this morning she said did you ever think that you would have an opportunity to introduce the president of the United States and i said not in my wildest dreams. So ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure and honor to introduce to you the president of the United States of America Barack obama. [applause] thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Please everyone have a seat. Were giving all praise and honor to god who brought us here this morning. Thank you to our cochairs and i have to say i would have enjoyed a behind the scenes look at the two of these folks getting this