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Transcripts For CSPAN State Of The State 20130209

listening sessions held around wisconsin. people want us focused on things that will improve the economy and our way of life. that's why i laid out five very clear priorities for the next two years, create jobs, develop the workforce, transform and invest in our infrastructure. and it's also why i've asked the members of the legislature to stay focused on these same priorities -- and not get distracted on other issues. one of the best ways we can show their state government is focused on jobs is to pass a bill that streamlines the process for safe andstart with the legislation that was approved in the joint finance committee last session, include some reasonable modifications, and send me a bill to sign into law early this year. [applause] people in northwestern wisconsin, where the unemployment rate in iron county is the 2nd highest in the state at nearly 12 percent. but the benefits will be felt all across wisconsin. we have the potential for a billion and a half dollar investment here in our state that could lead to as many as 3,000 construction-related jobs from people in places like clinton and wausau, green bay and prairie du chien, superior and chippewa falls, all who want us to pass this bill. we need to get started on this welcoming a number of people who really want to get to work. joining me are josh dennis, larry youngs, cindy lafortune, karl krall, richard galarno, curt lusua, adam kaseno, steve anderson, harold wickman, and ryan haffenbredl. these operating engineers are members of local 139, who are looking for work. carpenters and millwrights from united brotherhood of carpenters, welcome dana tonnelli, bob polencheck, charlie steed, al ida, dan gillespie, pete langreck, david grottke, and jim berrens. holding up the flag of the greaton the right side of the seal is the image of a miner. in the upper right corner are the tools of a miner. and on the top of the seal is a nickname given to early settlers who were miners. if any state can move forward with a way to streamline the process for safe and state? from the mining bill to mining for jobs earlier this year, i spoke with kerry frank, ceo of comply365. her business was located in illinois, but she was looking for a new headquarters, where they could expand and grow. kerry told me she liked how we are running things here in wisconsin and it was one of the big factors in her choice to move her company to beloit. even more exciting, since moving here in september, kerry has hired seven more employees. kerry, thanks for being here tonight, and thank you for being a partner in job creation. now, while recruiting employers from illinois is almost as exciting as beating the bears, most new jobs are going to come from new businesses created here or from small businesses growing in our state. we need to help them tap into the capital they need to make investments that will lead to more jobs. during the coming year, i look forward to working with lawmakers in both parties on ways to improve the amount of investment capital available to help start-ups and other small businesses grow new jobs in our state. in addition to access to capital, we want to help small businesses grow by lowering the cost of doing business in our state. in particular, we want to streamline the process, so what we do enforce is about common sense and not about bureaucratic red tape. you may remember, last year, i called for state agencies to work with the reformed small business regulatory review board to identify unnecessary, obsolete, and burdensome regulations. in a survey, we asked employers what we can do to help them create jobs in the upcoming year and the most common answer was decrease the amount of state regulations. tonight, i am pleased to release this report, which identifies over 300 rule modifications in 218 administrative code chapters. making these changes will make it easier to do business in the state, while maintaining the safety and health of our citizens. speaker vos has also made this a looks forward to working with legislature to improve our state's regulatory climate. while our number one priority is helping people create jobs, our next priority is filling those jobs with qualified workers. one of the strengths of doing business in wisconsin is the work ethic of our people. moving forward, we need enough skilled workers ready to fill those that will be open tomorrowsurvey after survey shows a tremendous need for skilled workers in key clusters, like manufacturing, health care, information technology -- even in accounting and finance. my frequent visits to employers across the state affirm these reports. our state needs a way to accurately measure employment on a real-time basis. we need a better way to quickly measure trends and identify workforce needs by region, so we are working with members of the in areas of great need from current and future employers. during the past year, we partnered with the wisconsin covenant foundation to provide grants to technical colleges and employers in various regions to improve workforce development. the next step will come in the state budget, as we align new resources with our critical needs in the workplace. just a few days ago, we graduated the first class under the wisconsin workforce partnership program. diane stepp joined the program because she was unemployed, after being laid off, and was looking for a new career. diane has already been hired by amerequip corporation in new holstein as a cnc operator, and she started work yesterday. diane is here with us tonight. we also worked with the university of wisconsin system on a new flexible degree program called uw flexoption to help targeted fields. nearly a quarter of all adults in this state have some college credit without a degree. for many, time and money are the barriers to finishing that degree. i can relate. during my senior year at marquette university, i was offered a full-time job at the american red cross. i thought i would squeeze in a course here or there and finish things off in a year or two, but then tonette and i got married. then we had matt. and then came alex. next thing you know, you're putting all your extra time and money into your kids. the uw flexoption will provide a less time-consuming, less costly way to finish off a degree. it will help prepare more people to fill the critical needs we have in the workforce. i want to thank uw system president kevin reilly and uw- colleges and uw-extension chancellor ray cross for leading the charge on this exciting idea. part of the long-term strategy to develop our workforce is to continue to transform education in our state. the reforms we enacted over the past two years saved school districts hundreds of millions of dollars and allowed each district to hire based on merit and pay based on performance. we can put the best and the brightest in our classrooms -- and we can pay them to stay there. we finally have a way to recognize our exceptional teachers and reward them for the good work they do with our children. going forward, our educational efforts must be focused on performance. during the past year, state superintendent evers and i put together a diverse group of stakeholders from around wisconsin -- teachers, parents, school board members, taxpayers, business leaders, and others -- to talk about school and school district accountability. after a lengthy process, the first report card evaluating each school in the state was released at the start of the school year. as many of you know, tonette and i still have a son at wauwatosa east high school. like many parents, we looked at the score for alex's school. in fact, our district actually put the scores for all of their schools right on the front of their recent newsletter. that tells me we were able to develop a transparent and objective system for measuring performance in education. in our budget, we will lay out plans to provide a financial incentive for high-performing and rapidly improving schools. we want to reward and replicate success -- all across the state. at the same time, we will outline a plan to help failing schools fundamentally change their structure and dramatically improve their results. our goal is to help each school excel, so every child in the state has access to a great education. as a parent, it really is a moral imperative. as the governor, it is also an economic imperative. if we want to help employers grow here in wisconsin, we must show them there is a steady supply of graduates with the skills needed to fill the jobs -- not only of today -- but of tomorrow. we worked hard over the past year to improve education, particularly in reading. funds in my last budget provided reading screeners to assess kids as they come into kindergarten. this is tremendously important as research shows kids learn to read through third grade and then read to learn for the rest of their lives. we also put in place a series of other important reforms to improve our early childhood and elementary school reading skills. one other great way to help improve reading skills is by increasing the number of people who read to our kids. last year, i challenged all of us to mentor a child as a reading buddy. i know we all cherish those times when we could read to our young children. with those days in my past, i partnered with a school in milwaukee to read with a third grader. stacy and her family are with us here tonight. stacy continues to do a super job. at the start of this schoolangelo and his mother are also here tonight. again this year, i challenge each of you to join with me and find some time to mentor a student in reading. every child should have access to a great education. we continue to expand the number of choices for families in wisconsin -- be it a traditional, a charter, a voucher, a virtual, or a home school environment. moving forward, we want to continue to dramatically improve existing schools and give parents the opportunity to choose legitimate alternatives to failing schools. education, we must continue to reform government. take the waste, fraud, and abuse commission, for example. so far, they have identified nearly $456 million worth of savings. our reforms allow state government to focus on efficiency, so taxpayers get great service without needless spending and waste. our reforms also gave schools and local governments flexibility to make management choices to improve their communities, while saving money. for example, our technical schools are saving millions of dollars by making simple, common sense changes to instructor schedules and overtime policies. in racine county, they are saving money with a program that allows non-violent jail inmates to do maintenance work, like mowing grass and shoveling snow. and much of the work being done to save taxpayers money is about finding creative solutions to problems faced by the state. several years ago, the previous governor closed welcome centers. as a candidate, i highlighted the importance of the tourism industry and pledged to reopen these centers. tonight, i'm happy to report that there are now eight travel wisconsin welcome centers staffed with people that direct visitors to the many exciting attractions all across our great state. the department of tourism worked with the department of transportation and local chambers and visitors bureaus to form a tremendous partnership that protects state taxpayers in this effort. with me tonight are a number of our dynamic travel wisconsin greeters, who provide a warm welcome to all of our visitors. it's no wonder tourism has grown to a $16 billion industry, supporting one in thirteen jobs in our state. tourism is one of the many industries that benefit from a strong infrastructure system. we need to continue to invest in it to keep people working in wisconsin. with this in mind, i am committed to a healthy transportation system that includes roads, bridges, freight rail, ports, and airports. whether it is traveling to a tourism destination or taking product to and from market, so many of our key industries -- manufacturing, dairy products, timber and paper products, cranberries, vegetables, grain, sand -- and soon, iron ore mining, so many of these industries depend on our strong transportation backbone. they need it to keep their competitive edge. the millercoors brewery in milwaukee is a good example. the plant manager told us that millercoors is in a hyper- competitive industry. every day, they are looking to find any competitive advantage to see who can get a cold beer on a bar in madison, green bay, or even chicago the fastest. if beer trucks are tied up in the zoo interchange, the millercoors brewery here in wisconsin is at a disadvantage. in a similar way, a dairy farmer from independence or a lumber company from antigo or a crop farmer from dodgeville or a dock worker from superior all have a competitive advantage, if we have a good transportation system. that's why i am committed to improving our infrastructure. in addition to investments in our transportation system, we need to ensure access to cost- effective and reliable sources of power, preserve our clean water advantage, improve availability of high-speed internet connections and support our quality health care in wisconsin. tonight, i invite all of you here, and all of you watching at home, to join us as we continue to move our great state forward. next month, i will lay out a clear plan for how to achieve these priorities when i present our biennial budget to the state legislature. unlike the deficit we faced two years ago, we start out in a much better position today because of the tough, but important, decisions we made over the past two years. dain many ways, our position in wisconsin is a stark contrast to the chaos in washington, dc. while many of our nation's leaders fail to make tough decisions, we decided to avoid failure by embracing true reform. still, there is much work to be done. as i travel the state, it is clear to me why our focus on helping create 250,000 jobs by 2015 is about much more than just fulfilling a campaign promise. simply put, it is about helping improve the lives of 250,000 more families in wisconsin. you see, adding a new job is about more than just a number. every time another job is created, and a new employee is hired, it means that another family has someone working in their household. for many, that means fewer worries about putting bread on the table or clothes on the backs of their kids -- or even making the mortgage payment on the house. i will work hard each and every day, so we can help people all across wisconsin have the chance to have a job, and work hard to support themselves and their families for generations to come. with bold vision and bright hope for the future, we are turning things around. we are heading in the right direction. we are moving wisconsin forward. thank you, may god bless you, and may god bless the great state of wisconsin. >> and now the washington governor delivers the annual state of the state address. he speaks about climate change in transportation. from a joint session of the legislature, and this is about 35 minutes. >> thank you. thank you. thank you. good afternoon. mr. president, mr. speaker, babbitt madam chief justice, distinguished justices of the court, my fellow statewide elected officials, members of the washington state legislature, members of our armed forces and national guard, members of the consular corps, governor christine gregoire, and my fellow washingtonians. our world is changing faster and more dramatically than ever before. once in a lifetime events now seem to happen with startling regularity. we've seen the greatest financial crisis since the great depression, natural disasters fueled by climate change, and unimaginable human tragedies like sandy hook elementary. but we also bear witness to rapid breakthroughs in technology, medicine, and the fundamental understanding of our universe. every day i am left in awe at how much we are able to achieve, and heartbroken over the endure. we truly live in extraordinary times. we also live in an extraordinary state, filled with extraordinary people. where the world sees uncertainty, we see opportunity. and we all feel a profound responsibility to our children and our grandchildren. we have a spirit of innovation here in washington that has changed the world, from aerospace to software to e- commerce. and you know what? we are not done. a new world economy is emerging from the depths of this recession, and while its contours and relationships are not fully understood to us, we do know two things, one. with our uniquely powerful fusion of values and talents, washington state has the potential to lead the next wave of world-changing innovations. two. the world will not wait for us. we face fierce and immediate global competition for the jobs of tomorrow. leading this next wave of growth is our opportunity, not our entitlement. we must move, swiftly and boldly, to put this recession behind us, and bring forward a unique economic strategy that brings the best of washington state to the world. as franklin delano roosevelt said, "never before have we had so little time in which to do so much." today, i'd like to share my vision of the path ahead. i know that to achieve this vision we must all work together. democrat and republican, house and senate, east and west, to answer the challenges of our age. i have represented both sides of our state, first as a state representative from yakima valley, then in congress representing both eastern and western washington. i want to thank the people of washington for electing me your governor. i am truly humbled to represent all of washington, and to deliver the change in olympia you asked for last november. now i would like to do something very difficult to do as a university of washington husky, and that is to honor a washington state cougar. i would like to introduce all of you to my wife of 40 years, trudi inslee. we met at ingraham high school and raised our family in a century-old farmhouse in the yakima valley. i'd also like you to meet my three boys and their families, connor, joe, jack and his wife megan, our grandson brody, and the newest inslee, zoe ann. this is a very special day for my family. and this is a very special time in history for many other families. people all across washington stood up for fairness and family in approving marriage equality last november. we should all be proud. the vote on referendum 74 represents the best of who we are as a state. it should be an inspiration for the progress we can make, towards equality, fairness and justice across all of washington. it has been an amazing journey over the past year and a half, as i've traveled to all corners of the state. i am a 5th generation son of the state of washington, and am proud to have roots in this state that are as wide as they are deep. my family came to this state as fishermen and gold miners. my grandmother raised four boys as a single mother working at bartels drugstore. my uncle and cousins build the best airplanes in the world at boeing, my dad was a biology teacher, and i am proud that my mom and dad worked to restore the alpine meadows of mt. rainier. i am proud of the working people of washington and i know their work, having driven bulldozers in bellevue, painted houses in burien, run the business end of a jack hammer, prosecuted drunk drivers, and raised hay in the yakima valley. washington has welcomed many people to our great state from all points of the compass, but no matter when you and your family arrived here, in our souls all of us in washington are pioneers. that is what makes us unique. we push the world forward. we take risks. we take pride in what we do, and who we are. i look forward to a true partnership with senate majority leader rodney tom and minority leader ed murray, and with house speaker frank chopp and minority leader richard debolt. i want us to collaborate early and often on a legislative agenda that benefits all of washington. i want to work with every member of the legislature too. our economy draws its strength

Transcripts For CSPAN2 Today In Washington 20130130

knocking people from buying the council or having association homes. >> thank you, mr. speaker. will my right honorable friend wish to congratulate the company in my constituency, but taking advantage of the capital of laos is announced and the autumn statement of purchase to 1.3 million pounds, that will create six new jobs under -- i certain to my honorable friend in welcoming that investment it is experience in campaign history logic did have an effect in bringing forward these proposals on capital allowances. it's absolutely clear a lot of businesses do have money locked up in a balance sheets that we want to see invested, and i believe that these capital allowances are good with encouraging businesses to bring forth that sort of investment. >> david is severely disabled and has a medical need for an extra room in his home. why is the government he leads taking 676 pounds a year away from him in order to pay for a tax cut for the richest? >> what i would say to the honorable gentleman if we put in place a 30 million-pound discretionary fund to help in particular cases like the one that he raises. but we do have an overall situation where the housing benefit budget is now 23 billion pounds. that is only 10 billion pounds less than the entire defense budget. it's not good enough for members opposite to oppose welfare cut after will forgot, to propose welfare spend after welfare spend, while they realize that we're dealing with the mess they left. >> does the prime minister agree with the leader of the opposition talked about the economy, he sounds just like an extraordinary undertaker looking forward to a hard one to? does he not accept that you cannot get out of a debt crisis by borrowing more money? >> my honorable friend makes a very good point. the fact is the economy that we inherited was completely unbalanced. it was based on housing but it was based on finance. it was based on government spending and those based on immigration. those were for incredibly unstable pillars for sustained economic growth. what we that it is a major recovery operation. that operation is still underway but you can see in the new jobs created in the private sector businesses that are expanding them into new people signing up the businesses we are making progress. >> george galloway. [shouting] >> following yesterday's announcement, will the prime minister -- [inaudible] the key differences between the and chopping, crosscutting jihadists, fighting a dictatorship and valley that we are announced to kill, and the equally bloodthirsty jihadists that we're giving money, material, political and diplomatic support to in syria, has the prime minister read frankenstein, and did he read it to the end? >> well, something's come and go but there's one thing that is a certain. whatever there is a brutal arab dictator in the world he will have the support of the honorable gentleman. [shouting] >> order, order. last but not least, mr. whitaker. >> thank you, mr. speaker. we can definitely -- we can definitely do without them. will my right on of a friend, the prime minister, told the house whether he will be taking seriously the liberal democrats ministers who are queuing up today to resign their posts after batting against the government in last nights vote for? >> what i would say to my honorable friend clearly there's a profound disagreement about this issue but i would say to everyone in the house of commons who voted for an oversize house of commons and unequal constituency boundaries that are both costly and unfair, they will have to justify that to their constituents. [shouting] >> order. >> here on c-span2 we will leave the british house of commons now as they move on to other legislative business. you have been watching prime minister's questions time aired live wednesdays at 7 a.m. eastern while parliament is in session. you can see this weeks question time and again sunday night at nine eastern and pacific on c-span. for more information go to c-span.org, click on c-span series for prime minister's question, plus links to international news media and legislatures around the world. you can watch recen recently do including programs dealing with other international issues. >> all of us worked hard for causes way before we got to the white house. the white house just was an enormous push up. i think the ladies would agree that the day before you are married to the president-elect, nobody gives a darn what you say. and the day after he is the president-elect, people think you're brilliant and your cause is very good. [laughter] that helps. >> spent a new original series, first ladies, influencing image, their public and private lives, interests and their influence on the president, over 44 administration. season one begins presidents' day february 18 at 9 p.m. eastern and pacific on c-span, c-span radio and c-span.org. >> today, a look at automobile fuel efficiency. >> derksen is going to pass a bill. it will be a good bill on civil rights. can do all get him to agree to come off coach with you and go on go or is he just going to try to keep from passing anything? >> i think that we've got to get, somebody will have to use it with. >> lbj strategize is saturday at 6 p.m. eastern on c-span radio. >> you are watching c-span2 with politics and public affairs. weekdays feature live coverage of the u.s. senate. on nightwatch key public policy defense. every weekend the latest nonfiction authors and books on booktv. you can see past programs and get our schedules at our website. you can join in the conversation on social media sites. >> now, wisconsin governor scott walker delivers his state of the state address from the statehouse in madison. in his remarks, the governor said he would quote -- efforts to meet his 2010 campaign promise to create 250,000 private sector jobs. this is 30 minutes. [cheers and applause] >> at this time it is my privilege to introduce our friend, the governor of the state of wisconsin, scott walker. [cheers and applause] thank you. thank you. thank you. speaker vos, speaker pro tem kramer, president ellis, majority leader fitzgerald, minority leader larson, minority leader barca, members of the wisconsin supreme court, constitutional officers, tribal leaders, members of the cabinet, distinguished guests, members of the legislature, most importantly, fellow citizens of the great state of wisconsin, it is an honor to appear before you tonight. before we get started, i would like to introduce the first lady of wisconsin, my wife, tonette. [applause] also in the gallery are our sons, matt and alex. [applause] they change quick. matt came over from college after his last class and alex came over from high school. next to them are blue and pat walker. [applause] and right next to them is my brother david, my sister-in-law, maria, the two most beautiful girls in the world here tonight, my nieces. [applause] now, if i introduce any more walkers, my boys are going to be upset with missing the kickoff -- not kick off. the first ball in the wisconsin game. i'm not going to introduce him or of my family but i do want to introduce the adjutant general, don dunbar, and thank them on behalf of the 10,000 strong men and women of the wisconsin national guard. idq you, and thank you to each of them as well. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we are moving wisconsin forward with bold vision and bright hope for the future. two years ago, when i first stood here as your new governor, wisconsin was facing a $3.6 billion budget deficit, property taxes had gone up 27% over the previous decade, increasing every year, and the unemployment rate was 7.8%. today, wisconsin has a $342 million budget surplus, property taxes on a median valued home went down in each of the last two years, and the unemployment rate, well, it's down to 6.7%. [applause] we're turning things around. we're heading in the right direction. we're moving wisconsin forward. and unlike other states, we avoided significant tax increases, massive layoffs and cuts in programs, like medicaid. instead, we put in place long-term structural reforms that helped us balance state and local government budgets for years to come. what we did was think more about the next generation than we did about the next election, and it worked. for the first time in our state's history, we set money aside in two consecutive years for the rainy day fund. our bond rating is solid and our pension system is the only one in the country that is fully funded. [applause] we made tough, but prudent, decisions to get our fiscal house in order. today, unlike the federal government and many of our neighboring states, we have a surplus, which will allow us to invest in our priorities. with the introduction of my proposed budget next month, i will lay out a clear plan for reducing the burden on hard-working families by lowering income taxes on the middle class. [applause] we want to continue to put more money in the hands of the hard-working taxpayers and small business owners in our state. unlike the message coming out of washington, i believe that putting more money in the hands of the people, instead of the government, is good for the economy. helping the people of wisconsin create more jobs is my number one priority. during the three years before i took office, our state lost nearly 150,000 jobs. at the low point, unemployment topped 9%. soon after taking office, i called the legislature into a special session on jobs and we enacted some of the most aggressive plans in the country. today, the unemployment rate has dropped to 6.7%. new business ventures are up nearly 11%. and we changed the opinion of our employers, for the better. in 2010, a mere 10% of the employers surveyed said that our state was headed in the right direction. in 2012, 93% said wisconsin was heading in the right direction. [applause] over the past two years, wisconsin moved up 21 spots on chief executive magazine's ranking of the best and worst states for business. cnbc moved us up to number 17 and site selection magazine ranked our state as high as 13. employers feel good about our state. during the past year, kohl's department stores worked with us and announced the creation of 3,000 new jobs. plexus in neenah is adding 350 jobs and alliance laundry systems in ripon is adding another 270 jobs. while big announcements like that are great, we are just as excited about companies like nueske's meat products in wittenberg adding 21 jobs, poclain hydraulics in sturtevant adding 50 jobs, and premium waters in chippewa falls adding 21 jobs. small business owners, in particular, want certainty and we have dramatically improved the business climate in our state. we're turning things around. we're heading in the right direction. we're moving wisconsin forward. [applause] still, there is much more work to be done in the coming year. our top priority is helping the people of our state create more jobs. as you know, we have an ambitious goal, 250,000 jobs by 2015. after all that we've gone through in wisconsin over the past few years, some have suggested that this goal is too difficult to reach. with the protests and recalls combined with the slow recovery at the national level, the fiscal cliff, and ongoing worries about health care mandates coming out of washington, they say there are plenty of reasons why it has been hard to create jobs. but in wisconsin, we don't make excuses, we get results. [applause] with this in mind, we are going to double down and be even more aggressive with our efforts to improve the jobs climate in this state. that's what i heard during my listening sessions held around wisconsin. people want us focused on things that will improve the economy and our way of life. that's why i laid out five very clear priorities for the next two years, create jobs, develop the workforce, transform education, reform government, and invest in our infrastructure. and it's also why i've asked the members of the legislature to stay focused on these same priorities, and not get distracted on other issues. one of the best ways we can show the people of wisconsin that their state government is focused on jobs is to pass a bill that streamlines the process for safe and environmentally sound mining. [applause] start with the legislation that was approved in the joint finance committee last session, include some reasonable modifications, and send me a bill to sign into law early this year. [applause] [cheers and applause] [applause] a mine would be a lifeline to people in northwestern wisconsin, where the unemployment rate in iron county is the second highest in the state at nearly 12%. but the benefits will be felt all across wisconsin. we have the potential for a billion and a half dollar investment here in our state that could lead to as many as 3,000 construction-related jobs and 2,800 long-term jobs. it's no wonder that i've heard from people in places like clinton and wausau, green bay and prairie du chien, superior and chippewa falls, all who want us to pass this bill. we need to get started on this project as soon as possible. tonight, please join me in welcoming a number of people who really want to get to work. joining me are josh dennis, larry youngs, cindy lafortune, karl krall, richard galarno, curt lusua, adam kaseno, steve anderson, harold wickman, and ryan haffenbredl. these operating engineers are members of local 139, who are looking for work. also joining us tonight are carpenters and millwrights from northern wisconsin locals of the united brotherhood of carpenters, welcome dana tonnelli, bob polencheck, charlie steed, al ida, dan gillespie, pete langreck, david grottke, and jim berrens. [applause] [applause] together, these folks are holding up the flag of the great state of wisconsin. on the right side of the seal is the image of a miner. in the upper right corner are the tools of a miner. and on the top of the seal is a badger, which comes from the nickname given to early settlers who were miners. if any state can move forward with a way to streamline the process for safe and environmentally sound mining, shouldn't it be the badger state? [applause] thanks for coming out. from the mining bill to mining for jobs, earlier this year, i spoke with kerry frank, ceo of comply365. her business was located in illinois, but she was looking for a new headquarters, where they could expand and grow. kerry told me she liked how we are running things here in wisconsin and it was one of the big factors in her choice to move her company to beloit. even more exciting, since moving here in september, kerry has hired seven more employees. kerry, thanks for being here tonight, and thank you for being a partner in job growth. [applause] now, while recruiting employers from illinois is almost as exciting as beating the bears, most new jobs are going to come from new businesses created here or from small businesses growing in our state. we need to help them tap into the capital they need to make investments that will lead to more jobs. during the coming year, i look forward to working with lawmakers in both parties on ways to improve the amount of investment capital available to help start-ups and other small businesses grow new jobs in our state. [applause] in addition to access to capital, we want to help small businesses grow by lowering the cost of doing business in our state. in particular, we want to streamline the process, so what we do enforce is about common sense and not about bureaucratic red tape. [applause] you may remember, last year, i called for state agencies to work with the reformed small business regulatory review board to identify unnecessary, obsolete, and burdensome regulations. in a survey, we asked employers what we can do to help them create jobs in the upcoming year and the most common answer was decrease the amount of state regulations. and they gave us plenty of feedback on rules to review. tonight, i am pleased to release this report, which identifies over 300 rule modifications in 218 administrative code chapters. making these changes will make it easier to do business in the state, while maintaining the safety and health of our citizens. speaker vos has also made this a priority and my administration looks forward to working with him and other members of the legislature to improve our state's regulatory climate. while our number one priority is helping people create jobs, our next priority is filling those jobs with qualified workers. one of the strengths of doing business in wisconsin is the work ethic of our people. moving forward, we need enough skilled workers ready to fill jobs open today, as well as those that will be open tomorrow and in the years to come. survey after survey shows a tremendous need for skilled workers in key clusters, like manufacturing, health care, information technology, even in accounting and finance. my frequent visits to employers across the state affirm these reports. our state needs a way to accurately measure employment on a real-time basis. we need a better way to quickly measure trends and identify workforce needs by region, so we are working with members of the legislature to enact a system to help us connect workers to jobs in areas of great need from current and future employers. [applause] during the past year, we partnered with the wisconsin covenant foundation to provide grants to technical colleges and employers in various regions to improve workforce development. the next step will come in the state budget, as we align new resources with our critical needs in the workplace. just a few days ago, we graduated the first class under the wisconsin workforce partnership program. diane stepp joined the program because she was unemployed, after being laid off, and was looking for a new career. diane has already been hired by amerequip corporation in new holstein as a cnc operator, and she started work yesterday. diane is here with us tonight. [applause] diane, congratulations to you and your fellow classmates. we also worked with the university of wisconsin system on a new flexible degree program called uw flexoption to help adult learners earn degrees in targeted fields. nearly a quarter of all adults in this state have some college credit without a degree. for many, time and money are the barriers to finishing that degree. i can relate. during my senior year at marquette university, i was offered a full-time job at the american red cross. i thought i would squeeze in a course here or there and finish things off in a year or two, but then tonette and i got married. then we had matt. and then came alex. next thing you know, you're putting all your extra time and money into your kids. the uw flexoption will provide a less time-consuming, less costly way to finish off a degree. it will help prepare more people to fill the critical needs we have in the workforce. i want to thank uw system president kevin reilly and uw-colleges and uw-extension chancellor ray cross for leading the charge on this exciting idea. [applause] part of the long-term strategy to develop our workforce is to continue to transform education in our state. the reforms we enacted over the past two years saved school districts hundreds of millions of dollars and allowed each district to hire based on merit and pay based on performance. .. >> from around wisconsin; teachers, parents, school board members, taxpayers, business leaders and others. to talk about school and school district accountability. after a lengthy process, the first record card evaluating each school in the state was released at the start of the school year. as many of you know, tonette and i still have a son in high school. like many parents, we looked at the score for alex's school. in fact, our district actually put the scores for all of their schools right on the front of their newsletter. that tells me we were able to develop a transparent and objective system for measuring performance in education. in our budget we will lay out plans to provide a financial incentive for high performing and rapidly-improving schools. we want to reward -- we want to reward and replicate success all across the state. [applause] at the same time, we will outline a plan to help failing schools fundamentally change their structure and dramatically improve their results. our goal is to help each school excel so every child in the state, every child has access to a great education. now, as a parent, that's really a moral imperative. and as your governor, it's also an economic imperative. if we want to help employers grow here in wisconsin, we must show them there is a steady supply of graduates with the skills needed to fill the jobs not only of today, but of to have been. [applause] before but of tomorrow. prison -- >> we worked hard over the past year to improve education, particularly in reading. funds in my last budget provided reading screeners to assess kids as they come into kindergarten. now, this is tremendously important as research shows kids learn to read through third grade and then read to learn for the rest of their lives. we also put in place a series of other important reforms to improve our early childhood and elementary school reading skills. one of the other great ways to help improve skills is by increasing the number of people who read to our kids. last year i challenged all of us to mentor a child as a realizing buddy. now, i know we all cherished those times when we could read to our young children. i partnered with a school in mill wu key to read with a third -- milwaukee to read with a third grader. stacy and her family are here tonight. stacy continues to do a good job in school. i've paired up with another third grader, angelo. angelo and his family are here tonight as well. stacy and angelo -- [applause] again this year i challenge each of you to join with me and find some time to mentor a student in reading. now, every child should have access to a great education. we continue to expand the number of choices for families in wisconsin and be it at a traditional, a charter, a voucher, a virtual or a home school environment, moving forward we want to continue to dramatically improve existing schools and give parents the opportunity to choose legitimate alternatives to failing schools. [applause] in addition to transforming education, we must continue to reform government. take a waste, fraud and abuse commission, for example. so far they've identified nearly $456 million worth of savings. [applause] our reforms allow state government to focus on efficiency so taxpayers get great service without needless spending and waste. our reforms also give schools and local governments flexibility to make management choices to improve their communities while saving money. for example be, our technical schools are saving millions of dollars by making simple, common sense changes to instructor schedules and overtime policies. and they're saving money with a program that allows nonviolent jail inmates to do maintenance work like mowing grass and shoveling snow. and much of the work being done is about finding creative solutions to problems faced by the state. several years ago the previous governor closed welcome centers. as a candidate, i highlighted the importance of the tourism industry and pledged to reopen these centers. tonight i'm happy to report that there are now eight travel wisconsin centers staffed to welcome visitor to the many exciting attractions all across our great state. [applause] the department of tourism work with the the department of transportation and local chambers and visitor' bureaus to form a tremendous partnership that protects state taxpayers in this effort. with me tonight are a number of our dynamic travel wisconsin greeters who provide a warm welcome to all of our visitor. visitor. [applause] now, this is just part of the team out there, but you can see it's no wonder tourism has grown to a $16 billion industry supporting 1 in 13 jobs in our state. [applause] [laughter] see, they're even enthusiastic up here. i love it. [applause] now, tourism is one of our many industries that benefit from a strong infrastructure system. we need to continue to invest in it to keep people working -- >> about five minutes left in this address. you can see it in its entirety at c-span.org. live now to the w hotel here in washington where senators chuck schumer and john mccain will discuss some of the big policy issues being debated in congress including bipartisan immigration legislation unveiled this week. it's part of politico's playbook breakfast series moderated by white house correspondent mike allen. of it's just getting underway. >> we have two of the ring leaders here this morning, senator mccain and senator schumer who helped pull off something that in washington people didn't think was possible, which was a bipart sap agreement. so they'll take us inside that, and we're going to look ahead to the coming days. before we chat with the senators, we're going to welcome politico's manu ragu who helped break this story and then after that we'll have senator mccain. before that i'd like to thank bank of america for their partnership for making these conversations possible, including that incredible brunch at the inauguration where people had a great time. some people had too great a time. we had great conversation. the playbook series is a forum that makes it possible for us to talk in depth about the issues that matter most in washington, so thank you, john, and your bank of america colleagues. out there in twitter land, hash tag playbookbreakfast, and if i do it right, the questions will pop up right here. i've got my first tweet that said have fun, mikey, so we'll try to do that. [laughter] and the betweens will pop up -- and the tweets will pop up as we come. and so now i'd like to welcome politico's starr, manu ragu. [applause] thank you for coming in. appreciate it very much. so was the gang of eight a secret? was there detective work involved in covering it? >> yeah. [laughter] in terms of they didn't really want to let on how much work, how much progress being made behind the scenes. it's, you know, in whenever word starts leaking out of what is happening in the talks, inevitably those talks blow up. so as they were negotiating, this was happening at the time of the fiscal cliff negotiations. much of the media focus was happening, was on the fiscal cliff. but throughout that period the staff was meeting, the senators were meeting, and thaw really only -- they really only had the first meeting after the holidays was last wednesday when they were close to finalizing that agreement. and it wasn't until over the weekend that they actually did finalize it and announced it on monday, so things moved rather rapidly, and shows that the folks in the room actually wanted to come to a deal. >> okay. so as we pregame here, we're setting the scene for the conversation to come. tell me something about the immigration bill that senator mccain and senator schumer won't. [laughter] a little truth bomb to start the morning. >> well, i don't think they'll really get into much of the details in terms of the hurdles that remain from taking this legislative tax, this five-page document into a very detailed legislative proposal. i mean, there are going to be a number of, you know, this bill could be several hundred pages long, and we're talking about a very sweeping change not just to the legal immigration system, but as well how they deal with, of course, the 11 million illegal immigrants. how they actually do that and the hurdles remain, it'll be interesting to see how much they detail that. >> and you pointed out in one of your stories, this is the biggest debate on this emotional issue since -- >> since '07. and we remember what happened then, that this blew up in the senate after a big push by the bush administration and a bipartisan coalition to try to get this through. it suffered opposition from both sides, particularly the right, and, of course, the charges over this was it was creating amnesty. but we've seen some of those voices muted in at least the initial days. we'll see what happens when the legislative process begins in earnest. >> now, this gang of eight, four democrats, four republicans that put together this framework of immigration bilker immigration principles, how did we find out that the gapping exists -- gang exists? >> one of our reporters was the first one to write about this. talking to senators about what is actually going on in immigration, because the president was certainly laying the groundwork for a big push in the beginning part of the new congress. and as we know, i mean, nothing could get done unless there's bipartisan support, unless there an actual legislative push in earnest. and it turned out there was interest. it really all happened right after the election. lindsay graham made a phone call to chuck schumer and said, look, i want to start talking about immigration, john mccain wants to start talking about immigration. >> one of the reasons you're a great reporter is because people talk to you, and a number of you have covered capitol hill and know that it's amazing because you can walk up to anyone, and that doesn't mean they'll talk to you, but you can ask a question of anyone just like at the white house. when i was, when i moved from the white house to the hill, i was like standing back because i was, like, trained not to approach people. i'm like, oh, go ahead, you can talk to people. so i've watched you in action up there. you physically grab the senators. tell me your secret in getting these senators to talk to you. [laughter] >> well, you know, i don't actually grab -- >> yes, you do, i've seen it. [laughter] >> i sort of hide behind bushes and pop out. no, it's, you try to develop a relationship over the years in talking to them and grabbing them in certain locations where they're more predisposed to chat. when they're running quickly to a vote, for instance, you may not be able to get the best interview, but if they're walking back to their offices, you'll have more time to chat and get to know them. i think over the years i develop a level of trust that you, you know, they can trust that what you report will be accurate and representative of what they're actually saying. so that level of trust as well as, you know, being able to understand people's patterns, where they're going to be at certain times, where the good times to actually interview people are, i think that all comes with time and being up there. >> so what is the buzz right now? how's the mind share divided between immigration, guns and the cliff, right? those are the big buckets. what's top there? how are reporters, how are senators, how are aides dividing their attention? >> i think it's right now the fiscal talks are sort of taking backseat at least right now because immigration just starting to drive the debate. guns is going to happen, but happen probably a little, you know, i guess, you know, that'll happen the first part of the year. but i think people expect that issue to sort of be resolved in the early part of this congress, at least on the senate side. and then immigration, the focus will turn to that in march when these guys actually unveil their legislative proposal, and then as it goes through the committee process. but that's going to happen right at the same time as they're going to have to deal with the continuing resolution to keep the government operating past march 27th. i mean, if they want to keep the government operateing, they're going to have to deal with those fiscal issues once again. this week, of course, it's immigration, but there's not a whole lot for senators to weigh in on because there is no legislative text yet. i think we'll see that debate really, really consume congress in march, april, may when this bill starts moving out of committee and onto the floor. >> all right. and as we say good-bye here, what are you going to be doing today? >> i have -- i'll still be trying to get as much information about what's happening also in these talks as well as what the senators are, how they view the latest immigration proposal as well as several other leads that i hope to turn into stories next week. >> and we write one story, five stories, ten stories? what's your today like? [laughter] >> well, hopefully not ten stories. today, you know, i think the initial reaction out of the, those stories, initial stories out of this group of either i'm starting to move off the news cycle, and we're going to start getting to either what's happening behind the scenes if those stories actually come and on to some of the other debates that are happening. of course, the gun hearing, excuse me, in the judiciary hearing is going to be very important as well. >> all right. we're going to have you jump in as the conversation goes on. thank you for previewing with us and thank you for the fantastic coverage. >> appreciate it. [applause] >> and now without further delay, we'd like to welcome senator mccain and senator schumer. [applause] thank you, senates. [applause] senator schumer didn't trust us to have sweet and low this time, so you brought your own. >> made in brooklyn, 1200 employees. eat sweet and low, it's good for you. [laughter] >> senator schumer, congratulations on the sandy aid package. >> thank you. >> the amount of money many these times of austerities, it's one of your biggest accomplishments, and it took a long time. >> thank you. yes, took a long time. there are so many people in new york waiting for that aid. i was in island park monday morning, a little community. i was without -- [inaudible] because that's his home community. he came out. 60% of the stores on main street are still not open o, and no one can repair or rebuild until they knew this money was there because the way fema works, you're reimbursed, and no bank will lend money unless they know the money's there. now they know, and people will begin to get back on with their lives. >> senator mccain, later this week you're off to germany to meet with world leaders there -- >> yes. the vice president's going also this week. it's an annual conference in munich that is attended by world leaders from all over the world. i remember a couple of years ago vladimir putin came and insulted the united states and every other nation in the west. it was interesting diatribe. [laughter] >> what's your vibe with the vice president? >> pardon me? >> what's your vibe with the vice president? >> i don't think he was as -- it was his happiest day after the "60 minutes" piece. [laughter] but i -- >> why is that? >> i wouldn't understand that. [laughter] i think he's one of the most likable and congenial men i've ever known in the united states senate. i think chuck would degree. >> i do, i do. great guy. >> so before you came out, we were saying the gang of eight accomplished something rare, which was four democrats, four republicans coming together on something. you all have served together for 13 years since senator schumer came to the other body in 1999, i believe it was. and the gang of eight started to come together the friday after the election, senator lindsey graham gave you a call. on saturday morning, you saw him on your call sheet, you called him, and you said what? >> well, i said, hi, lindsay, and he said -- lindsey is one of the most effervesce sent, as john knows, he said the band is back. let's do immigration. and that was wonderful. and then the next moment he said, and i've talked to john mccain, and he wants to get back involved, and my heart when pitter patter -- [laughter] because that meant, that meant we could actually, that meant we could get something done, and that sunday we were each on different sunday morning talk shows -- >> a rare occasion for both of us. [laughter] >> and we both said we were going to do it, and here we are. we're not there yet, but at least we've made some good progress. >> and, senator, you've gone back and forth on comprehensive immigration. you were very fresh shept on it, what made you decide to join the band? >> actually, i've always been for it, but i have always been concerned about border security, and i think with good reason. if you talk to the experts, still a majority of drugs that are smuggled into the united states come from the arizona/mexico border. there's huge violence as we know in mexico which has gone up. we have people on mountaintops in arizona guiding the drug dealers. they're these coyotes that bring people across and then mistreat them in the most terrible fashion. horrible things happen to people that are brought across. and we need a secure border. and we're going to go to the border again, but we have made significant improvements, and there have also been technology advancements in places like iraq and afghanistan where we can surveil the borders. my friends on the arizona/mexico border in the summertime, it gets as hot as 130 degrees, and that's hard on people. so we've got to really do the technology side of this thing which, by the way, the israelis have been able to do, and i'm confident that we can make that progress to assure our citizens that their lives are secure. we are in a secure building. my friends, people in southern arizona have drug people going across their property. they deserve security. but we can achieve that. we can achieve that, and we're on the road to doing that. >> senator, i said you think about six of the members are going to go with you. what can you see when you go to the border? what can you do? >> first of all, they can see the vastness of the border. the second thing they can see is the improvements that have been made. third, they can see the things that still maybe need to be done. fourth, talk to the men and women on the ground who are in our border patrol, the ones who are out there every day literally risking their lives sometimes. there's nothing like having eyeballs, i think chuck and i have found, on the issue to really get a good understanding of it. >> now, yesterday was the sixth meeting of the gang, i guess you guys talk on your cell phone -- >> yes, but we hate the word "gang." >> group. group. [laughter] >> ah, come on. [laughter] let's rebrand it right here. what would you rather have it be called? >> group. >> group of eight. >> great americans, how about that? [laughter] >> hopeful, prayerful americans. [laughter] >> what did you cover at your meeting yesterday, and what's the next step? >> well, i was -- >> excuse me, and thai all been in your office? >> we alternate, because we don't want this to be a democratic proposal or a republican proposal, we want it to be bipartisan. theyal tear mate. last night was in john's office. >> do you have snacks? >> no. >> i'm going try to get some kosher food for senator schumer. [laughter] >> from brooklyn. >> maybe some salmon or something like that. [laughter] >> um, we made, john said something, um, monday when we were meeting before we announced our details. i said do you think we could get this done, you know, by march? and he said, absolutely. and i was a little -- it's so difficult when as he's been through and i've been through writing the details of legislation. last night we started tackling some of the biggest issues; the parameters for measuring when the border is secure and how to deal with the 11 million to gain citizenship given, you know, that there are so many and our colleagues want to make sure that they're not treated any better having crossed the border illegally than people who waited in line. we made huge progress. and our staffs are, you know, we come to an agreement, took about an hour and 15 minutes, and our staffs are drafting -- they're today meeting with the people from, um, dhs, the border people to go over some of the technologies that john mentioned and other things, and can -- and we're meeting, we've set meetings. so we're going to meet on tuesday and thursday at a set time every week til we get this tone with wednesday being the staff meetings to work out what we did on tuesday and thursday to review what the staff comes up with in legislative detail. >> now, just to catch up our audiences here and online, hash tag playbookbreakfast. you'd said you would have principles by march, a record on capitol hill, right? legislative language by march, and, senator schumer, you said you hope for passage on the floor by late spring which really means july, right? >> well, you don't know. we're right now ahead of scheduled to as you were nice enough to message. there's big enthusiast not only among our group of eight, but i think in the country to get this done on both sides of the aisle. and senator leahy has been great. he says, you know, he'll make time in committee. of both john and i agree, and i think all of us agree, we're going to go through committee. we're going to go through the regular order process. john and i worked on a little group that came out with some rules changes in an effort to strengthen that so we could go back to the -- >> in order to prevent the 51-vote meltdown. >> right. and, um, we very much want to see the regular order restored. i have had younger senators come to me and ask what is a conference committee really like? how do you legislate in the committees? and it's, you know, i mean, because we don't do it anymore. and it makes being a legislate or to have, um -- legislator, um, less pleasant, and we get less done. senator leahy, in any case, has agreed that we would have all the time we needed. there'll be a big markup in the committee, and the judiciary committee has liberal members, conservative members, and senator reid has said when we're ready to go the floor, we will. so the hope is late spring, early summer. >> now, one of the lessons from '07 was they held together and opposed amendments. will you all stick together to reject amendments in the judiciary and on the floor? >> we haven't talked about that, but i think we have to. >> this is your chance. >> be i think we have to unless there's something that we both agree to. in other words, if you're going to -- it's going to be fragile as these kinds of things are, and so we will have to take some tough votes in order to keep it intact. but, look, that's so far down road right now, mike, that we haven't even had a chance to discuss it. >> i think one thing we'd agree on is the core principles we come up with must stay intact. that doesn't mean every single amendment john and i have to agree on, we probably won't. >> and, senator schumer, how much time do you expect this will take on the floor? is. >> oh, you know, i think it could take three, four weeks. >> okay. >> you know, this is such an important issue to america, and it's so complicated, and it deals with every aspect that i think we should have a full and robust debate. and by the way, the hope is that we could pass this with a nice, sizable bipartisan majority, because that will set the stage, make it easier for the house to pass it. we don't want of to have just four republicans, you know, five republicans and we wouldn't get all 55 democrats. >> there won't be. it'll be either a lot of republicans or, you know, either way. it's -- >> and can i say one, john and marco rubio and lindsey have shown such of courage on this and such strength to do what's for the good of the nation, you know? it really -- i have been really impressed with their desire to meet us in the middle. same with bob menendez, dick durbin on the other side. but particularly our republican colleagues. they, you know, they're getting a lot of flak, and, um, they're showing strength. that's another thing that gives me optimism anyway. >> it's a trace of masochism in all three of our families. [laughter] >> senator mccain, how hazardous for, is it for senator marco rubio, a young senator possibly run anything '16, to be taking point on this? >> i think it's important, and i think it's helpful. be marco rubio represents a very large state with a lot of hispanic and latino voters or. he understands the issue. he is articulate, and i think that it's very helpful to have a newer member of the senate that is of his, frankly, really deep understanding of the issue and appreciation of it. as you know, his family came from cuba, and he understands, i think, the issues confronting people who came to this country either legally or illegally as well as anyone. and i'd like to say a word about chuck. he's really been very strong. we have, he has people on his side of the aisle that just want everybody a citizen now, end of story. and we've had to, he's had to push back against that as well. we've got to maintain the center. there will be people at both ends that will not ever agree, and we have to understand that. we're not seeking a hundred votes, but we are seeking 80 votes. and i think we can achieve that. >> senator schumer, 80, is that the neighborhood you're hoping for? >> well that, you know, that's the hope, but getting a large minority on each side is very important. >> senator mccain, you said what senator rubio's doing is helpful to the senate. is it helpful to him? >> i think so. i think so. but, you know, the thing i found out -- >> excuse me, and how would that be? >> well, he took a leadership role on a very important issue. you know what i think i've found in my political life is if you do the right thing, it's always ending up okay. if you do something for political reasons, in my experience -- and i've done that -- it's turned out badly. and so i think that marco rubio is doing the right thing. >> with i'd add, and i agree with john completely on all of this, it's sort of he's been daniel in the lion's den. after we came out with our principles, he signed up to go on all of the talk shows of the very conservative, um, radio and tv hosts. and it was amazing. he started out the rush limbaugh show, and i think rush limbaugh has been more hostile to immigration reform -- >> he talked a little bit yesterday -- >> on the show, rubio. >> yeah. >> daniel in the lion's den. when the show started, limbaugh was far more hostile than at the end, and that's going to be a real service. because -- >> what he's been able to do and what we're trying to do is make the, our talk show friends and people on the right at fox and others that the status quo is unacceptable. the status quo is unacceptable to have 11 million people in the shadows purchase in this country. and -- shadows forever in this country. and we have to keep assuring them. and this is where i appreciate chuck's cooperation and dick durbin and bob menendez. we have to get a secure border. look, it's a fact. in 1986 we gave amnesty to three million people, said we'd secure the border, it would never happen again. now we have 11 million people here illegally. i don't want to hand down a situation where we have another large group of people who have come to this country illegally, and i think -- and chuck understands that. and that goes a long way in assuaging the concerns of a lot of my friends on the right. >> one more question. >> i would just say one other thing. we, dick and bob and i on sunday before our principles came out got on the phone with the hispanic leadership. i think they understand. we've been -- i can speak just on the liberal side. i have been impressed with the understanding of the groups who so yearn to help their brethren, brothers and sisters -- brethren, i guess s is no longer a politically correct word unless there's a female analogy. i don't know if there is. brethren and finish. >> sister. >> i can't -- i didn't want want to say that because i'd get criticized. anyway, wety depress. [laughter] that they yearn for them to come out of the shadows, but they have an understanding that just to have a wish list and say here's what we believe in and not be able to compromise will consign the problem to go on. and the desire not just of us, but of the groups out there to understand that compromise is a necessary part of getting something done has impressed me. >> and there's one other dirty little secret here. 72% of the hispanic-american vote went to the president of the united states in the last election. republicans are beginning to appreciate if we're going to have a meaningful dialogue with our hispanic citizens and latino voters, that we are going to have to resolve this issue. it's just a fact. >> what specifically did governor romney do wrong on this issue? >> you know, um, one of the things that i enjoyed after i lost was the unending and unceasing barrage of criticism and second guessing. [laughter] a lot of it by mike allen. [laughter] so i don't -- no. i think the republican party, not mitt romney, not anybody else, but the republican party has failed to understand to a significant degree the importance of this issue to our hispanic voter. i'm talking about pure politics now. pure politics. and that is we are elected to office because the voters think we will help them achieve their hopes and dreams and aspirations for the future. if you have a large block of americans who believe that you are trying to keep their brethren and sisterhood, whatever -- [laughter] down, their fellow hispanics down and deprive them of an opportunity, obviously, that's going to have an effect on their voters. so the, i think the republicans, and we're not all monolithic, but we have not been more sensitive to these hopes and dreams and aspirations. and it has been reflected in the ballot -- >> okay. last question on politics, and then we're going to plunge into the specifics of the bill. senator mccain, there's republicans in the house and senate who have threatened to derail this bill. senator cruz, freshman senator from texas, came out against it yesterday. how damaging will it be to the republican party if that occurs? >> senator schumer and i are presenting maybe too rosy a picture today. it's going to be a tough, tough fight. but american public opinion has shifted dramatically since 2007. poll after poll shows that the majority of the american people, a significant majority of the american people, believe that there should be a path to citizenship as long as they pay a fine, back taxes, do all -- >> why is it going to be so tough? >> -- necessary, the things that are necessary in order to achieve citizenship including being behind those who came to this country legally. that caveat is a huge caveat. it changes those numbers rather dramatically. that's why we are focusing on that part of this issue as well. so whoever so posed to it is now looking at public opinion polls that are very different, in my view, than they were in 2007. >> senator mccain, if this goes down, what will be the con egyptians -- consequences for the republican party in. >> i think there will be, i think the trend will continue of lack of support from hispanic voters and also as you look at the dem graphics of -- demographics of states like mine, that means that we will go from republican to democrat over time. but there's a lot of issues that our citizens care about besides immigration and that are important to them that they'll be making their judgments on. but until we get that issue resolved, we'll not be able to -- >> wait just a second, senator schumer. so you're saying if this goes down, republicans will do even worse with the hispanics? >> yogi berra said never try to predict, especially when you're talking about the future. >> but clearly you think that would be a danger. [laughter] >> i think it's a danger, but, mike, i think the reason why we're doing it is because we see this issue out there unresolved. it's not so much concern about the future, it's concern about now. >> yeah. i was just going to say on our side there's some -- i've heard the argument -- let's keep it out there as an issue. let's leave it as a wedge issue, because it will insure the dominance of the democratic party for a long time. that's wrong, that's just as wrong as the people who say don't do anything. and i think the vast majority of democrats, the president included, want to get something dope here. >> senator schumer, you referred to this in your remarks in the press conference the other day, and i think there are a lot of people who wonder does the president really want this? why are you convinced that he wants the achievement more than the issue? >> identify talked to him about -- i've talked to him about this issue several times face to face, and he really does. he cares about it, he knows how important it is for the economy be of this country which has been his number one guiding issue, to solve our immigration problem. in a lot of ways, not just in having the 11 million people come out of shadows, pay taxes, become productive citizens, but in terms of future flow. i mean, we all agree it's absurd that we attract the best and the brightest around the world, let them get ph.d.s, mas, bas from our best universities and then say you've got to go home. go home and compete against us. it makes no sense. the president understands that. and let me tell you, he has been terrific on this. this idea that we were jockeying is not true. dick durbin and i spoke the him sunday night, we told him we had come to an agreement, and we had a great conversation. he's been extremely positive. what he's done, and i think he's playing a very constructive role here, in my opinion, he is importuning us, and he is rallying the country to do reform, getting us all together. but at the same time he's giving us the space to get something done, and identify been very impressed -- aye been very impressed with not only the president's desire to get it done, but his ability to work with us as part of a team to get that done. as leader of the team, which he is. >> every president in the second term worries about their legacy. i think the president's more interested in having this accomplished than he is of harming the republican party. >> senator mccain, have you talked to president obama about this issue? >> i have not. >> what are the state of relations these days? >> um, i have great respect for the president. i hope and i believe that at some point we will all be meeting with the president on this issue, because we need to coordinate with the administration. but i think i haven't seen a degree of partisanship overall as there is today, but we are showing some signs of bipartisanship. this thing we just did in averting the nuclear option in the senate, this issue, i think that republicans are more inclined to let the process go forward, and senator reid is more, more inclined to let us have amendments. i see, i think that when we are down to 11% approval rating, there was a favorability thing, different things are favorable, a colonoscopy is viewed more favorably than a member of congress. [laughter] we're in kind of bad shape, to say the least. i won't pursue that line any further -- [laughter] but, you know, i've got this old line, a guy ran up to me in the airport and said, say, anybody ever tell you you look a lot like senator mccain? i said, yeah. he said doesn't it sometimes just make you mad as hell? [laughter] so there is a desire on our part, i think on both sides of the aisle to work more with the president, work more with each other. maybe that's a little pollyannaish, but -- >> no, i agree. i think, you know, american politics works in pendulum swings, and i think the partisanship has reached its peak. towards the end of last year we had -- >> you think not just on this issue, you think in general? >> i think the number one reason i'm so invested in this issue is to get it done. but number two, and john and i have talked about this as we went through the rules changes and stuff, is to set a new way of doing things a little bit in the senate, in the congress and in washington of coming together on the issues where we can come together. and i think it can happen. i really do. >> last december we did the defense authorization bill. we dispensed with 380 amendments, and we went forward, and we did the right thing. i am guardedly optimistic that we will do -- >> we did ag bill, we did postal reform. towards the end of last year it was little noticed, but there were a good number of important and complicated pieces of legislation. they didn't pass the house, most of them -- defense did -- but got through the senate with good bipartisan support. >> senator mccain, do you buy this pendulum idea, that it reached its nayer the, that it reached its worst point, and it's getting better? >> i do. of i do, and that's -- maybe i'm wrong. maybe that's not the case, but i think as chuck just mentioned, we've of. of -- we've shown already we can make progress. and i think historians will look back on this aversion of this nuclear option. because if it had happened, and it was going the happen unless we had come up with this road map for the leaders. maybe that sounds a little egotistical, but it's true on the filibuster that if the senate had gone to a 51-vote body, that it would have changed the nature of the united states senate forever. >> now, before we leave the president, senator schumer, you had a little quality time with the president recently. one of the many hats that you wear, you were chairman of the joint inaugural committee. and among your duties as chairman are to concern. >> ride in the limo with the president alone. [laughter] it's a very nice limo. in any case, you know, we had a or very good conversation. in fact, it was not different than the one we had here about what the next four years are going to be like. and i think, you know, i don't want to give away the president's thoughts, but i expressed the same thing that we've expressed here, that it's going to get better, there's going to be more agreement, and the president, i think, agreed with that. >> whats the car like? >> plush. [laughter] big. >> heavy. >> heavy. and the windows are very thick, but you can see out of them. they can't see in, but you can see out. >> what else did you talk about? >> that was the main thing. the main thing was that. i didn't want to -- my staff gave me a list of 22 things we needed in new york, and i was dying to ask them -- [laughter] >> you only had 11. >> yeah, right. but on the morning of his inauguration, i figured that was not quite appropriate. so a rare moment of restraint. >> senator schumer's very shy. >> yeah. [laughter] it was a rare moment of restraint. >> okay. let's plunge in. on monday you put out the five-page bipartisan, bipartisan framework. and in the agreement it talks about nonforge bl electronic means of employment verification. now, that is code for a super social security card that would have some sort of biometric thing like a fingerprint in it. senator schumer, you have said you were for this. senator mccain, what is your view of requiring that? >> i'm for this. .. it just couldn't be forged. we want to stop future -- i want to make a point here. our goal is not to have to come back to this 10 years from now. we want a permanent solution, and that means stopping future waves of illegal immigration. a lot of that is the border and that's why that's important, but other parts of it are something margarita has pushed. the exit entry system. we have a biometrics -- >> 40% of the people here -- >> we have a biometric when you come in the country but not when you leave. we've got to fix that. sentence is having employers. wide illegal immigrants come here? simple, for jobs. if you're making a dollar a week, half of the province in southern mexico and you to make $3 an hour here, lousy conditions, you will come. so you will want to make sure that employers do not hire people who are here illegally. the only way to do that is to have a non-portugal card. you can go down the street and get a social security card or a driver's license for 100 bucks. him spin it sounds like you have the language. >> it may be. i don't think anyone in our group, some on my side may not be there yet. that there are others. some people say do either of my family. that is too many false negatives and false positives, in my judgment. will have to come up with something but the principle we all agree on. >> someone who hires someone illegally in the country, if they don't know whether they're legal or not that's one thing. we've got to make sure that we have guys who hires someone that is in this country illegally, that they will be punished spent senator mccain. the white house wants to protection in the extended to same-sex couples. would you oppose adding that to the senate plan? >> i think it is a red herring but i think that we want them to guarantee a tax payer free abortion? i'm telling you now, if you love this up with social issues and things that are controversial, it will endanger the issue. i was interested to do yesterday morning, the first question was that, talking about for principles that we've got to act on. look, i'll be glad to talk about, discuss it, what the ramifications are, but if someone does that as the most important aspect of comprehensive immigration reform, then we just have a fundamental disagreement. >> i'm a sponsor of this bill. i am for. i care about it. we have to discuss it. -- we haven't discussed yet and certainly one of the issues on the table but as john said we've got to first their basic structure and framework before we -- >> which is more important, lgbt or border security? i'll tell you what my priorities are. so again, if you're going to load it up with social issues that is the best way to derail it, in my view. >> is a question from manu raju. how to respond to critics on the left who read -- endlessly before getting green cards, will you push to get a time limit? >> this is a very important issue. first, that the a lot of bugaboos that the commission can block anybody from -- people immediately can get a work visa. they're out of the shadows, they can work, they can stay in the united states if they don't have a criminal background, you know, criminal charge against, criminal law against them. we know that. but we have been said yes, let's secure the board and make sure some other parameters are met. we are defining this as we speak. before you can get a green card on the -- on the path to citizenship. we have agreed on a few things. every one of the 11th one of the 11 million who meets our criteria, learning english, working, paying a fine, things like that, will be eligible. we have to figure out how to do that, and, obviously, none of us intend for people to wait and internally long period of time. but there's another principle on the other side, very important, for instance, that helped bring margarita alone. to his credit is been talking about it. he feels by crossing the border illegally you shouldn't gain advantage over somebody who has waited in turn. so if somebody applied in the mexico city u.s. embassy in january of 2007, and someone else crossed the border and is here in january of 2008, we all agree that the person who waited in line in 2007 should be able to get the green card the for the person in 2008. we have to figure out how to do that so it's not a long period of time, where people are old or dead before they become. but at the same time we have to make sure that this principle is kept, that helps us pass a bill. one of the point. we have made two exceptions to the. dick durbin has worked very hard on the d.r.e.a.m. act. we all agree that should give special priority. >> [inaudible] >> and second, something special for agriculture, because it's a different situation, virtually whether you're in new york dairy country or arizona rancher country, you can get americans to do this kind of work. >> my penultimat penultimate qu, senator mccain, have you talked to speaker boehner about the? >> no, but i did hear his statement a couple days ago or he believed that comprehensive immigration reform is something that needs to be done. mike, real quick. the environment has changed since 2007. that's why we're guardedly optimistic. there's a whole bunch of minds out there that we have to avoid or diffuse, but i'm confident, i'm confident that cautiously optimistic late we can get this done. if we don't, i think it's going to have ramifications. not just for republicans up for the entire country to have a nation where 11 people living in the shadows is not a country that we like to teac teacher chn about. >> something you share in common, you both came from the house. what is the path to getting this through the house? >> i think probably one of the scenarios is a majority of the democrats in the house and a significant, and maybe a majority for the republicans in the house. i would not anticipate a unanimous republican support, but i think it can be significant republican support. >> the larger number of republicans we get innocent, the more likely it's my judgment that we'll pass it in the house. second, going to the process, going through committee and will help us homeless. the senate is in very diverse body. we're going to get some amendments from very conservative members and the very liberal members, and it will help refine and educate house members about what this bill is all about anyways made just to go in talking to them for an hour could and. and so i think that those things are important. >> would a number of republicans going to the regular order. >> first, trying to them what did i miss? should there be something buttoned-down is that i've not asked? >> how do you think this place for some of your folks who are up in moderate red states, democrats from arkansas, montana, those two, voted against this plan in '07. >> i'm not going to speak for any individual senator. we're going to get the album majority of democrats in the senate to vote for this bill but we won't get all. we don't expect to get all of them. so we're going to be a good number of republicans to vote the bill to get to 60. >> i notice all these young people have a copy of politico that's required reading for them. it was announced there would be a written quiz afterwards on today's edition. [laughter] >> senators, senator mccain can you mentioned senator kenny in your remarks the other day. and senator schumer, it was written the other day your become the democrat dealmaker. he says will make take -- with the influence of the democratic college, and an ability to reach across the aisle so it's worth asking them is chuck schumer the closest thing to that right now? i wonder if you could tell me what, if we learn from senator kennedy or what part do you think you will play as this unfolds in the next couple of my? >> i think that senator schumer is assumed that will. i think it takes years, and i'm sure that chuck would agree with that. but he is certainly off to a very healthy start. the one thing i have noticed about dealing with senator schumer is he is very shy and retiring, it's hard to get out, his real views out. the fact is that -- >> in brooklyn i am known as shy. they are much more aggressive than i am. >> the traits were senator schumer and senator kennedy shared is one, you know exactly where they stand, number one. and number two, they will never change. they will never go back on their word. those are the keys to success in the united states senate. >> senator kennedy and john was a child. he was in -- he was my mentor. i admired him. i miss him. i'm a long way. >> before i forget there's a house group, all you can stay in touch with them? are you guys staying on the same page? >> we are going to. we really -- we have just come out with guidelines so we need to take something to a house counterparts that we could agree on that. we want to work with them. we absolutely do, despite their traditional senate snafu. >> i would just say this. we haven't talked to this group, but the one group i've stayed in touch with with senators durbin and menendez is the congressional hispanic caucus, and they have been very supportive of what we've been doing, even if each specific is not something they support. >> the hard part of your will come your kind of the bridge between the senate deal and the white house and what the west wants which is a little more. how do you pull them back to where you are? >> first, the desire to get a bill, we have been through this so many times a couple of times as john mentioned, 1986, the failure, a bill that passed that didn't do the job, and more recently attempts that never got anywhere. >> and just think of yourself as a hispanic leader, and you of all these people who you know and deal with and talk with who are in the shadows, who are desperate to live a life in the americans the way the of the 300 million americans are. they are willing to make some compromises to get a bill. this is chuck schumer but it's menendez and almost all the democrats and the president. bottom line is a path to citizenship for the 11 million. so no -- they know what they have so far, and i believe it will continue, giving us the kind of flexibility we need to get a bill done because not everybody agrees with me, agrees with john, or agrees with the head of one or group or another. >> i am getting the gear as we say goodbye to sunday's super bowl. senator mccain, you have a lot of sports packages. tell us about your -- spinning i'm a big sports fan. most mediocre high school athletes are the most avid fans, and that's -- [laughter] and that's what i was. but, you know, i kind of -- nobodnobody thought the ravens d get to where they are, some kind of rooting for the ravens. >> so are you predicting -- let's get predictions speed up close, couple points. student but you're going ravens? >> yes. >> senator schumer, you've been to the super bowl. what is it like? >> i went -- latch you. i am a giants fan. i live and breathe new york giants. it was one of the great experiences of my life. i wasn't going to go, and you know, it's expensive and everything else, and my wife said, you love the giants. i said yes. she said you may be dead before they win the next super bowl. [laughter] >> and she was right. >> that was good logic. she's right about issue. so i went, and i loved it. it was the first and only time i have been there. one of the things i'm looking forward to there is to see beyoncé. i think she did a great job at the inauguration. [laughter] i think she -- i look forward to hearing her in new orleans. she won me over early on. in my career. and the story in the "new york post," you know, was just made up. >> there was a story that said that beyoncé hadn't apologized to senator schumer, just to go behind the curtain, you and we admitted that. >> it was silly. i was on the way out and someone comes over to me and this has beyoncé apologize? and i said no. >> where was this? >> i was doing an event, a press event about sandy. it was sunday mornin

Transcripts For MSNBCW MSNBC Live 20170119

and seated when he takes the oath as two of his nominees take the hot seat on the hill today. our correspondents are fanned out across the capital and across the country, covering all of the angles. let's begin this hour with senior white house correspondent chris jansing. she's been tracking trump's moves for us across washington, d.c. today. she joins me here from washington as well. chris, tell me about what donald trump is doing today. he began at his d.c. hotel, right? >> reporter: he did. and this has been already a very busy day for him. you mentioned the luncheon. i think the two key events that are coming up are going to be happening first at -- in arlington, virginia, at arlington national cemetery, where he will lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns. in is something all presidents do, the ceremonial kinds of things that have become so important symbolically. this will be his first taste of being that person in the eyes of the country and even the eyes of the world are on him. and then toby keith is going to be headlining a big pre-inaugural party, which is going to be taking place at the lincoln memorial. this is the first time we will hear him speak as president-elect in washington, at least that's the way that they're selling it, that he's going to have things to say to rev up the crowd here. i'm standing, by the way, outside the national building museum where tomorrow this is going to be the site of one of three of the balls. but, you know, this is sort of all the pomp and circumstance. you mentioned, you know, behind the scenes, there is some angst that is going on within the halls of power that's here now. are enough people in place? are enough people ready to go into the various agencies and even in the white house to get the ball rolling? one of the things they have said repeatedly, the people planning the inaugural, that their marg orders from president-elect trump have been, we need to be ready to go on day one, first minute. we're going to be heading into the white house after that parade. we're going to get the job done for the american people. they're saying the parade is going to be shorter than usual. so, today i guess in many respects it's very ceremonial for him. he'll be spending the night at blair house, which is traditional, right across the street from the white house. tomorrow more ceremony, but then he gets down to business, katy. >> chris jansing, thank you so much for giving us a rundown of donald trump's busy day. joining me right here from washington, d.c., and seated next to me, actually, is josh bolton, the former chief of staff for george w. bush. you were there for 41 leaving office. you were there for 43 taking office and leaving office. it's a privileged perspective to have, to see this transition of power up close and personal. talk to me about the differences -- orsame similarities f there are any, between donald trump taking over and when george w. bush took over? >> i bet there's a lot more similarity than people think. it's a remarkable moment in our civic history when we have this transition -- peaceful transition of power. it's a very abrupt event. the west wing is -- the day before the 20th is filled with the former president's people doing their jobs and everything. >> and their stuff. >> and their stuff. and they clear out at the end of business on the 19th, a little more business to finish on the 2 20th, but the carpet layers are there making the white house look like what the incoming president wants to be. it's very abrupt. all those people are out and the new team is in. in that respect, i think all presidential transitions are similar. >> but donald trump won't have his cabinet in place, hardly at all, when he takes office. how difficult does that make it for the transition of power? there are concerns about his national security team and his national security council. do you have concern he's going to be ready to govern on day one and protect americans? >> well, i would hope the senate is going to be able to confirm as many of his national security appointees as possible. remember, katy, that all of the people in the white house can take their jobs right at noon on january 20th because they don't need to be confirmed. so the government isn't without leaders. it's just missing some of the leaders of the's. it's always a moment of vuler inability -- vulnerability for the country. it's enhanced if the cabinet officers aren't in place we've gotten through it before. weet get through it again. >> sean spicer, donald trump's incoming white house press sect, spoke to the press earlier today. a number of the questions were surrounding how ready donald trump was going to be to lead, specifically when it came to his national security council, but he also speak about how the inaugural speech will be m philosophical than agenda-driven. he talked about not having a latino in his cabinet wasn't necessarily a big thing because they have enough diversity. remember, he started this campaign by especially going after mexican immigrants. he also talked about how it's okay for him to hold events at his d.c. hotel, how that wasn't a big deal. there are so many questions surrounding conflicts of interest and whether donald trump will be able to unify this party. do you have a sense that he is going to be able to take office and quickly or even at any point ameliorate those concerns that a good portion of the country still has about how he'll lead? >> well, look, i -- my experience goes to the moment when george w. bush took office. >> contentious. >> contentious after the contentious, contested election result in florida, ultimately decided by the supreme court. a substantial portion of the country thought that george w. bush was not legitimately elected president. you have a similar kind of situation here for donald trump. i think george w. bush did a fantastic job of assuring the country he would be the president of the whole country. trump has said the same. let's give him a chance to prove it. >> there's a lot of talk about the nuclear codes and there was a lot of talk during the campaign about the nuclear codes. a lot of accusations that donald trump should not have those in his hand, he's not fit to have them, too erratic, too unpredictable, doesn't have the temperament somebody given that grave responsibility will need. talk to me about the changes that happen when somebody is handed over the nuclear football. does that affect a person in a way that maybe they don't even expect? >> oh, it has to. even somebody like george w. bush, who had the benefit of watching his dad's presidency, was deeply affected the moment that he received his briefing on his most terrifying and awesome responsibility, and that is the authority to order a nuclear strike. that usually happens the morning of the inauguration where the president-elect learns the nuts and bolts of what to do, how to do it, if and when he's called on to make that terrible decision. it has to affect everybody. but, you kn, our history of presidents is, everybody steps into office and they have to grow as a human being and as a leader. again, i think we need to give donald trump the chance to be that leader. >> we should remind our audience that donald trump is spending the day here in the area surrounding the nation's capital as well. he's going to be visiting -- or is visiting arlington national ceremony. can you see the ceremony that is about to take place there. donald trump should be there at any moment if he's not there already. josh, tell me, there's a lot of pump and circumstance surrounding this day in washington. certainly a lot of pomp and circumstance tomorrow. donald trump is 70 years old. he didn't have any civil service experience, he doesn't have any military experience. do you think he understands the enormity of what this office means and the history of this office, the tradition of it? >> you know, i sure hope so. it's an extraordinary position he's about to enter into. >> isn't it unusual that we even have to ask that question before an inauguration? >> you should ask that question about every incoming president because nobody is fully prepared to be president when they step into office. and i think when president-elect trump comes to washington, he's here now, when he sees some of the grand traditions that have marked our democracy for years, when he has coffee with the obamas tomorrow morning in the house that will soon be his, when he gets his briefing on the nuclear codes. that has to change a person and we have to hope that whoever the person is coming into office they can inhabit the huge role of president. >> what advice would you give him? >> i would say to -- to president-elect, as i would say to every president and every incoming white house staffer, be humble about what you don't know. respect this house. respect the people who have been around this house and have experience in it. be humble about what you know and be prepared for the unexpected because the unexpected will happen. >> really quickly, what would you tell reince priebus in order for him to know how to get donald trump's ear? what is a trick you learned in the white house? >> you know, i've had a chance to talk with reince several times. he's a wonderful guy. in a really difficult position. chief of staff is a tough job. being chief of staff to donald trump is a doubly tough job. but he has maybe the most important thing going in, which is he has donald trump's ear. now, the challenge -- >> so does steve bannon, so does jared kushner, his son-in-law. there's a bit of divide of power in there and there's competing power structures. >> yeah, but look, i served as chief of staff in a white house that had karl rove in it, it had -- >> good point. >> -- dan bartlett, dan gillespie. he needs to have the president's confidence and respect. i think reince goes in having that. his challenge is to try to take somebody who is not accustomed to the disciplines of government decision-making and put him into that structure so that there is a coherent decision-making process every day. we have to wish him the best of that because he's dealing with a very unusual character in donald trump. >> talk about the cabinet confirmations going on o the hill right now. there's a lot of contentio moments. steve mnuchin is getting grilled over his, you know, financial record and his record on foreclosures specifically. do you think there is somebody that potentially is not going to make it through these cabinet confirmations? >> you know, there's often somebody who turns out to be the weak animal in the herd and and, you know, they get split off from the herd and attacked. the democrats are looking for that weak animal right now. so far it's not clear to me who that is. as of today, barring some new information, it looks to me like all the cabinet officers will make it through. they probably should. the president ought to be able to pick folks he wants to put into his cabinet. >> i want to tell our viewers what we're looking at right now. this is a shot of donald trump's motorcade leaving his washington, d.c., hotel and heading to arlington national cemetery where he will take part in this ceremony that you are seeing right now. you know, what donald trump didn't do that so many past presidents have done is appointment somebody from the opposition to his cabinet. george w. bush did that, bill clinton did that, president obama did that. there's no democrat in donald trump's cabinet. do you think that sends a signal to those that did not vote for him that maybe there's no room in donald trump's decision-making for opposition voices? >> no, i don't think so. look, he has democrats in his family. he's got democrats in the white house. >> why not appoint one? why not do what so many past presidents have done? why not follow that precedent at least, considering how contentious this election was? he didn't win the popular vote. >> and neither have several previous presidents, including abraham lincoln, so -- >> but by a few million people. it was a pretty wide margin. >> yeah, but, you know, we -- i think everybody has to accept trump as legitimate president and support him, whether you support him in the campaign or not. my advice to the trump transition would have been, yeah, sure, find a democrat you want to put into the cabinet, but that shouldn't be the overwhelming factor. it should be the quality of the people. most americans probably didn't know that there was a democrat in george w. bush's cabinet. mineta was secretary of transportation. wonderful man butho heard of norm mineta? i don't think it's a big signal-sending moments. they will come when the president has to deal with the congress, has to address controversial issues. that will show whether he's prepared to be president. >> talk about the big signal-sending moments he's had so far. listen, there's been a lot of concern, even from the republican party b donald trump. it took a long time for him to get the republican party on board. was there a moment in this past transition where you said, you know what, i think donald trump could have some success or here's where i think he will have success? >> you know, in the selection of some of his cabinet officers -- >> like who? >> like general mattis for defense, like rex tillerson to go to state. his signaling was, we're -- you know, we're going to reach outside the usual suspects. make no mistake, you know, this is a republican victory. it's a republican house, senate -- >> absolutely. >> -- and presidency, but make no mistake about this campaign. it was a hostile takeover of the republican party. >> indeed. >> and the signal-sending that donald trump continues to do is, it's going to be -- it's not going to be business as usual. it's going to be different. i think a lot of americans are going to find that refreshing. i think maybe even washington will find that refreshing. >> josh bolton, thank you for that extended interview and lending your insights to us on this oh-so important day and what will be an even more important day tomorrow. thank you for being here. >> thank you. in just 22 hours, donald trump will have the codes to launch america's nuclear weapons. we were just talking about that. a look at the sobering responsibility of handling what's known as the nuclear football. health update on former president goench h.w. bush and bash ba bush and george w. bush's plans to attend the inauguration. it's beautiful. was it a hard place to get to? 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perry used his opening statement today to express regret for those remarks while admitting he didn't know the full scope of the agency. >> my past statements, made over five years ago about abolishing the department of energy do not reflect my current thinking. in fact, after being briefed on so many of th vital functions of the department of energy, i regret recommending its will he name nation. >> as steve mnuchin made his way to the hill today, protesters made their way to goldman sachs in new york city. groups protested the treasury nominee's ties to wall street while mnuchin was grilled about them on capitol hill. >> i did not use a cayman island entity in any way to avoid taxes for myself. i paid u.s. taxes on all that income. >> so, you helped others avoid paying taxes? >> again, i'm not going to make a comment -- again, they didn't devoid. they followed the law. >> that a tense moment, but by far the most testy moment of today didn't come from the nominees but the senators tasked with questioning them. >> senator, i have a valium pill here you might want to take before the second round. just a suggestion, sir. >> just another suggestion. we've got a lot of colleagues waiting, if you could be brief, it would be helpful. >> senator not enjoying that joke. then trump's education secretary pick, michigan millionaire betty devos when asked to eliminate gun-free zones in school she mentioned a school in montana with grizzly protection. let's go to kelly o'donnell. who is likely to be confirmed by tomorrow? is there anybody that could be confirmed by tomorrow? secondly, is there somebody that could not make the cut? >> reporter: well, we're now getting along to the point where we talk about the tradition of actually confirming some nominees on inauguration day. in 2009, when barack obama took office, seven of his cabinet picks were confirmed on the day he took the oath. and it's expected tomorrow there will be a couple of the trump names that will move forward in the senate. chuck schumer, the democrat, in charge of his group, says they want to take their time and not move as many as quickly. mitch mcconnell wants to get more through. they will agree to move forward on some of the national security picks. so, that would mean the secretary of defense, james mattis, and homeland security secretary designee. those two are expected to be confirmed as early as tomorrow. there may be more as senators in both parties negotiate that. in terms of who might be in trouble, there has been cricism, of course, of betsy devos and mnuchin, who is still going through his hearing. that will be a drag on their candidacy. when you have democrats led by chuck schumer saying in certain instances they want more time, more questions, more scrutiny of some of the kinds of issues that in administrations past would sometimes derail a nomination. for example, the pick for the office of management and budget has just paid back taxes on a household employee. a generation ago, that would be the end of a nominee's candidacy. so, times have changed, perhaps. democrats don't have the same power that they had in the last congress, so we'll see how this goes. but, to give you a flavor of how things can change for the nominees themselves, rick perry, former governor of texas, was today asked about critical views. he fell on the sword about saying the department should be abolished, changed his mind there, and then had an answer knowing there were members on the committee who wanted to talk about climate change. here's how he responded. >> i believe the climate is changing. i believe some of it is naturally occurring but some is caused by man-made activity. the question is, how we address it in a thoughtful way. >> how much climate change do you think is -- the science shows is due to human activity? >> senator, far for me to be sitting before you today and claiming to be a climate scientist. i will not do that. >> to your broader question, democrats say they are not going to drag out the process of confirming picks just for the sake of slowing it down, but they will use their power under the rules. there are many points where an individual senator can put the brakes on something. many points you have to have an agreement between the two parties. those are the ways that could gum this up and extend the process for the trump administration. in, effect, delaying new leaders at the top of these agencies. this will be something that will be a work in progress as they negotiate and will be learning more probably on a daily basis about the timeline for getting some of these picks in. we also expect the cia director designate mike pompeo would be next in line for consideration based on what we were hearing from sources today. >> nbc's kelly o'donnell with a moment ago perhaps the biggest understatement of the day, that times have changed. i'm just ribbing you. thank you. now to our microsoft pulse question of the day. we're asking you, should rick perry run the federal agency he once pledged to abolish when he was running for president? as we just mentioned, he took back those words earlier today, but share your thoughts and tell us what you think. we'll share your responses later on in the hour. up next, what's known as the nuclear football, the codes that will be in donald trump's hands within the next 24 hours. that and more coverage when our live coverage from washington continues after the break. will your business be ready when growth presents itself? american express open cards can help you take on a new job, or fill a big order and they're absolutely right. they say that it's hot... when really, it's scorching. and while some may say the desert is desolate... we prefer secluded. what is the desert? it's absolutely what you need right now. absolutely scottsdale. here's a live look on your screen of arlington national cemetery. that's where we're waiting for donald trump to arrive in the next hour or so to lay a wreath. some time in the next 24 hours, though, before he takes the oath of office, trump will be briefed on the nuclear codes for the first time. the codes follow the president 24/7 in a 45-pound nondescript black satchel known as the nuclear football. trump's briefing will include the step-by-step procedure for using those codes and ordering a nuclear attack. here was former white house chief of staff andy card talking about that briefing earlier today on msnbc. >> it is a sober experience to go through, because you realize that people will carry out your command. and they will execute. they will do what they're asked to do. so, that is sobering. >> joini me now, boot, also author of "invisible armies." max, talk to me about what this means to get these nuclear codes up. just heard andy card say it was sobering, josh bolton said pretty much the same thing to me a moment ago. how enormous is it to be handed over basically the keys to destruction of civilization? >> well, obviously, i mean, when you put it that way, it's a pretty enormous responsibility. i mean, the president of the united states is the most powerful person on the face of the world, capable of destroying hundreds of millions of lives with a few words and the push of a few buttons. that's a sobering and awesome responsibility that i hope and trust that donald trump will take as seriously as all of his predecessors have since the dawn of the nuclear age. >> there was a lot of concern whether he would take it seriously. a letter signed by ten former nuclear launch officers saying the person that holds them needs to have judgment, constraints and diplomat skill. there were certainly questions about donald trump having any of those things. do you believe he's proved himself more in the lead-up to the inauguration? >> i don't think he's proved much in the lead-up to the inauguration. i think it premains to be seen. it's not just a test for him but a test for his team. remember who actually gets, for example, the 3:00 a.m. phone call when a crisis emerges or occurred during the carter administration, when there was a launch warning at norad suggesting a soviet nuclear strike was inbound. the person won't up immediately was the president's national security adviser, band he had t decide whether to tell president carter to launch american nuclear weapons and start world war iii. now, he understood this was a training exercise, no one at norad understood that. had he made that decision, the results would have been incalculable. now it remains with flynn, and questions remain about his judgment and temperament. it's not just a question of president trump but who he surrounds himself with. right now there are questions on our front, not just who they are but how many there are? most of the top national security posts remain unfilled even today, even though we're a less than a day away from the inauguration. >> sean spicer said they'll make sure those posts are filled as soon as possible. if a foreign leader wants to call somebody in the military or talk about a potential threat, who are they going to call between friday and potentially monday or whenever the national security council is fully assembled? >> well, the trump team announced that they're going to let some of the senior political appointees from the obama administration stay on board, including deputy secretary of defense bob orack and understate for political affairs at the state department, some people on the job now can be caretakers, but they won't be able to exercise the authority they need to. even when they get the cabinet officers like secretary of defense, jim mattis and others in place, they still need a team in order to implement policy. that team does not exist right now. i'm kind of befuddled by the fact that today the trump administration is announcing that woody johnson, the owner of the new york jets, is about to be appointed ambassador to the that's nice for woody johnson but ambassador to court of st. james is not a pivotal policy post in government. i'm befuddled and concerned they're appointing ambassadors without appointing people to whom the ambassadors are supposed to report on a daily basis because there is still no deputy secretary of state, we also don't have deputy secretary of defense, the undersecretaries, the assistant secretaries. this is the machinery of government which is basically going to remain in kind of limbo until some of these officials are actually appointed. >> just one of the many open questions. max boot, senior fellow for council or foreign relations. thank you for joining us and adding your insight. after the swearing-in ceremony and the parade comes the glitz and glamour of the inaugural balls. trump will attend three official ones. his first dance with his wife, melania, will reportedly be to the sinatra classic "my way," fitting for a man, naturally, who did things his way. chris jansing joins me again from washington with an inside look at what these big, glitzy events will be like. chris, you're playing double duty for us today. talk to us about the inaugural balls. >> reporter: exclusive behind-the-scenes access. maybe this doesn't look like much, a random coat check sign, but look at this building. unbelievable. what a stately place to hold one of these three inaugural balls. you can see all the finishing touches are being put on the stage, some floor coverings coming . sara armstrong, ceo of the inaugural committee, is here. good to see you. >> thank you. >> reporter: how are you feeling about everything? >> i'm excited. it's almost here. i'm a little nervous, too, but it's going great. >> reporter: everything's in place? >> everything's in place. we're in last-minute adjustments. >> reporter: what were your marching orders from president-elect? >> he wanted to make it about the american people. focus on we make sure we bring our country together, unity, but to celebrate traditions of inauguration and make sure the american people get to experience it. so, he has a lot of traditions that are taking place, but a little bit, you know, that's about him that is unique in terms of making it special for the audiences. >> reporter: in every place i'm told he's going to speak. we see the podium there. there will be a dance. what has surprised you about putting all this together? >> the magnitude of it and doing it in ten weeks. >> just a party for 800,000, 900,000 people. >> it's not just one party, it's multiple events. we have a great team. building the team was the important part of making sure this goes off well. we've had a great experience working with the military and our partners with the senate in terms of planning the events at the capitol, so, you have really great partnerships that make it go well. >> reporter: what keeps you up at night? >> right now it's the weather. we're looking for a little rain tomorrow so i'm a little worried about that but it's going to be a great day and people will go out and enjoy it regardless. >> reporter: this isn't the only place. the very first ball -- actually, two balls at the convention center. >> that's correct. two over there andhis will be the third ball. >> reporter: this is unique, though. us to be called the commander in chief ball. >> it did. we wanted to make sure it focused on the armed services. we changed the name of it. president-elect trump wanted to focus on the military so we changed it to salute to our armed services and it's very fitting. >> reporter: is the president-elect nervous? >> i think he's very confident about tomorrow. he's important to get to work, a very important speech and a very important job ahead. that's what he's excited about, getting to work. >> reporter: i'm sure you haven't been getting any sleep. thank you, sara armstrong, we appreciate you taking the time. they already have events today. just about an hour from now, he's going to be laying a wreath at arlington national cemetery. then he has the big party over at the lincoln. then he'll be staying tonight at blair house, which is traditional. the president-elect can see out of his window over to 1600 pennsylvania avenue where he will live starting tomorrow. katy? >> chris, thank you so much for that inside look. nbc's chris jansing. turning to our microsoft pulse question. it's about rick perry who testified on the earlier. we're asking, should rick perry run the federal agency he once pledged to abolish when he was running for president? he does say he regrets those words, but are you convinced? well, only 6% of you are. 94% say, no, he should not be running that agency. keep weighing in and we'll check back later in the hour. still a lot of questions about what will happen to undocumented immigrants and dreamers in this country. we take you live to the border where time is of the essence for folks looking to make america their home. as we head to break, a look back at a moment that truly put the power of barack obama's presidency into focus. at least for one little boy. >> jacob, what did you say that made the president do that and let you reach over and touch his hair? >> i asked -- i asked him if i could touch his hair. >> and why did you ask him that? why did you want to do that? >> because i was wondering if we had the same haircut and it was in common. >> and what did it feel like when you put your hand over there? >> it felt the same. ♪ approaching medicare eligibility? you may think you can put off checking out your medicare options until you're sixty-five, but now is a good time to get the ball rolling. keep in mind, medicare only covers about eighty percent of part b medical costs. the rest is up to you. that's where aarp medicare supplement insurance plans insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company come in. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they could help pay some of what medicare doesn't, saving you in out-of-pocket medical costs. you've learned that taking informed steps along the way really makes a difference later. that's what it means to go long™. call now and request this free decision guide. it's full of information on medicare and the range of aarp medicare supplement plans to choose from based on your needs and budget. all plans like these let you choose any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients, and there are no network restrictions. unitedhealthcare insurance company has over thirty years experience and the commitment to roll along with you, keeping you onoue. so call now and scover how an aarp medicare supplement plan could go long™ for you. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp, an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. plus, nine out of ten plan members surveyed say they would recommend their plan to a friend. remember, medicare doesn't cover everything. the rest is up to you. call now, request your free decision guide and start gathering the information you need to help you keep rolling with confidence. go long™. ♪ we are back on a busy hour here on msnbc. on one side of your screen, arlington national cemetery in virginia, where donald trump will lay a wreath next hour. on the other side, trump's pick to lead the treasury, steve mnuchin in the hot seat on capitol hill facing tough questions from a senate committee. meanwhile, undocumented immigrants and dreamers living in the u.s. face an uncertain future under president trump. for those across the border, time is rung out. one of trump's first moves is an executive order to start building the wall. you're seeing dozens of migrants trying to cross into the u.s. before trump's inauguration and before he makes any major changes with immigration policies. gadi schwartz joins us from m matamoros, mexico, across the border from brownsville. tell us who you've met? >> reporter: emotional meeting a lot of immigrants. they say they're fleeing the violence. this is the rio graende, it's what separates mexico from the united states. these are the bridges where a lot of deportees are sent back into mexico. once they get back here. they can go back to their cities or they can go down the road a little bit and talk to some of those human smugglers who work for the cartels. then they will be taken about 20, 30 miles down where the border is a little bit less protected. that's where we were yesterday with border patrol agents who were watching rafts come over filled with wom and children. those women and children, as soon as they came into the united states, many of them were detained. we're talking about dozens and dozens just from the one border patrol agent we were with, here's a little about about what those detainees had to say to us. >> i asked her if she thought people may be crossing before donald trump took office and she says, yeah. [ speaking spanish ] >> she says she thinks it's going to get harder once donald trump is president. why did you come? [ speaking spanish ] >> she says she came because she was threatened by the gaj gangs, they were threatening to kill her and she's pregnant and they were scared for their lives so they came. >> reporter: as she came from el salvador, she was separated from her husband shortly after that interview so they could be transported to immigrations and customs. they are now being processed. every single immigrant we talked to yesterday about donald trump talked to us about the wall. they said they did not believe the wall was going to be built. if it was built, they would continue to try to come into this country because they were fleeing their countries fearing for their lives. back to you. >> gadi , thank you. joining me is jose antonio vargas as co-founder and ceo of define american and emerging usa. jose, we were just watching that. donald trump started this run for office and ultimately gained the presidency by saying mexicans crossing the border were rapists and criminals but some were good people. >> yeah. >> do you feel like there has been a caricature of the mexican immigrant coming over and do you think that's something that can change? >> by the way, i'm a journalist while i worked at "the washington post" for five years so i'm not just an immigration activist. as a journalist, i actually have a request to everybody in the media, msnbc, cnn, "the washington post," "the new york times," which is we don't play into what we just saw, by the way. immigration is not only a mexican issue. i would actually argue donald trump is about to be sworn in tomorrow because we in the media, for t most part, has largely failed in really context actualizing this issue and thinking about it beyond mexico. i saw what -- i'm really glad the way that reporter humanized that, but could we go to canada, by the way? are there reporters in canada trying to figure out how many white canadians are trying to come this way? >> donald trump focused on mexican immigrants and muslim immigrants. those are the two areas. >> i think we owe the mexican people in this country an apology. most mexicans in this country are u.s.-born citizens. fastest growing undocumented population are asian immigrants. i'm filipino. what have we done? we show usually "b" roll of people on a boat trying to get here. the reality is illegal border crossings are the lowest several since the 1970s. so, it's really -- >> not only that but the people that are coming over the border commit less crime than those who were born here. >> the great majority of us have been here for more than 20 years. i've been here since i was 12. today i actually got an e-mail from bank of america, who's been my bank since i was a teenager, asking me if i wanted to buy a home. >> and you're not documented. >> i'm not a u.s. citizen. >> you come from the philippines. you have an incredible story you documented yourself in, i believe, "the washington post," right? >> in a documentary for cnn. >> in a documentary. you talk about how your mother, when you were 12 put you on a plane with an uncle you had never met and you never knew about this until you went to the dmv with what turned out to be a fake green card. the person at the dmv said, please don't come back here, and let you go. are you worried about your status? clearly you've grown up, you've contributed to society here in a really major way. do you have any idea what's going to happen to you? >> my personally, i don't. i have no idea. i've been here for 23 years. i have paid thousands of taxes. very proud to pay the taxes. very proud to pay thousands of dollars in social security, even though i can't get any of that back, right? i'm older than the dreamers you're talking about. right now there are about 800,000 young people in this country, who have grown up here, working, pay taxes, buying cars, buying homes, and president trump with the stroke of a pen can take away their immigration status. >> that could happen as early as this weekend. >> donald trump has been on the cover of "forbes," they say the estimated $200 billion loss in economic impact. $60 billion loss in tax revenue if he repeals this deferred action program. >> they're talking differing the immigration policy for those just coming to visit the u.s. from europe. it's a wide-sweeping thing. it's not just mexican immigrants, even though he campaigned on that. >> i'm so glad, by the way, you mentioned that woman at the dmv. i never knew her name. she just said to me -- she looked at my green card. she said, this is fake. don't come back here again. i was 16. and i think about how many people like that at dmvs, teachers, employers -- you all know employers, by the way. look at texas, 1.8 million undocumented in the state of texas. texas' economy would collapse without us. so the question is what are these allies, employerses, teachers, classmates, friends, what are they going to do when donald trump starts deporting us? we have a website called toimmigrantswithlove.com. if you're a teacher, coworker, employer, this is a good time to send a message to immigrant's neighbors if you're there to watch. not just watch but speak up as a cizen of this country. >> thank you for being on and lending your insight and broadening the scope of our coverage. appreciate it. friends and foes of donald trump are making their way to washington to witness the inauguration of the next american president. we'll check in with our teams. we're road tripping to the nation's capital next. as we head to break, we take a look at what donald trump is doing to fill the seats at his inauguration. here's an undate from "the verge". >> day as way from being sworn in as 45th president and donald trump is once again turned to social media. this time the president-elect has reportedly been using targeted facebook ads to deliver the quote, unbelievable, inauguration he promised in the "new york times" earlier this month. the ads hit certain age groups promising keepsake commemorative tickets if he showed up. trump used facebook during his campaign to rally his base and dismay the opposition. that's the update. point decisively with the arm of your glasses. abracadabra. the stage is yours. step two: choose la quinta. the only hotel where you can redeem loyalty points for a free night-instantly and win at business. with not food, become food? thankfully at panera, 100% of our food is 100% clean. no artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, or colors. panera. food as it should be. a live picture from arlington national cemetery in virginia, where donald trump will lay a wreath. he's expected to get there in about the next ten minutes with the vice president-elect as well. meanwhile, an estimated 80 0,000 people are headed to d.c., many supporters going to see their guy get inaugurated, but hundreds of thousands of others aren't so excited. protesters coming to tell trump they don't approve of his policies and his behavior during the last year and a half. our team of correspondents is following both grubz. jacob rascon starts us off in illinois. >> reporter: hi, katy, we're halfway there, driving from colorado to washington, d.c. we're here with shandra, melissa, lila, and each have their own reason for going. for you, why is it so important to be there? >> it's really important for me to show my daughters that there are hundreds of thousands if not millions of people like them, that have the same concerns as them and will stand up for them. >> reporter: what does this have to do with donald trump? >> we i think it's important to show that young people like my sister and i weren't allowed to vote but we have opinions and rights. >> i totally agree. he's planning on defunding planned parenthood. that affects people not just of voting age. >> and it's going to be groovy. >> reporter: there are 2,000 people from colorado alone who signed up to go to this women's march on washington. many others probably didn't sign up but are still planning to go. now, over to my colleague, migu miguel. >> reporter: we're also in a car headed to washington, d.c. we're with trump supporters who could not be more excited about trump's big inauguration. we're here with theresa. talk to me about the excitement you have as we get closer to washington, d.c. >> miguel, i'm so excited. i've actually got the destination on my map. i keep looking down to see if we're there yet. >> reporter: this is your second inauguration. what make this i one special for you? >> this one is special to me because i'm going to be able to eny it with my son and some close friends and my husband. but also because mr. trump was a different kind of candidate, and his election was just unexpected and so being his supporter, i was thrilled when he actually won on election night. >> you told me, you're not just excited to see mr. trump, but other presidents as well. >> oh, yes. i'm excited to see president obama. he has such a beautiful family. president carter, president george w. bush, and, of course, president clinton and secretary clinton. it will be so exciting. >> reporter: you're also taking friends and family along the way. tell me who you're with. >> yes. in the back we have my husband, jim. and kay is beside me. she's a very good friend of mine. and her husband, john, is our driver. >> reporter: there you have it, giving us access taking us to washington, d.c. we're getting closer to the national mall, where jolene kent is. how are you doing out there? >> reporter: this is where it's all going to happen, the mall here in washington. you can see the capitol right behind me. they covered the mall with this white plastic flooring to protect it. thousands of people are going to be coming here. we are expecting some rain, a lot of security. as we've been preparing for inauguration, we've been meeting people from all across the country. one person i met on election weekend, and now again is mark williams, u.s. steel worker. he is coming here. a former democrat. personally invited by donald trump to attend inauguration. >> i strongly feel he's going to do what he said he's going to do. >> reporter: what's that? what's the number one priority for you? >> bring back manufacturing jobs to the united states. bring back good paying jobs to the united states so that the american worker request feel proud. to be in the working field again. >> reporter: he will be sitting right up there on the dioc in the seats facing donald trump as he takes the oath of office in just less than 24 hours. katy? >> all of them making their way here to d.c. can't wait to see you guys. now for a quick update on the former president, george h.w. bush and barbara bush. th remain in stable condition at houston methodist hospital. . bush suffering from pneumonia. the 92-year-old is in icu, relying on a ventilator to breathe. the condition of mrs. bush greatly improved and she continues to undergo conditions for bronchitis. george bush and laura bush are still planning to attend the inauguration. before we let you go, a reminder that msnbc is your place for nonstop coverage of donald trump's inauguration. our all-day coverage kicks off tomorrow morning with "morning joe" at 6:00 a.m. we'll be there live, talking to you all day long. that does it this hour for me, i'm katy tur. kate snow picks it up for us right now. >> where are you going to be tomorrow? >> i'll be at the capitol and then in front of the white house and then at a ball and i'll never sleep again -- >> you are never going to sleep. katy tur, great to see you. i am kate snow. we are clearly in washington, d.c., where tomorrow history will be made. donald trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the united states. the president-elect has already arrived here in washington. we're expecting trump and vice president-elect mike pence, as katy was saying, to lay a wreath at arlington national cemetery. that should happen very soon. we were told to expect it this hour. we'll bring it to you live. later this afternoon, trump heads over to lincoln memorial for a concert being headlined by toby keith and band three doors down. we're following two more confirmation hearings for two of president-elect's cabinet nominations. later in the show, i'll be talking to long-time inaugural parade announcer, charlie brotman, who has been

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