About the National Security apparatus, do they have what they need post9 11 from the federal government . Or are there still things outstanding that they would like to be done . He mentioned that he felt spread were thinly because the threat has morphed into different countries. There talking about how is a priority on whats going on with prices in the philippines, africa, he even mentioned north africa. I got the impression that he feels like the resources were spread thin. Washe big event this week about ambush in niger, are there more questions to be asked . Do we know enough about whats happening as an American Public . We dont know that much about ambush. Pened in the the u. S. Military is doing an after action report right now. There are early signs that the group that ambushed the special forces unit had connections to Islamic State. Its known that Islamic State and al qaeda are trying to play off of travel robberies in that region to bolster their presence there. We have a lot to learn about whats happening there and what it means for the fight against the country. Two big events with the ambush and also the ball of raqqa, is going to be changing the dynamics. Thank you for your questions. I appreciate. I appreciate it. Tomorrow, the Hudson Institute takes a look in countering violent extremism with lawmakers and warmer intelligence officials. Throughout the day, we will hear from people like leon panetta and david petraeus, as well as former white house chief strategist steve bannon. That gets underway at 12 p. M. Eastern light on cspan3. For more like coverage with White House Press secretary sarah sanders, she joins white house correspondents from fox news, cnn, and the New York Times to talk about the Trump Administration and its relationship with the media. Thats live at 7 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan three. You can also watch online at cspan. Org or listen on the free cspan radio app. Close your eyes for a moment. I see you. Trust me, empathy. I want you to stretch your imagination. Open your eyes. Thats how fast it happens. In a blink, no warning. Tonight on q a. Executive director of paralyzed americans and retired u. S. Marine Corps Officer sheryl gillams junior talks about his own paralysis and his work. Im trying to tell them this is the problem. This is from a patients perspective, from a policy perspective, an advocacy perspective and you have to empathize. Thats what will make it the ideal provider for veterans who have sacrificed. Tonight at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspans q a. Cspans washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Coming up monday morning, usa today washington correspondent paul singer and Associated PressWhite House Reporter darlene tuberville discussed the week ahead in washington. Apartment list economist Christopher Sally aday talked about the mortgage interest. Be sure to watch cspans washington journal live at 7 00 p. M. Eastern on monday morning. Join the discussion. Arizona senator john mccain was recently honored with the National Constitution centers Liberty Medal in philadelphia. It was a it is awarded each year to those who show leadership in upholding basic freedoms around the world. Joe biden presented senator mccain with the metal, this portion is just under one hour and a half. Gentlemen, please welcome the president and chief executive officer of the National Constitution center jeffrey rosen. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the National Constitution centers. National constitution center. You onn honor to welcome this meaningful location. As the National ConstitutionCenter Awards the 2017 Liberty Medal to senator john mccain. [applause] throughout his career, senator mccain has put his the motion to the u. S. Constitution above action or party. He is the kind of independent citizen statesman James Madison envisioned when he stressed that the u. S. Constitution created not a direct democracy, but a representative republic. Madison and the framers of the constitution believed that direct democracies have led in greece and rome to rule by emma cox and the mob. Demagogues and the mob. In a representative about death republic, citizens would delegate power to enlighten representatives. A chosen body of citizens whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country. And whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations. Its especially meaningful that senator mccain will be awarded the Liberty Medal accompanied by the chair of the National ConstitutionCenter Vice President joe biden. [applause] Vice President biden served in the senate with john mccain or more than two second two decades grade their willingness to Work Together on behalf of the United States of america represents a madisonian ideal that is now under siege. Forces andpopulist social Media Technologies are vulcanizing citizens into filter bubbles and echo chambers, speeding up Public Discourse in the process. The result is polarizing our media and elected officials and threatening values of thoughtful deliberation and public reason in precisely the way the framers feared. Thats why the National Constitution centers mission of constitutional education is so urgently important. 1988, one year after he was sworn into the senate, senator mccain became a cosponsor of the bicentennial heritage act, which created the National Constitution center. That act gave us an inspiring Educational Mission to disseminate information about the u. S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis in order to increase awareness and understanding of the u. S. Constitution among the american people. Later, increasing constitutional awareness and understanding is more necessary than ever. It is crucial that we bring together citizens of different perspectives on all media platforms to listen respectfully to constitutional arguments on all sides. We need to empower all americans to educate themselves about the constitution so that we the people can deliberate thoughtfully with each other and choose in my and representatives like senator mccain to enlightened representatives like senator mccain. The future of liberty and democracy depends on constitutional education. As jefferson said, democracy cannot survive both ignorant and free. Ae centerpiece of Constitution Centers education efforts is the online interactive constitution. Its received nearly 12 million hits since it launched in 2015. [applause] you can click on any provision of the constitution using this amazing online tool and find the leading conservative and liberal legal figures of america discussing what they agree about and what they disagree about. This wonderful platform is a model for the kind of thoughtful, most the partisan situation that madison considered essential for freedom and democracy in america. With your help, we need to bring it to learners across america and across the globe. Light andng constitutional understanding, the National Constitution center inspires all citizens to preserve, protect, and the set defend american liberty in the spirit of sacrifice and service exemplified by the heroic career of senator mccain. Called tous will be the life of sacrifice and service that john mccain has devoted to the United States of america, but all of us are inspired by his example. On behalf of the National Constitution center, for all you have done to preserve, protect, and defendant liberty in america and across the globe, its an honor to say thank you, senator mccain. [applause] john mccains life has always been about freedom. Hes truly one of americas heroes. The personification of courage and independence. He has what it takes to stand up, to speak up. If you could combine a cowboy with a scholar, thats what he is. Mccain the third comes from a long line of service to country. His father was an admiral. His family has served in every conflict since americas founding. It dates back all the way to general George Washingtons staff. He was born in august of 1936 at the Naval Air Station in the u. S. Controlled panama canal zone where his father was stationed. My dad had intense admiration and respect or his dad. Hes a very small man. 54, but his presence was stunning. Mccains father was a submariner. Whograndfather a sailor pioneered Naval Aviation strategy on aircraft carriers. As a boy, he admits a mixed pride of his legacy and resentment that his course seems preordained. Never any other consideration other than he would go to the Naval Academy. When he was 15, his parents sent him to a basketball high school, a private boarding school in next andrea in alexandria. I went around from base to base, it was easy was probably more worldly than everyone. Bruce reinhardt was on the Football Team and wrestling squad with mccain, and remembers that even as a teenager, mccain was a nonconformist who pushed back against rules. Nothe school had a system unlike what you would find at the Naval Academy. Mccain said he was considered the worst rat because he would pick fights with his fellow students, challenge school authorities, and ignore regulations. Pugs,earned the nickname i think he enjoyed that nickname. On one hand he could have taken an easy path towards life, he was the son of a network, the grandson of an admiral, but he clearly wanted to make his own mark. After four years in the naval a medical academy, he was eager to add his own paragraph to the family legacy, with a combat tour in vietnam. The call to duty is what they are all about. He asked to all. 31, john mccain joined the squadron on the uss forestall. It was on the flight back in late july in 1967 that he had his first real brush with death. Dad was on deck, his plane was going to be the next one. A power surge triggered the accidental launch of a rocket across the ships like that, striking if you a fuel tank. There were sitting back there and trying to offload these bombs into the water. So many men died that day. He rolled off the nose and ran. He always talked about how he is the luckiest guy he knows. I always felt hes the luckiest and unluckiest guy. After surviving, he could have gone home. Instead, he volunteered for another tour on the uss arrest any, a carrier that shepherd is only its its own fire a year earlier. To him it wasnt about being a pilot in a war, he was serving his country. Planeee months later, his was shot down in a bombing mission. I found myself falling towards the middle of a small lake in the city of hanoi with two broken arms, broken leg, and an angry crowd waiting to greet me. Legs onoke his arms and each action. His captors broke his shoulder with smashing blows from a rep. Buck , then dumped them in an empty cell. We knew hed been captured. Later, he came close to death a couple of times. He was given medical treatment only after his captors learned his father was an admiral. He was a potential propaganda piece because of my grandfather. They were trying to explain that to their advantage. His jailers offered him Early Release and a chance to escape his suffering. He said im not leaving. Go home in the order of your shootdown. He would later learn that the day he was sent home, was the day his father was to be promoted commander of the entire pacific fleet. They thought they would secure a Public Relations coup by releasing him back to the states. Got an out early, he did his duty and did the right thing. Given they people, choice, would stay true to their code, true to their brothers who were there in the north vietnamese prison and refuse to go home russian mark i said i must have been a hard decision. For my dad, it was not a hard decision. Four hisent was punishment was four days of eating. Ribs, breaking his teeth, and rebreaking his arm. Ernest hemingway has this line, man can be destroyed, but not defeated. Every time i think of that, i think of john because of his strong and relentless will live and serve. Pow,first two years as a he was placed in solitary confinement. Its a test of strength, of human dignity. By the time he joined his bmws, he weighed just over 100 pounds. His broken arms still useless. They put me in a cell with two other americans. They did it for me. Those men saved my life. The experience changed him from a Rebel Without a cause to a maverick on a mission. Mercy ofowers are the your captor, and the only thing you hold onto is your ability to the faithful to your country. After 5. 5 years, he was sent home in march of 1973. His time as a pow made him appreciate that americas freedom was on honor. He retired from the navy in 1981, and won a seat in congress the following year. He couldnt serve in the military anymore so he went to politics. Who always had the backs of the men and women of the u. S. Military, no matter what. When president bill clinton called for normalizing relations with vietnam, mccain became a leader in the charge. One of the two key people, john kerry was the other one. Hes made 22 trips to vietnam. We have to take down every lead with respect to the potential that in america was still being held and there is something really striking about a man who spent five and a half years. We visited the hanoi hilton and i will never forget ever the emotion of being shown the cell in which he spent a fair amount of time. He now is someone whos also viewed by the vietnamese as their best advocate in washington. Family and colleagues will tell you hes still very much the rebel. He has a contrary in streak a mile wide. Im sure you heard the fiery mccain as an additive used to describe him. I said those guards watched over you are still going to Group Sessions all these years later trying to recover. The same courage that john showed in vietnam, he shows in Congress Almost every week. I remember i was getting some grief from local editorial boards of people because i was going after earmarks and e just spending. I was on a flight with him and he came back to my seat, he put his finger on my chest and i thought im really important. He said dont give up. You are doing the right thing. Senator mccain has been a role model for those who are younger senators about how to be your own man. When he talks, the room goes quiet. People always know something important is going to be said. Whats so unusual about john mccain is that combination of willingness to be a maverick and the real concern to the effective to make a difference. Mccain if mccain got his straight speaking style from his mother, he got his tireless work ethic from his dad. Hes a tremendous worker. He always wants to be prepared and ready. How he doesnt physically i dont know. We saw interns begging i have to take a break because they couldnt keep up with him. John came back to the senate right after the diagnosis of brain cancer against the might of his doctors. Tough diagnosis to get, but an even tougher guy. Hes consumed with doing his duty. Sailor, he like a fights like a sailor, hes worth like a sailor, and he is one of the greatest patriots ive ever met. He recognizes the need for america to be a voice for those who dont have much of a voice. Somebody asked him what should be the purpose of American Foreign policy, and he said i cant think of a better answer to that than the declaration of independence. Everyone of us is created equal and we have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Hes always put his Country First in everything. [applause] please welcome the president of the university of pennsylvania dr. Amy gutmann ,. Good evening everyone and what a good evening it is good evening. We gather at the National Constitution center to honor a man renowned for among other things, his deep respect for constitutional knowledge and tradition, and his abiding bipartisanship. Two things in such short supply these days, that we all had to visit a museum to see it on display. Seriousness, how very moving it is that the career long republican we , by his isonight going to be is going to be introduced by his good friend, im equally renowned democratic senator and United StatesVice President , joe biden. This is really a momentous evening. Such distinctively bipartisan why we so underscores warmly celebrate this years Liberty Medal recipient. The occasion of awarding the Liberty Medal to this great patriot of our time, Benjamin Franklin had the perfect words, of course. Know, he of you dont is the founder of the university of pennsylvania. Britain imposed punitive restrictions of liberty on the american colonies, franklin declared they who give up essential liberty to obtain a deserveemporary safety neither liberty nor safety. Nobody knows the truth of franklins words better than this years recipient of the Liberty Medal