Issues that capitol hill and the country has dealt with in the last several decades but now theyre at the floor. You are one of the worlds foremost experts on immigration and have been there watching as capitol hill has struggled with this issue over the of course, over the last couple of decades and going back and forth. And now, with the pope picks in the vatican in quite literally at the front of many of the issues as people are trying to cross the mediterranean. So lets just turn off with a question in light you have been doing this a long time how does it change when of pope takes an interest in your topic . [laughter] good morning. Thank you for the question. I think when the pope speaks the perspective that is global and tomorrow at the same time. And then to focus on the importance of family and children it is in a very clear way these kinds of issues that lots of people will want to hear the pope speak but i am not quite sure if the u. S. Congress who have spent the unable there and willing to reach any agreement with regard to immigration will influence them one way or another. It is more likely to sway Public Opinion than people in the u. S. Congress. The issue is very difficult because everything seems to be broken up on capitol hill but, philosophically the parties are the two major wings of each of the two parties that fundamentally disagree on how to move forward. I am talking about u. S. Sovereignty we know politically who should get credit or not, etc. But the broader context first is that washington cannot move forward but more specifically the two parties have a philosophical disagreement about the size of migration or what to do about Legal Immigration or how to deal with the challenge at the border, how much immigration or how many people to bring in and the formula. Lets not forget the way we choose them to day is designed between 1965 that was 40 or 50 years ago. So if you drive the 50 yearold car without updating so we fall behind on immigration and both parties understand that we always had a prohibitive advantage with immigration because people want to come here first and foremost, for fairly obvious reasons and were losing that advantage as they are more aggressive to attract immigrants that they want to read again the of vintages no longer prohibitive but the pope will focus what the Catholic Church has always focused on that is legal migration he will call let undocumented and unauthorized or not regulated. And mass migration and more generally and anything that involves protection of refugees to temporarily protect the people, etc. Etc. These earn if the churches concerned with migration because they argue for protection to save lives to treat people properly and not take advantage to exploit people and argues strongly against discrimination in, etc. , etc. But at the same time very conflicted about migration more generally. Often with the church thinks of migration as the lesser of the two evils. Were one has and fantasia with development or jobs or opportunities, etc. Or one verses the other but that does not treat them well. But immigration is about immigration and to be persecuted of the people who have no other choice but to go elsewhere to create a life for themselves. Reset your organization and deals with a wide variety of issues but for most is poverty and hunger as they affect the elderly. Is a little bit more amorphous than just the immigration proposal that congress is looking at can use. [inaudible] as an to what youre looking for with the pope and how you approach the visit . Iraq also thank you to my colleague because first of all, great to be with all of you as a time together to think about this important conversation with paul francis. And what is extraordinarily helpful about the popes visit, it is he speaks on many occasions about dignity for all people. So i just that, giving a voice will be important. We are the charitable arm of aarp to focus on antipoverty work in four areas to see those as interrelated that if you think about a problem in one of those areas you can imagine the individual would have difficulty in one of the others as it is a Multiplier Effect that could be a spiral downward for individuals. What is on my mind . Just over 50 years since johnson declared war against poverty by yet pc is on the rise rather than on the decline so we come together at this moment in time to put a spotlight to of that issue is to talk about some opportunities that have worked. When we think about poverty that is the key issue the pope has discussed, we know there are tens of millions of people in the United States that are in hunker every day so you may think of it as that temporary or physical state of not having food but there is a growing number whether children or midlife or the Older Americans that our food is secure and i hope that is highlighted because this is about the lack of dependable access to nutritious and affordable food. Moreover it is an opportunity to talk about the fact there is no face of thunder as is is about children or young adults and our seniors and that is almost every address in our nation which is an important feature. Urban settings, rural settings, but the Fastest Growing address is in the suburbs where individuals have been pushed out of cities possibly but do not have enough income to meet their basic needs in america there are programs that have worked to reduce poverty to increase Food Security said any highlighting of the great work of the supplemental nutrition act act, we know for seniors up problem remains the dave persistently do not apply for benefits of which they are eligible so it is just over onethird of seniors your accessing the important benefits that our nation is supportive of. That is lack of education and also Older Americans going back to your dignity thinking there are others. And reduces poverty rates in the United States to have access to affordable food and to lift them up out of poverty. So it is my hope to think about the fact that a a Rp Foundation that we have founded in addition to others a Faith Based Community but we also know it will take a collaboration from the private sector to come up with new solutions with access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and it would read the about putting together the Food Supply Chain so we are looking at how we can produce more nutritious and affordable and accessible food for children and Older Americans as well. There is a question to be asking why arent we winning the war on poverty . And how do we bin to that with under . This is getting worse and why do we have such a persistent deficits supply chain and those that are proving is secure . But to use the this as a great opportunity to let them know there are so Many Americans that our hungry those that our hungry every day i would say that is invisible if it is the opportunity to lift this up and encourage people to take more directed action to solve the persistent problems. We will get to your questions i want to make sure everybody has a of a chance as they have an opportunity and at the forefront today with Global WarmingProgram Attracted criticism on capitol hill. As a political issue the pope has the question from your Vantage Point and your experience, how has that changed . And to put on your smart phone that was released in june by the pope that is praise to my lord. Have the reason it has six chapters of the believe the pope will speak to that when he is here in the United States to build upon the work of the prior popes as well as in frances over the 50 year history of the Catholic Church to address these issues with even pope paul and pope benedict. Is it is the thoughtful piece and it is hard to do wrap their minds around the document but it hits of the scenes to talk about the relationship between god and nature and other earth. With the need for a common plan. If we lost the moral compass. And what is important to bring the panel together is that property and Climate Change are two different games end of that you may cover in other parts of rural life but the Sustainable Development goal to do with poverty and education and energy and the ocean but the pope sees this relationship between ourselves and in nature as one. So add as you think of a the pope to lay this out in a new way. But if you look at how we treat the people were the endangered species that are traffic it comes from the same place. Although growing up in german catholic family is like i did with a sense of guilt but i really do take it was helpful because with all due respect i felt when it came out the path for everyone to hang their issue that there is only a small sliver and there is an opportunity to take a much larger lessons. But the pope does have an entire section to having an event and it is part of the u. S. Domestic response to a large tree the meeting happening at the end of the year as a Climate Summit in paris that comes to an International Agreement they will be gathering at the end of the years of if they look at the pope visit with the large announcement with that large seven. To look at the Large International issues at the end of the your they will say this year was a to pinpoint so did they link the agenda of with poverty Climate Change and finance to put all the pieces together to create change. Second did the major country is late last year start to take action on Climate Change . And third, i agree the influence will be on the broader public purpose of my own family is thinking about taking a road trip from florida because this could be their only time to see the pope did United States with the excitement in the Catholic Community cannot even conveyed just never excited they are by this visit. But to be fortunate enough to look for Vice President gore when you look at capitol hill that members feel compelled to louis day with those private sentiments and many of them give privately and to donate their time and go to africa. I actually think beneath the surface you do see movement on some of these issues. I do think a visit a fax their families so what is intriguing to me is to move to the general election is whether or not we do see a softening on the flash point issues because the primary is not always the best time because that is in the issues are sharpened to of both parties claiming to the base and they will start to see the impact of a visit like this. We will open into question is. And a lot of them are interconnected. How important is the popes science background to the development of his ideas . He has degrees i think in chemistry . Actually the vatican has held several conferences on science to help educate the staff. I think he speaks to the importance to have a dialogue with and i think there is a misperception that the Catholic Church is somehow hot style to resign and spreading bed is the updated perception it also talks about the gm of in a space stand interesting way to a talkedabout technology. First of all, i think it is not just this pope said he seems to be interested in the opening seven or eight pages he does walk through the history of the commentary of this space which is particularly interesting. The key is able to speak to use some of the science so with those cards and credit to wasnt just scions but he could speak to their Rio Convention even the policy initiatives pothole that are out there and i thank you will find it very interesting of levels at which they have been understanding of what is going on internationally and domestically. Could you comment about the significance to philadelphia or the broader issues he may focus on . I am happy to speak about it budget would be more from our point of view that the pope with that visit and in general the of conversation about disparity in america, the way we a think about from the poverty standpoint is important to us for a dialogue. We have invested in a program in l. A. That it is a food program called l. A. Kitchen that the idea said neither food nor people should go to waste for the abundance of fresh fruits with a growing amount of food waste in l. A to package said in a nutritious mail one dash wheel for seniors but combined with a jobtraining program for either individuals coming out of the foster care system or released from facilities. As some of you may go, this is a significant issue in the immigration and irina, a federal judge about a week ago ordered the release of all mothers and minor children in detention and waiting for their cases to be heard and to be assigned at a later date. Of the detention particularly of unaccompanied minors is a very large issue and continues to be an issue over the next 30 days i would not be surprised if the pope would address that completely. This is a pope that does not hesitate to answer difficult areas he speaks very frank fleet frankly and forcefully over the European Parliament and in rome. He left rome where the immigrants used to come now they come in different places and he talks directly about the unaccompanied minors and how they crossed the border and how we ought to treat them etc. , etc. I would not be surprised if he develops a narrative to address the issues but more directly perhaps more than in the other person or pope may have. [inaudible] but you said to follow his visit . I dont pretend to know the inner thoughts so or of which way to the speaker of the minority leader or majority leader but theyre both catholic. And they dont put religion in to their policy positions, but certainly i would say one of the most surprising Political Developments over the last 10 or 15 years that i have witnessed since 1988, is the rapid evolution on gay marriage to the point where politically it is almost not an issue any longer in Congress Know member really wants to do talk about it that much anymore because they see where the public is and it is remarkably hall quickly congress can change positions when they see the public is getting ahead of them. And three above a the thorniest issues congress has been dealing with immigration and Climate Change and poverty we are discussing them in congress. There is not the impetus yet for members to go out on a limb to talk about these things. Now we have seen congress get very close. They may even vote in one chamber overwhelmingly but then the moment gets away. There is so many variables that it is interesting to see you how congress approaches the policy statements and what they say after word. Hello. This is not related to any of the issues but i am wondering since he is coming to the United States from cuba to play a significant role in december with a policy change towards cuba, with all the different bills going around in congress to lift the embargo, idiocy the pope talked about that issue even if it is behind closed doors . How is his role with the engage river between the u. S. And cuba play out . Thank you. I think the white house would likely will come his engagement on this issue and absolutely have led not be surprised to see him addressing it in some form or another. I also think there is more to come from the white house on cuba purport of think there doesnt announcing a joint initiatives and on Foreign Policy right now i think iran and cuba are shaping up to be to of the major pieces of the president s legacys so anything from their perspective that will be welcomed by them the. I see the fed is a very good question and a very good point. I think we are focusing too much on exactly what the pope will say or not say or how directly or obliquely but with lecces leading up to a visit and the days after the visit everybody else will try to make statements so even if he does not say the words cuba directly he will Say Something to facilitate in the dialogue of latin america lets not forget after all this is the pope that understands as he became a cardinal he has to live with these issues. And the president will speak about the popes role. So i favor is all on the table directly or indirectly to add to that, to use the analogy and i know if you saw the film interstellar somebody asked me what it was about and i said it was about love. That is what the film was about. And in the end he would say it is about love you could retire read the entire parch but in the end it is about interconnectedness about love and people and nature. That is tough to cover as a reporter you cannot write a story about love but but in washington for us to cover all the political pieces whether cuba or Something Else is from his perspective of love and peace and joy a. I thank you are right as both colleagues but it does go back to the earlier point of a unique moment in time to think about issues and shared accountability in particular lifting people out of poverty so anything we can do to be shared the facts are stair and shared across racial and ethnic lines to provide information on solutions that might work every society does it better. If i may, we do keep coming back to the 80th of dignity the essential dignity of human beings. Is difficult sometimes to convey that in a political system based on conflict. I wonder, as policy people, ed do you have a vice for other policy people or reporters for the layperson, how do you address this is a political event he is a head of state and going to congress and the white house. How do you mix those zero or make that transition from talking about the politics . Unfortunately that alien concept of dignity. I will take this on for a second. This pope is the most fundamental. We know of the Catholic Church thinks it