Policies theyre the wrong priorities. The president was confident. I have no more campaign to say run. I know because i won both of them. The u. S. Is holding its highest level talk with cuba in 35 years. Americans immigration policy vowing to allow cubans who reach the shores to remain in the country. If it falls what is safe on our planet that can be protected . The number of women murdered are rising fast. They are stunned to little or nothing is done to bring the killers to justice. There are times when the freedom of speech is under assault. For the pen to be mightier than the sword you need more. President obama is taking his economic proposals to the heart land. Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well or commit our receivers to an economy that generates rising in comes and chance for everyone who makes the effort . The president s trip to red states idaho and kansas only underscored the irony for a skeptical Republicanled Congress which has repeatedly said tax increases on the wealthy are a nonstarter. But he owes it to the American People to find a serious way to work with the representatives that they elected. Theres not a lot of serious lawmakers can do with talking points designed specifically not to pass. Theres no sign the endless squabble will stop anytime soon. House Speaker John Boehner said wednesday he invited Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu of israel to speak before a joint session of Congress Next month blindsiding the white house which called the move a departure from protocol. Speaker boehner disagreed. I did not consult with the white house. The congress can make this decision on its own. I dont believe im poking anyone in the eye. There is a serious threat that exists in the world and the president last night kind of papered over it. As the speaker said, critics argued this president glossed over the rising threat of terrorism and presented in general an overly rosy picture of his domestic agenda. This is good news, people. For more, were joined by Democratic Congress wham january isjanschakowsky. Were also joined by Democratic Congress mapp Luis Gutierrez representing illinois four district. He will visit a dozen city to say educate about the president s broader stance off immigration. You never would have known that there is as big win by republicans in november. The president himself said after his own win in 2012 that elections have consequence. Congresswoman, is there a bit of denial there seeing the laundry list of things he laid out that republicans dont like. One of the consequences is that the president is unleashed to offer the kinds of proposals that i think the middle class really wants to hear, to wash back to walk believe an economy from the middle out. I think its resonating with the American People. We saw some overnight polling and focus groups. His numbers have gone up and theres a lot of support for the kinds of things he was talking about yesterday to help the middle class survive and thrive. Talking about unleashed ill get to you right now congressman. Much is made about the tone the president took, the l. A. Times described him as boastful, confident, even cocky the guardian remarked on his swagger. Last week, we discussed on this show how some of the gops first actions after taking control of both houses did not bode well for bipartisanship because they focused on passing things they know the president will veto. Wasnt the president the flip side of the coin last night seemingly encouraging bipartisanship it. Seems to me the republicans are fighting the last war they continued to fight on immigration when i think that battle is over, most americans support that and should move forward. They continue to want to undo the Affordable Care act obamacare, and they are continuing a war on women even as we speak today. So i think the republicans are off base. Congressman i wanted to get your reaction to the question. I thought the president was confident, looking towards the future. I didnt see a president with recriminations. Actually, he went up to the woman and the family that was sitting next to the first lady and said it was hard working americans like them and used them as an example of kind of all of americans picking themselves up by their boot straps and saying thats the way we should do it. I heard a president say lets stop pointing fingers at each other, and kind of saying no before we even finish the sentence. Why dont we listen to each other. I kind of heard a president that was confident but kind of turned the page, wasnt looking to the past, kind of how is that received by your colleagues across the aisle . Oh, really well. I got to tell you i took out my calculator during the speech and took 174,000, what a member of congress earned in a year and realized the congress will not raise the minimum wage yet we earn in one month what we expect someone to live on in a whole year. He brought that out in a very positive manager. Every time they have a referendum in any state where they put increasing the minimum wage on, it won resoundingly, even in republican states like arkansas. Thats why i think that i want to go ahead. I was just going to say, it was like they were super glued to their seats and hands tied. You did not see the republicans get up and clap or show any kind of approval, even when the president was talking about the good news of our economy. It was like they were not able to move. Worries people on a lot of issues. Lets talk about the economy. The president focused on taxing the rich. Congresswoman, introduced the fairness in taxation act adding higher tam brackets for bigger earners. Do you hope to get support across the aisle and would that be a drop in the bucket when it comes to the national debt. 800 billion is a significant amount of money. I have support from many millionaires and multimillionaires who think they out a pay their share. Why should tax brackets stop there when so much money has gone to the very, very wealthy in our country the top 1 . The tax brackets i have at 45 at 1 million and going up to 49 at a billion dollars people do earn a billion dollars there are some. There are some who do, yet. There are and thats still lower than the tax rates through most of the Reagan Administration the top tax rate. I think we ought to update our tax code. What the other side would argue is the treasury revenues are at record high, so is the problem taxation or spending . Spending . Ive heard paul ryan be pretty optimistic. He looks forward to working with the president. I voted against the north American Free trade agreement in 1993 under bill clinton. I hit to it was a bad proposal. You know what . The president i think hit hit the right chord. He said there have to be fair trade agreements, protect the American People and there was applause, and guess what . Paul ryan was talking about since hes going to be chairman of the ways and Means Committee company, all trade has got to go through, just helping people raise their kids and giving tax credits, there are going to be avenues. To find some agreement. Very popular yeah, look, antonio, i think many of the things the president spoke to are American Values that the American People support. I mean, if everything we do is saying what would be republicans agree to, lets not have a two party system. This is about challenging one another, so lets challenge. Lets talk about immigration. The president didnt say much about that in the state of union. Republicans are continue to go threaten cutting funding on Homeland Security that would stop to some extent some of the president s executive action on immigration. There are reports congressman that the department of home land security isnt ready to process the millions of additional immigrants that the action would allow to get work permits and deferred action, because the system is just overburdened. Are you concerned . Well, look, absolutely were always concerned about every application that is made before the federal government. I have complete confidence in the secretary of Homeland Security in mr. Johnsons ability to get this done. Lets remember, he ran, he was second in command and did the oh, dont ask, dont tell review and change and implementation over at the department of justice. He knows what it is to make systemic changes and hell make that systemic change now over at Homeland Security. Let me sage. You know what . I heard that, antonio from other people, the president didnt speak but he spoke to loudly on november 20 at the i mean its still being echoing throughout our community. We had a wonderful event full house, providence, rhode island, we had a full house in new jersey on friday. Im going to charlotte and charleston and january and i are going to have an activity in this wonderful Catholic Church in her neck of the woods. On valentines day. You can imagine. Illinois folks hanging together. All right. Saturday, its going to be valentines and were going to be sharing the love of this congress and the president. We have to sign up 5 Million People. Terrorism is Something Else the president didnt speak much about. It was contrasted the way the president spoke about domestic issues and the way he spoke about terrorism. Is there a disconnect that attention that many people have on terrorism and the way the president addressed it last night . I would say theres a disconnect with the republicans. You know, i really resent the fact that the republicans may be critical of the president on Foreign Policy and on terrorism and they are the ones that are holding up Adequate Funding for the department of Homeland Security even after paris. We had a vote, and they had the nerve to attach these poison pills of anti immigrant amendments on to the department of Homeland Security. I think the president talked a wise and measured and thoughtful Foreign Policy, and he did ask the congress to come together and to fund this effort against isis. He didnt go into great elaboration, but i think the president has conducted a thoughtful Foreign Policy and right now the republicans wont even let us have an adequate Homeland Security bill. Antonio unless were going to send 100,000 young men and women into the battlefield sometimes theyre just not happy. I remember when george bush said not that important to get osama bin laden. Barack obama got osama bin laden. Remember when the president said it was over. Every time i think about sadaam hussein, he was against alqaeda and buffer against iran. Now because of our military intervention you got isis because of that intervention and iran stronger than ever. You get the argument that isil is a result of the civil war in syria and pulling all our troops out of iraq, but lets not get into that debate, because i want to ask you controversy over john boehner inviting israeli prime Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before congress. What is your reaction . Israel is our great ally in the middle east. I think it is awkward just a short time before the president ial election in israel, which is going to be happening in march and while we have before the house some important discussions about how we address the negotiation with iran to prevent iran from having a nuclear weapon, so i think there is a certain amount of politics in this invitation, although, you know, we certainly do want to have a continue to have a bipartisan close relationship with the state of israel. I dont know that it is going to serve the best purposes of achieving peace and reconciliation in the israelipalestinian conflict. Ive always been for a two state solution. I want everyone in israel to live in peace and security, but i also want a Free Democratic prosperous palestinian state where they can have a nation, too. I think that is the road to how would i say democracy and freedom and justice. I dont know that just before an election, an election, right in which this could play an important part, we want to have it Somebody Just before the election. Really . I dont know. Look just because you might not think netanyahu shouldnt come and speak and this might not be an appropriate time, doesnt have any indication about your if i had he willty to the cause of peace between israel and the palestinians and reaching a peaceful solution. Thank you for being with us. Consider this will be right back. Back. Many people that have perished. Lost lives are relived. All of these people shouldnt be dead. Will there differences bring them together or tear them apart . The only way to find out is to see it yourselves. Which side of the fence are you on . Borderland, tomorrow at 9 eastern, only on Al Jazeera America. Real reporting that brings you the world. Giving you a real global perspective like no other can. Real reporting from around the world. This is what we do. Al jazeera america. Welcome back to consider this. Europe is still reeling from the massacre of 12 people at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo. The newspaper published cartoons of the muslim prophet mohammed sparking a backlash from extremists. Our next guest could have met that same fate. A dozen cartoons of muhammed were commissioned after illustrators couldnt be found for fear of upsetting muslims. He outlines experiences and the Death Threats he still faces in his back, the tyranny of silence. We sat down with him for a new edition of talk to al jazeera. It began with his initial reaction to the massacre of Charlie Hebdo staffers in paris. I was shocked. I was grieving, because i knew some of these people but was not surprised. In 2006, i was shocked and surprised, and it seemed very unreal so i couldnt relate it in a serious way but this time, it hit me very hard, because it couldnt come as a surprise to anyone who has been following events over the past nine years. You are on the same alqaeda hit list and inspire magazine as was the editor of Charlie Hebdo as is salomon rushdie. What is it like worrying about this constant threat . I try not to if he can cuss on it and i put a lot of effort into doing exactly the same as i would have done without being on this list, because if i start to change the way i live my life and what i do and what i believe in then i would hand those who would like to come after me a victory, and i dont want to do that. Lets go back a decade when you were thinking about publishing these cartoons of the prophet mohammed. You wrote in your new book, i have become a figure many love to hate. Some would like to see me dead. I do not see conflict or its own sake but have been branded as a careless trouble maker who pays no heed to the consequences of your actions. You ask yourself the question, was there censorship, would there be this kind of violence. You didnt expect to see the kind of violence that would kill hundreds of people . Of course not. Even experts on islam were telling me that this would never turn into an international scandal. Its a rationalization after the fact to say you should ever known. There were people in denmark concerned bit and who were worried that you were making the country a target back then. Only after violence . Yes. There is a change in the attitude than back then. Absolutely. Back in 2006, 49 of the danish population said it was the wrong thing to publish those cartoons. Today, 65 says it was the right thing to do and only 17 say it was the wrong thing to do, so you have seen a sea change in the attitude to the publication of the cartoons after what happened in paris and you cannot say that that cartoon is saying something about every muslim like you cannot say if you depict carl marx with blood on his hands that every marxist is a killer. Lets talk about whether there are double standards in all of this. In Charlie Hebdos case, they fired a cartoonist at one point because he drew something that was critical of nicholas sarkozy, then the french president s son getting married to a jewish woman an this was deem to be antisemitic so is there a double standard, this guy gets fired for that, but theres no problem publishing cartoons that are seen as making fun of the prophet mohammed. There is as double standard, and i think that is a problem though i will say this. I do not think that mashing a religious doctrine is the same as mocking the memory of 6 Million People killed during a second world war. France does have hate speech laws and among them, Holocaust Denial is a criminal offense. I have for a long time spoken out against those laws. I do think we have to get rid of hate speech laws in europe and its given some muslims a reason for accusing france of exercising double standard. On the one hand, how is it possible that Charlie Hebdo can do what they are doing being taken to court and then you have a french comedian who is saying something that some people perceive as anti semitic and is taken to court and convicted. What do you say to pope francis, who just recently said you cannot provoke you cannot insult the faith of others, you cannot make fun of the faith of others. Hes arguing, you know, that there should be some limits to free speech and mocking muhammed is seen as a terrible insult by many muslims. I think that the pope, who is sharing a church responsible for the inquisition in europe should be very careful to talk about the right of answer mocking with violence. That was 500 years ago. Is there such a thing as appropriate self sensorship where we as journalists can make the certain decision to say well, certain things shouldnt be put ou