Words and good morning. Thank you to all of you. Im thrilled to be here. Are here to celebrate those who have dedicated their lives Rights Movement and we would be remiss if we did not speak as to mica did a little while ago to honor the passing movementshe greatest heros Nelson Mandela. He was an activist, a prisoner conscious, a statesman and above all a teacher and he taught us that the power of forgiveness is greater than the power of hate and the differences of race and matter less than our shared humanity. His presence on this earth will but his lessons will endure in the hearts of millions. In fact become a event as part of what tom talked about an awful lot. It is a sadness ma nelson thisla has passed from world but it is very much the tame kind of story that tom lantos talked about so much. We come together because of that blazer. Inary trail a man admired from san mateo to pest. Gton to bud da as much as we are all in awe of awe of his family and what a wonderful big family it is. If you spend more than five minutes talking to him you knew all about his 17 grand children two daughters and he would even include his dogs from headht the years in the count from benji and gigi to matsko. When asked how he defined andelf tom said first foremost i think of myself as the husband of a remarkable woman. [ applause ] the nearly 60 years they spent married together only brightened that twinkle in his eye. Me at thisor having special event and for our friendship. We maintained that through the years we traveled together a lot. For everything that you do to make sure that the human rights that tom lit with you lit. He had a unique call to conscience of permanent vigilance against genocide,tion, oppression and antisemitism. Democracys staunchest defender and that was the core value of his existences. Wasyou may not know that he also a staunch defender of the rights of women. To expand charge access to healthcare for women in africa, he promoted Reproductive Health in the United States and around the world. And he asked the tough questions those who obstructed womens progress and rights even when it didnt make news. So im especially delightd that we honor a dear friend of mine that bears his name. Years been nearly to since i joined secretary clinton conferenceth world on women and her simple universal message human rights and womensrights rights are human rights became women denied many the opportunity to live with freedom and dignity. Day in beijing is now a waterhead moment in the history of the womens Rights Movement. Before that defining speech and ever since, hillary has been frontiers of human back againstshing inequality around the world and here at home. Understands that women rights are human rights but also womens progress is Human Progress because we all benefit when women have the chance to in everyte fully aspect of life. The world needs the wisdom and strength and vision of all its people, not half. People say that democracy for all its limitations is the force for peace and prosperity. And i know hillary truly that. Es but she also knows that denying women their rights is one of the forces against peace and prosperity. She knows this because she has first hand. In her more recent in car nation as secretary of state, she carried the American Flag to over 100 countries and delivered a message directly to its women the if it rattled government. She said i stand with you in shatter your Glass Ceiling the United States stands with you and they believed her. Shattered almost every Glass Ceiling in her way and now she is pushing this work forward with her no ceilings enishtive at the clinton back aton which looks how far we have come since beijing and forward to the still have to make. If we can help give women the cycleto make choices the of poverty can be broke, health societiesimproved and better off. It behooves those of us who live in places where we have economic and political voice to help other women. But as much as the world today leaders, it needs vision. Visionary. Such a so much so she has been even departed her long predecessor eleanor roosevelt. After our does take mutual hero those of us who have she her abroad knows that doesnt just make appearances for other women for the sake of it. She really connects. Sometimes when she meets womens rights leaders in countries that oppressive they ask if they can get a picture with her because they know that a picture Hillary Clinton means that they will not get harassed, abuse or attacked. She is the protector. I could go on and on about the she won and the initiatives she started and miles she traveled and lives lis she changed and rights she defended. Powerfule most illustration is the fact that a simple picture with her can save life. It should come as surprise to thisutely no one that woman who is qualified for everything has prove ton be an mother and wife and lawyerr and advocate and first lady, senator and secretary of state and a really good friend. The ability unlike anybody else to look past the womens to help expand rights and human rights and peoples rights and to speak out of the voiceless. I have always said that there is hell for place in women who dont help each other. Madam secretary [ applause ] secretary, although it is 100 years away i think there is place for you next to eleanor roosevelt. Congratulations on this special award. [ applause ] oh, my goodness. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Thank you. Thank you and first to the thisordinary lantos family is, indeed, a great honor and an personal pleasure to have tom lantos around my neck. Office or onin my phone asking me what i was going to do about something or with me on partner rights. Of human and as all of you who are here you recognize the significance of the work that he did during his public career. He was a man of great courage and compassion and he had a wonderful partner in his wife and a fabulous support system with his daughters katrina and annette and their families. So i think we should give a round of applause to the entire lantos family here today. Theeet on the day after us somehowiant among who by the pouty irof example of us caned how each choose how we will respond to injustices and grievances, those sorrows, and tragedies afflict all of human kind. Mandela will be remembered for many things. He will be certainly remembered led, his dignity, his extraordinary understanding not just of how to bring democracy and freedom to his africa, but how important it was that he first freedom to himself. As i spent time with him in 1992 until just in i wasst year and a half, theys struck by depth of his his awareness, of live aow hard it is to of service,grity, ones combine within selfthe contradictions that he lived with. A lawyer and a freedom fighter. Leader. Er and a a man of anger and of forgiveness. Has so captured the hearts of people, not only in his own country, but as we are seeing with the outpouring of response to his death people around the world. I only hope that as we both mourn and celebrate the passing of this universally recognized and beloved figure that we remember he became that through an enormous amount of hard work on himself. The story has been told several times now in the coverage that i have watched of his passing about how he invited three of his Prison Guards to his inaugural festivities. I was there as a part of the american delegation for the inauguration, and i was there at the luncheon that was held back on the grounds of the president s house that had transitioned from the morning where i had breakfast with president de klerk to lunch that i had with president mandela. As he looked out, to the large gathering filled with dignitaries from everywhere, including people who had been part of the struggle itself against apartheid and who had supported that struggle, he made the point of thanking his jailers and pointing out of all the distinguished vips who were there, he was most grateful that these men with whom he had exchanged words of recognition and acknowledgment of the other humanity over the course of that long imprisonment could be there as well. As we think about Nelson Mandela, it brings to mind very much to me tom lantos, because here were two men who had seen the worst that humanity can offer. Those who had been objectively denied their right to be a jew in hungary during the holocaust or a black man in south africa during apartheid. They had every reason to come out, if not embittered, cynical, believing that for the rest of their lives the only thing that would matter was acquiring power, being able to demonstrate their influence, especially as against those who had denied them the right to be who they were. What always struck me about Nelson Mandela and tom lantos was the joy, the curiosity, the enthusiasm for life. They brought it with them out of the depths of such suffering. Mandela told many people that he had to learn to forgive and he had to learn to leave his anger behind when he walked out of prison on february 11, 1990. Or he would have remained a prisoner. A prisoner of his own feelings, of his own resentments. Tom lantos, who escaped the worst example of inhumanity, decided to become an advocate for anyone anywhere who was facing the kind of fear that comes with standing up for yourself and your fellow men and women. So we honor two great men by being here today. Two men with unconquerable souls. We acknowledge other human human rights activists who oversee this rise and who stand and who stand before us. Each of them has also known what it is like to come up against governments powerful forces who are determined to squeeze the hope from your heart. To imprison your mind and break your spirit. Another man stood up to that kind of oppression, escaped from it as tom escaped from the holocaust. He ran toward freedom. I am proud that the United States is the place that he ran toward. It was our country, thanks to tom lantos and others in this audience, who have held high the banner of human rights as not being something that is given to you, but something that you are endowed with. Paul, thank you, you have stood your ground. You stood in the face of another horror that was almost unimaginable, the horror of genocide in our time. You saved and protected others. It was a great example not only of courage, but of compassion. As we gather here, we are reminded of those who have given so much to ensure that the hope that is represented in toms legacy lives on. This foundation really embodies toms spirit. It is quite humbling for people like madeline albright, my dear friend, and i, to know that secretaries of state come and go, but what remains is that profound commitment to making a difference in whatever position we find ourselves in standing up and speaking out for those who might otherwise never have a voice. I am deeply honored to be given this award, particularly on behalf of two causes that are near and dear to my heart, womens rights and internet freedom. I want to acknowledge publicly the great work that toms grandson did for me in the state department and continues to do at the intersection of Civil Society and government. We can help people help themselves. They can make sure that their voices continue to be heard. I also think it is critical that we look broadly, globally, about why this mission that many of us embrace for the full participation of women and girls in society is so important. It is not just the right thing to do. It is not just the recognition that women and girls, just like men and boys, deserve the opportunity to live up to their own godgiven potential. It is because we know that when women and girls participate in economies, Economic Growth is greater than it would be without them. Where women and girls are given a chance to be educated and to get the health care that they deserve to have, we know that society benefits. Where women and girls can participate in peacemaking and peace building as full members of society in trying to resolve conflicts, we know that resolution is more likely to be sustained. It is a great honor for me to have this award, but it is just a reminder of how much more we have yet ahead of us to accomplish. We have to make sure that toms dreams, toms life, the examples of the award recipients with us and those unable to come like the dalai lama and elie wiesel bring out each of us our own commitments to what we will do to further the cause of human rights, universal human rights, for every man, woman, boy and girl in the world. It is what tom would expect us to do to hold high his ideals. By accepting this award and by accepting this award and knowing that tom would not let me off the hook otherwise, it is something that i will continue to be committed to and every way that i can with every fiber of my being because the kind of world we want is a world in which the Nelson Mandelas and tom lantoses can be proud. [applause] i was tremendously grateful give me was going to another chance. I had Breast Cancer and i had survived that and now i was addiction. With and by golly, i made up my mind to survive that, too. Program on first Lady Betty Ford saturday at 7 00 p. M. Eastern on c span and monday night the series continues. I got upset with the president because they covered the firsthealth for few meetings i had and then they never showed up any more and so walking in the downstairs floor on the white i met this woman who was people. He press i said nobody ever covers my meeting. She said ms. Carter, Mental Health is not a sexy issue. We toured the country and found out what was needed and developed legislation and passed of Mental Health systems act 1980. Congress oneough he says jimmy was joinville lunch box tearily retired from the white house. It was put on the shelf. Greateste of the disappointments of my life. Rosslyn carter live and cspan. Nelson mandelas death was one of the topics discussed at house briefing with jay carney. He took questions about the thethcare law and unemployment numbers released earlier today. Over an hour. Le im four minutes late. That. To apologize for you are 45 minutes early. You know, even in middle age you can turn over a new leaf. I know that it is infrequent that we are this close to on time and i want to say i owe you a standing apology on that. We are just having fun here. With that, i will wish you all a happy friday even though it is raining. And say that i have a topper. Today, as part of the daily messaging effort to highlight specific benefits of the Health Care Law that are already making a big difference, the white house and supporters of reform are focused on how growth and Health Care Costs are at historically low levels along multiple dimensions. According to the most recent projections, Health Care Spending grew at the slowest rate on record over the last three years. Real perperson spending grew at a 1. 3 rate. This was seen in medicare, medicaid, and private insurance. Health care Price Inflation is at its lowest level in 50 years. Healthcare law is currenting to this progress through provisions to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in medicare also produces cost and improving quality through a variety of innovative reforms including by providing incentives to hospitals to reduce the readmissions rate. Hhs is announcing new data showing that these incentives have avoided 130,000 readmissions for people following a hospital stay over the last two years. High readmission rates, patients having to be rehospitalized is costing patients and insurance companies. And if the patient is on medicare, taxpayers. It can be a sign of low quality care. Overall, these trends are encouraging news for families and our economy. They feel more secure in their own budgets. Businesses spend less on healthcare they can hire more workers. The past 45 months as you know, businesses here in the United States have created more jobs. 00,000 new which is a perfect segue to something i just wanted to note. Today, information that was released earlier this morning is jobs day and figures on job creation in november were announced. I think it is worth noting when you look at this graph, not only was the economy in freefall, job loss was terrible at the end of 2008 and early 2009 when president obama took office, and not only has the trajectory been consistently in the right direction, if you will note when we first began positive job creation in the wake of the great recession, it was right around when the Affordable Care act passed. This is obviously not a direct correlation. But we are moving in the right direction. The information i cited in the beginning about the positive effects of the Affordable Care act on reducing growth in healthcare costs combined with the steady job creation we have seen for so many months reinforces a number of things. About the Affordable Care act and about the need the president a few days ago to continue to focus on those move in theng the right direction and increasing job growth even further. With that, i will take your questions. Jim . On the president s travels to africa for the Nelson Mandela services, could you give us specific details of what the timing might be . There is a Memorial Service also a funeral. Mr. Mandela is also lying in state. And will the president invite former u. S. President s to accompany him . Thank you for those questions. I should have noted that for those of you that did not hear the president speak in the wake of the news of president mandelas death, i will point you to those remarks. All i can say is that president obama and the first lady will go to south africa next week to pay their respects to the memory of Nelson Mandela and participate in memorial events. At this point, i dont have more information on logistics. Timing of the travel. That is all being worked out. In terms of others who are going to make that trip, i would refer to them at this time. We will have more information. Fairly to have it quickly and when we do we will be able to provide it to you.