Recent talks to the pope in rome. I think it should be discussed. It should be considered, especially since we know what happened in iraq with the christian community. Fiona . I would actually just want to say to fyodor that it actually is discussed here, but he gets back to what dr. Brzezinski was a saying about a nonsectarian tone to the debate. The u. S. Does not want to take sides in this conflict. As we look about in the balkans, if you think back to the 1990s, various European Countries in particular of standing with historic coreligion, the idea that catholic portions of europe were standing with the coops and others, the serbs because of old religious orders. I think we have all learned from that, so that was not completely accurate depiction of the 1990s that we have to be extraordinarily careful. We are all skirting around the proper ways or the ways of describing a very complex situation. The u. S. Does not want to be seen in the middle of a sectarian conflict. It gets to the whole issue of the sunnishiite divide, the role of christians, the role of other religious groups in the area, because this is obviously something that is three much focus on in the context of the middle east peace process, and we have to be extraordinarily careful about how we deal with that. This is why we are not seeing the same kind of tone of the debate in the u. S. They do not want to have a particular constituency. There are other dimensions of the that we want to mention about the refugee process. Weve seen a whole slew of her speeches. Obviously turkey is right in the middle of this and addition in addition to turkey in addition to jordan. The armenians have taken in spite of the fact that the armenians of syria are indigenous to the region. So we have seen this will be a debate that i think we will see across the board of how do you deal with these massive refugee flows that people are seeking the rights to return or the right to be able to go to lands in which they have an old, historical, cultural, ethnic, or religious affinity . This will have an impact over every country. Turkey is grappling with this at the moment. The jordanians are. We are singing spillover into lebanon. This is something that is transforming all of the populations of the joining countries, and something we will have to factor in in the next few years. Just as was predicted. I want to thank our panelists for a fascinating conversation. Fiona hill, zbigniew brzezinski, fyodor lukyanov. The conference is breaking now until 3 00. We will resume with a panel on syria. And thank you very much. [applause] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] live coverage this week of the center for strategic and international studies. They will be looking at how the International Community are dealing with iran and its Nuclear Program monday at 5 30 eastern time. Iran and six world powers will be meeting in vienna to discuss the next steps. Moderator on monday if the cbs news chief washington correspondent bob schieffer. Israels Prime Minister, benjamin netanyahu, talked about iran today at the Brookings Institution as part of the threeday forum that is being held there. Here is some of what the Prime Minister said. Ladies and gentlemen, our best efforts to reach palestinianisraeli peace will come to nothing if iran succeeds in building atomic bombs. A Nuclear Armed iran would give even greater backing to the radical and terrorist elements in the region. It would undermine the chances of arriving at negotiated lease peace. It would undermine those peace agreements we have already reached with two of our nation spirit just a few days ago, i rans representative to the u. N. Remediated the refusal to even recognize. This came a fortnight after the ruler of iran referred to israel as a rabid dog and to us as not worthy as being called human. He said we were doomed to failure and annihilation. November, he called and basn illegitimate tard regime. These remarks are more than a simple matter of sticks and stones. Able again to discount rhetoric from rogue regime, from radical regimes. They say well, it is just talk. But talk has consequences. We have learned that in history. Especially when the regime that make these statements have the capability to carry it out. The regime carries supplies thousands of rockets, rocket that are precision guided munitions letter increasingly lethal and deadly. This is a regime committed to our destruction. Must be ane there unequivocal demand alongside the negotiations in geneva for change in iranian policies. This must be part and parcel of the negotiation. In other words, i am saying that what is required is not merely a munition of irans capability to produce Nuclear Weapons but also a demand to change its genocidal policy. That is the minimal thing that the International Community must do when it is negotiating with iran. As you know, it is not just about israel. Iran continues to trample the rights of its own people, to participate in the mass slaughter in syria, to engage in terrorism across five continents, and to disable eyes regimes throughout the middle east. Establize. I do not think anybody can understate the iranian danger. For the peace of the world, iran must not be able to obtain the capability to produce Nuclear Weapons, not today and not tomorrow. The world must not allow iran to be a threshold for Nuclear Weapons with the option to caught cross that threshold at a time of its choosing. Deal, the recent interim any final deal must bring about the termination of irans military nuclear capabilities. Ive expressed my concern since before geneva that the sanctions would begin to unravel. I heard today that i rans economic said that the s are already markedly improved. They are not even in place. Steps must be taken to prevent further erosion of the sanctions because ultimately the sanctions remain in the central elements of the International Efforts to compel dispel his nuclear military structure, to take apart all the center for users all the centrifuges, to eliminate the current stockpiles of enriched uranium, to Cease Development of ballistic missile, which by the way the geneva agreement does not address. None of these things that i ran insists it must have is necessary for a peaceful Nuclear Program. While israel is prepared to do what is necessary to defend itself, we share press obamas preference to see the Nuclear Program for diplomacy. For the program to succeed, it must be coupled with powerful sanctions and a credible military threat. Let me repeat that a diplomatic solution is better than aim military option, but a military option is necessary for , as arey to succeed powerful sanctions. We all agreed after a couple of years of tough sanctions, iran finally begin to negotiate seriously. Because of the pressure, what seemed impossible to yesterday became possible today. We should not assume that more and tougher sanctions were not lead to a better deal. What seemed impossible, what seems impossible today could become possible tomorrow. President obama was also part of the saban forum yesterday. You can watch his conversation with the founder of the saban center later today. We will have that is 6 30 5 p. M. Eastern time here on cspan. President obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be traveling to johannesburg on tuesday. It will be attending a Memorial Service for the late president Nelson Mandela and the service will be held at ace 80 mf holds about 94,000 people. Held at a stadium that holds about 94,000 people. Tens of thousands of local mourners in dozens of foreign leaders are expected. Also expecting british prime cameron, french president francois hollande, and canadian Prime Minister stephen harper. The event tuesdays is one of two major events planned. His funeral is planned for next sunday in his hometown. But were going to turn to long term Unemployment Benefits set to expire at the end of the month unless Congress Extends them. The House DemocraticSteering Committee held a hearing to review the issue. Witnesses included people receiving Unemployment Benefits. This is an hour and a half. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us for this hearing. Good morning everyone. Thank you very much for joining us for this hearing of this most serious matter striking into the heart of the security of americas working families. In the interest of getting to our witnesses as soon as possible, i will save my for the further remarks until later. But yield to the distinguished member of the ways and Means Committee who has been a champion on the issue of fairness for americas workers. Today, our focus on Unemployment Insurance, the very distinguished gentleman from michigan, representative sandy levin. Thank you, leader, and thank you witnesses. This congress has a mandate to extend federal Unemployment Insurance hearing we will, in a insurance. We will, in a few minutes, see the human side from the three americans who are joining us today to tell their personal stories. I think they will be, in a sense, very personal. They represent more than one million other americans with similar stories who will lose every dime, every dime of this support instantly on december 28 if this Congress Fails to act. A further 3. 6 million americans would lose access to federal Unemployment Insurance next year as they exhaust their state coverage. We strongly believe that if every member of congress would take even a few minutes to speak personally with unemployed workers, there would not be any question at all about the need to extend the federal ui program. More than anything else, they want a job. But finding work remains very difficult in an economy that still has 1. 5 million fewer jobs than before the recession started six years ago. Still ha million fewer jobs than before the recession started six years ago. We have never had anything close to such a sustained job deficit after any recent downturn. It has been said in opposition to an extension that the federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program was adopted, and i quote, for extraordinary circumstances that are disappearing. No, no. These extraordinary circumstances continue adds indicated in the report issued just this morning by president obamas council of economic advisors, that highlights that the current longterm Unemployment Rate is at least twice as high as it was at the expiration of every previous extended ui benefit program. The extraordinary circumstances in a few words continue. The report also sets out the Economic Impact of a failure to act. It occurs with cbo, wall street analysts and other economists, that allowing the federal ui program to expire who cost our economy at least 200,000 jobs next year because of reduced consumer demand. For this congress to ignore the national Economic Impact would be shortsighted. To ignore the human, the individual human impact would be cold hearted. That is not the better nation, the better nature of our nation. And i trust of this congress. Thank you. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman for championing this issue. I wish this hearing were not necessary, that we were not faced with what representative levin presented to us, but i am grateful to the cochairs of the steering and policy committee for bringing us together to hear from our very special guests. I will yield in a moment but first i want to acknowledge that weve been joined by congresswoman barbara lee of california, congressman david sis linney of rhode island, congressman hank jordan of georgia, our distinguished democratic whip of the house of maryland, steny hoyer, our Ranking Member on the Small Business committee, nydia velasquez. Our cochairs will more fully introduce our witnesses. I want to thank you all for honoring us with your presence. We look forward to hearing your testimony. With that, i yield. A member of the House Republican leadership said this week, quote, there is no appetite for extending Unemployment Benefits in the republican conference. Today were here not to hear about appetite, but about hunger, about the hunger that people across this country, 1. 3 million of them have for the dignity to work, the literal hunger that many of these families will suffer on the 28th of december if benefits are not extended and the hunger we should have as a country, as an economy for putting people back to work. The statements we hear this morning will be more than eloquent. I thank the witnesses for being here. We look forward to getting to work to extend Unemployment Benefits. Thank you, madam leader, and i want to welcome our guests here as well. Its been five years since the financial crisis precipitated a great recession. It destroyed millions of american jobs and trillions in household wealth. Weve got many families in this country who are struggling to get back on their feet. Unemployment at 7. 2 . One out of every six americans amongst us lives in poverty and one in six is battling hunger. In the face of the need, Congress Needs to be doing everything that we can to create jobs, grow the economy, help those that are struggling. It is a moral responsibility that we have. And over the past few years, we have seen a majority do nothing to address this issue. The fact of the matter is, if we do not extend ui before the end of the year, 1. 3 million men and women will lose their benefits right away. Another 1. 9 will lose their benefits by july 1st, 2014. This is bad news for families who are already struggling. Failing to extend the benefits ripples throughout the economy. It will cost us about 310,000 jobs next year. I just want to quote someone. The speaker held a hearing five years ago on the financial crisis, and it was about discussing how we stimulate the economy. One of the witnesses was mark zandy, the economist and adviser to the john mccain campaign. We asked what was the fastest way to increase the demand and employment and get our economy woving again. He talked three things, e panned access to food stamps, continue to provide refundable tax credits and extend Unemployment Benefits. Today we hear from a panel who will explain exactly how Unemployment Insurance benefits families and the American Economy and why it is imperative for this congress to move and act before the year ends. Thank you, madam leader. Well go to introduction of the witnesses. Mr. Laurel and i are going to share. Ill start with ms. Owens who has been the executive director of the National Employment law project since january of 2008, and shes seen the efforts that that institution oversee the effects of the great recession. Shes worked at the aflcio, focused on minimum wage, living wage hikes, pay equity for women, many issues were pursuing around this country. Ms. Owens we welcome you. We want to introduce each witness first or have them testify one at a time . Okay. Wed ask you to make your statement brief so we can get to all witnesses. Thank you so much. We appreciate the committee holding this important hearing today on what is an urgent matter for millions of americans who will lose their Unemployment Benefits over the holidays, more than 3 million by the first of july if Congress Fails to act to renew the emergency unemployment program. A written statement is in the record. I will keep my remarks brief. I want to emphasize as congressman levin stressed, that although the economy has improved, it is far from a healthy economy that provides Job Opportunities for all who need and want to work, particularly the longterm unemployed. Unemployment remains higher than it was before the recession. It has ticked down a little bit since the last time the program was renewed, but in reality thats because of labor force dropouts as opposed to a real decline in unemployment. If we included all the missing workers in our unemployment count, unemployment today would be 11 . This is not the kind of economy in which people struggling with longterm unemployment can find jobs. There are still officially three unemployed workers for every single job opening which means even month two out of three unemployed workers is completely out of luck when it comes to finding a job. Secondly, i want to talk a little bit about the demographics of the longterm unemployed because i think this is really important. The demographics are partly a function of who lost jobs first and have suffered the most. While unemployment has cut across every Demographic Group in our economy, the workers most affected by longterm unemployment have been Older Workers, workers of color and workers with less education. And thats not particularly surprising because these are the workers who, even in a robust economy, experience the greatest difficult in getting jobs in the first place for a variety of reasons including discrimination. The very fact of longterm unemployment is affecting these workers ability to get new jobs. I know many of you are cosponsors o