I guess i dont like it a whole lot. What would we find i sound just like my dad. There are great people out there, i know it. And i dont mean to condemn it but i think its passed me by a little bit. I still have a wonderful career and a beautiful audience that i really love but the spotlight is elsewhere now and im a known quantity now. And thats fine with me to play out this hand. But i dont pay a whole lot of attention to i never did listen much to the roofment when i was a kid i did. I dont listen to music much. Kim works with the boston symphony and we get a lot of classic cal music in the house. We have 11yearold twin boys and they have their preferences, maybe its because theyre playing most of the popular music im hearing in the house i have such a negative take on it. Do you have an i pod . No an ipad. Do you listen to music on there . No i listen on cd and vinyl. They have said taylor swift is named after you. What do you think of her music . I like her music. And i like the name too. I do think she is a creative singer song writer. Shes a remarkable marketing phenomenon and if she can survive that. And its a hard thing to survive i think. But she seems to have a very clear head on her shoulders and i think if anyone can, she can make it through and continue to evolve as an artist because its sort of the marketing hit is if youre lucky enough to be successful, that particular passage that an artist has to make, if hes lucky enough or shes lucky enough can be a real jarring life changing event. It can really shake you up, going from being very private to very public. Many people have said Daniel Day Lewis portrayal of lincoln in the current film remind them of you. Do you have any comment on that . Ive seen the movie and it doesnt look like me to me but i live in here. John williams who is a dear friend and this generations remarkable musician and composer, john wanted me to play that part. He actually stood up for me there and suggested me at one point. That was never going to happen. I dont know. Im flattered. Of course, Everybody Loves lincoln, i do. But i dont see other than the fact that were both tall and somewhat skinny, he speaks much better in public than i do. Is there a role you would like to play . No, this is fine. It is very unusual. Ive spent my life being myself for a living and i think more than really more than anyone else i think i know. I think there are performers who develop and assume a character that they then play for the public. But i dont know anyone who is as much themselves publicly for a living as i am. So its been an interesting ride. But i dont think im qualified to really understand it well, no. Several people sent this question up so i feel obligated to ask, do you know who carly simon was singing about in youre so vain and will you share that with us . I think its warren beatty. And he says not. Thats what my information was but again that information has not been updated for 40 years. [applause] now that that the turnpike extends past the city to the airport, any thoughts about revising the song . You mean the turnpike no longer ends in boston, it goes all the way to summer set, no. What town is the airport in . Thats got a ring to it but it doesnt rhyme. Thats the thing is the internal rhyme. That song has four rhyming schemes going at once. Its got to be boston unless they take it to aust tin texas. [applause] i want to thank all of you for joining us this afternoon. I want to remind you of our next lunch on december 18, we have leon panetta, im sure if you have some advice on how to stolve fiscal cliff im sure heed like to hear that. While you are writing your next song id like to present you with your coffee mug. It might give you some inspiration. Thank you so much. [applause] i want to thank the National Press club staff including the journalism Broadcast Center for organizing todays event. And i was wondering if you had one last song youd like to sing us out on. [applause] can she borrow your stool . This is my wife kim and here is the song we sing to our twin boys actually about two years ago we went in to sing them to sleep with this lull by and we got the guitar out and sat down on the side of the bed and we were about to play the opening cords and rough fuss looked up at me and said you know dad, we dont have to do this anymore. Good buy and thank you very much. Among the iletms on the agenda next week appointing members to a committee to hash out an agreement it was defense bill next year. The house planned to adjourn for the holidays next week but the house will be back in session december 17 to deal with the so called fiscal cliff. The house will not asuren until an agreement is reached. When the house is back in session live coverage as always on cspan. A report out of the Labor Department show that is 146,000 jobs were added in november and the Unemployment Rate falling to 7. 7 , the lowest since december 2008. There had been concern that is Hurricane Sandy could afblingt the numbers bit only had a minimal effect. Employers added fewers jobs in october and september than initially estimate pped and the Unemployment Rate fell mostly because more people stopped looking for work. Earlier today on capitol hill john boehner commented on the fiscal cliff negotiations with reporters. This isnt a Progress Report because there is no progress to report. When it comes to the fiscal cliff that is threatening our economy and jobs the white house has wastde another week. Secretary gitener came here to offer a plan that had twice the tax hikes that the president campaigned on and had more stimulus spending thanned the in cuts. And an indefinite increase in the debt limit like for ever. Now four days ago we offered a serious proposal based on testimony of president clintons former chief of staff. Since then there has been no count offer from the white house. Instead reports indicate that the president has adopted a deliberate stradgeji to slow walk our economy right to the edge of the fiscal cliff. Instead of reforming the tax code and cutting spending, the president wants to raise tax rates. But even if the president got the tax rate hike that he wanted, understand that we would continue to see trillion dollar deficits for as far as the eye can see. Washington has got a spending problem, not a revenue problem. If the president doesnt agree with our proposal, i believe hes got an obligation to families and Small Businesses to offer a plan of his own, a plan that can pass both chambers of the congress. Were ready and eager to talk to the president about such a plan. You did speak with the president earlier this week. Can you characterize that call . Did he have any kind of count offer and we understand that he is making clear that its got to be increase rates for the wealthy or no deal. Are you willing to give a little bit . The phone call was pleasant but was more of the same. The conversations that the staff had yesterday were more of the same. Its time for the president if hes serious to come back to was a count offer. The jobs record indicated unemployment is down roughly a full point from this time last year. If no deal happens [inaudible]. Why take such a risk when the job numbers are improving. Because increasing tax rates will hit many Small Businesses that produce 60 to 70 of the new jobs in our country. Thats the whole issue here. What the spt ready to have the economy go off the cliff. I think thats recommendless talk. You said before the [inaudible] do you still believe that to be the case. Racing taxes on Small Businesses is not going to help our economy and not going to help those seeking work. I came out the day after the election to put receive news on the table to take a step toward the topt try to resolve. This when is he going to take a step towards us . Can you see some way you can agree to tax rate increase and protect Small Businesses at the same time, maybe going with the 37 or some middle ground . There are a lot of things that are possible. But none of it is going to be possible. The president insist on my way or the highway. Thats not the way to get to an agreement that i think is important for the American People and very important for our economy. Thanks. Minority leader me lows si speak today. Here are her remarks. This morning we received the news that the economy added 146,000 jobs last month. The Unemployment Rate fell to 7. 7 and we mark the 33 reasonable doubt consecutive month of private sector job growth. Our economy is moving forward but it could be growing at a faster rate if the Republican Leadership had taken up and passed some of president obamas job initiatives including the american jobs act and had passed the middle income tax cut. Having done that held off those initiatives, Speaker Boehner says democrats are slow walking the economy to a fiscal cliff, yet this is the same Republican Leadership that had the house in session barely a full day this week. Weve had the election. The president was clear in the campaign that he was advocating and fighting for the middle income tax cut. A tax cut which, by the way, gives everyone 100 of taxpayers a tax break. But it also asks that the upper 2 pay their fair share. Since that election four weeks ago, the president weve had time, the president has given the republicans flex tobblet come up with a credible specific plan. What they offered in return was an empty letter lacking in specifics. It was a further manifestation of the lack of agreement in the Republican Caucus with division on the middle income tax cut and no agreement on specifics in their plan, not even senator mcconnell endorsed the House Republicans proposal. We can make a difference right now by bringing the middle income tax cut up for a vote to give once again, 100 of mernls a tax relief. The senate has passed the bill, the president is poised with his pen to sign it. Democrats are unified on it. We have a discharge petition to bring it to the floor. The only obstacle standing in the way of middle income tax relief are the republicans unwilling tons ask the top 2 to pay their fair share. This top 2 which otherwise gets a tax cut, it continues a tax cut in the middle income tax extension. This is a moment of truth. The clock is ticking, christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat but in many Homes Across America it is a very very lean time. The facts are though very important to reiterate. Democrats have already agreed in the budget control act and other cuts in this congress to 1. 6 trillion dollars in cuts, in spending cuts. Weve already agreed in the Affordable Care act and in the president s budget to over a trillion dollars in savings to medicare without doing any harm to beneficiaries and extended the life of medicare. What is lacking are the revenues. You cannot cut your way to deficit reduction. What does reduce the deficit are jobs, job creation. Have the spending cuts, we have the medicare savings, what we need are the revenues. And that is what you have to ask the question, why are we not here to pass the middle income tax cut which unleashes the high end increases the high end contribution to the budget talks. Why are we not here to pass the middle income tax cut . Why are we not here to even debate the middle income tax cut . Could it be because the republicans are holding the middle income tax cuts as they have all along hostage to tax cuts for the wealthy . As long as they will not touch one hair on the red or get one red scent from the high end we will never have the revenue with the save togs reduce the deficit, to create jobs and grow the economy and improve the lives of the American People. [inaudible] as ive cede before than subject, what we want to do is protect the middle class. So its not about the rate, its about the money. None of this high end tax the objection to extending is about being punitive to the high end, its about getting the money to reduce the deficit, to grow the economy and unleash that power and that middle income tax cut does as well. So again, it depends on how much money you can get. And again, not to say they will pay less and the middle class will pay more. [inaudible]. No, i dont know that and thats why we should be here to have that kind of a review of the facts. But the facts are that at this point 39. 6 does produce the revenue and the difficult ration between the that the president has greated a great deal of money as well. So its not about the rate and what it brings in, its the difference of what that brings in 1. 6 trillion. [inaudible] are you satisfied with the level of communication right now . Yes, i am. I dont necessarily talk about when and how many times i speak to the president but im very satisfied with the communication that i have with the president , that my staff has with his staff and what our lead person on this has with the executive branch. Temperature knows our views. He shares our values. We feel confident in any negotiation that he takes a lead in. This will be the last one. [inaudible] new york city im actually very happy about the discharge petition. Its already exceed my expectations in the speed of which our members being here only a limited amount of time this week were able to snand line and stand the petition. The fact is that its about getting people to sign. Its also about bringing pressure on the leadership to say why are you not bringing this to the floor. Is this a forever protection of the wealthiest people in our country at the expense of the middle class. This decoupling is strat to solving our fiscal challenge that we have now. Dont you wonder yourself why the American People almost 100 , ive never seen a poll that says 100 ,over whemingly support. This democrats and republicans support. The Senate Passed it, the president is poised to sign it. Why would they block that except to protect the high end . Well take one more. [inaudible] did you have any concern about increased debt over to the executive branch. My understanding is they are talking about the mcconnell rule which is the president would send his proposal over and let 2 3 of the congress rejected it then the president s lifting of the debt ceiling would stand. The white house and the House Democrats are on the same page on the debt ceiling question. Thank you. Tonight at 7 00, mark warrener will discuss legislation hes sponsoring which will allow more highly skilled immigrants the u. S. Thats live at 7 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan. I think Riders Institute is something thats important within the culture. We are a culture of words of voices. Words are key to our imagination, our capacity to envision things. We ourselves are not completely tied to print on the page of writing but i think that there is no other art form so readily accessible other than perhaps film. But there is something in literature that cap chures the hunal spirit. This weekend join book tv as we look tpwhind scenes at the literary life of new yorks capital city albany. Senators from new york and new jersey say Hurricane Sandy caused 5 billion worth of damage to rail subway and Port Infrastructure in their state. They testified on surface transportation yesterday. I call this hearing to order. Thank you for joining us, mr. Secretary. I asked you to testify today because im deeply concerned about the recent report that the f. H. A. Could potentially need taxpayer support for the first time in its 78year history. I would like you to help the committee gain insight into the fiscal challenges at the f. H. A. And what h. U. D. Has done and can do to mitigate losses and address the shortfall in the capital reserve ratio. F. H. A. Has been helping save lives of the Mortgage Market by ensuring that qualified lower to moderate income and first time home buyers have access to credit since 1934. Since the beginning of the financial crisis, the f. H. A. Has increased its market share from below 5 in 2006 to about 30 at its peak volume in 2009, in pursuant of that mission. This cyclical expansion was essential to the Mortgage Market, especially for first time home buyers who have comprised 78 of Single Family loans insured by f. H. A. In 2011. F. H. A. s multifamily and Health Care Insurance programs have also played an important cyclical role since the financial crisis with a fourfold increase in volume from 2008 to 2011. According to mark sandy, chief economist at moodys analytics, without the f. H. A. s Counter Cyclical support, and i quote, the Housing Market would have quit taking the economy with it. Providing the backstop for mortgage credit when Public Services flee from the market has a cost. The losses at f. H. A. To stem from the new now prohibited down payment program, heavy losses in the First Mortgage program, and losses loans made at the height of the crisis to prevent a collapse of the Housing Market. While they have already taken action to pretext the financial Mortgage Fund for Single Family loans from seeking federal funds, the f. Y. 2012 report suggests that much more needs to be done to prevent such a draw. I want to hear more today about the administrations actions and proposals to minimize the risk to taxpayers stemming from their business and what safeguards are in place to ensure the quality and sustainability of the program. If the administrations actions and proposals will not be sufficient to restore f. H. A. s fiscal health, im inclined to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the Banking Committee to find a bipartisan way to make shoo that happen.