[Kerry and Edwards Campaign Event in Smithfield, MO 2 of 3 1343 -] [smithfield, mo usa] 2004 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SENATOR JOHN KERRY AND RUNNING MATE JOHN EDWARDS CAMPAIGN IN SMITHFIELD MISSOURI. TAOE 2 OF 3 1343 - Campaign Event at family farm NY 1 / X79 Kerry in Smithfield, MO 13:42:00 you know that hear it, we have in our farm bill, incentive to encourage people to move to those farming, if your crop gets polluted boom your all gone. you gotta take a risk, insurance type of structure to transition in to that and if they were to loose crop... 13:42:59 let me tell you how i know, Edwards spend a life time fighting for little person, helping people discarded by corporations and helping them to make their lives whole again, and all my life the only US senator who has been elected 4 times to senate who voluntarily refused to take PA money, only people i accepted contributions from were individual Americans, this group, that group is not what is pushing my agenda, free-er from bonds and ties of any president and we will stand up and fight for people. 13:44:15 I have a long record, told me in our country, you can't do that, you're just a county prosecutor, you don't have ability to protect witnesses, i got 24 hour protection for witnesses, and we put that crime figure behind bars and we stood up and made it happen, stood up against drilling in Alaska, stopped drilling. Arctic wildlife preserve. Tell you what John and I will fight harder for your jobs than our own. 13:45:30 "can you make a date and promise to come back here in two years" you got a date, so long as you promise me a day as beautiful as this one. 13:48:26 within the farm agenda absolutely top priority, I'll tell you i visited those larger confinement, but i remember i visited them in Iowa, the pollution problem are serious but we can deal with them, we have to grow livestock, regulated like industry, what's happened is, in some parts, property gets devalued, all of a sudden that farm's value gone down, that's not right folks, that's not the way we do things. I know a lot about this, huge issue in NC. 13:49:54 Both of us believe same thing, concentration, bad for family farmers, not just adjacent farms, it's the community, talked about Iowa being in Iowa talking to woman literally had to move her family kids getting sick, had to move family because devastation to health, we have got to have not just state standards but national standards, truth is some states done a lot of good work, we should know KFOES as called, animal farming operations, pollution is not devastating people around them, trying to run as family operation to compete in this environment. 13:51:52 john and i have real common sense approach to environment, no overbearing regulation big beaucracy only way to do something, I've learned last 20 years, haven't learned very effectively. Bring people to table and many different ways to doing sometimes to get to particular objective. Least intrusive least cost most effective way of getting something done. Sometimes that's not going to work for bottom line for business we're working with, you don't put people out of business you work with and achieve jobs, keep people in business keep people with clean water and drink. 13:53:22 kerry given note. 13:53:47 mister Ellis from thorton i can do for hogs what you do for this, they developed an organic plan for raising farms, he supervises family farms, coordinates sale for them and you can eat liman pork, from Iowa, visited farms in middle of winter, really inspiring to do work they did, fields, 4 or 5 crop field, the fifth year they have hogs here, it can be done, economical, huge market in America for products that are quote not going to cause you cancer, we have to organize that, i think fed government could help organize that so people don't get ripped off. 13:55:25 man in red shirt without microphone speaks: all right... fine i appreciate what you said, i have 4 reason i got them, bank lending me money to stay small like i was, only way to stay hog business 13:58:18 you are dead right i know people respond that way. Elizabeth edwards say that way, back when i had a personal life, i use to do bankruptcy, saw hog farmer 13:58:44 Elizabeth edwards: what happened in vertical, if they want to move profit to feed.. 13:59:06 you have no idea how many farmers, you're trying to do what's right, one of reasons mentioned this. take animal waste to turn it into something good and productive. Trouble making money right and responsible I'll speak for the two of us and four of us. 13:59:44 we understand, small business people like you heart of country, make sure stay in business, make sure we don't squeeze you out, i want you to know we understand in our gut what will not work, want ot keep you in business, family hog farmers we do fine with, its the corporate one with bush. We want to be with you we are glad you said what you said. I think the sun rises, says it all. 14:00:42 we are going to work closely with all ways just described, i know how hard it is to get capitol. *break log* 14:07:01 it couldn't have been a better question. Just go out and buy your own, get it through place you work. How many don't have any? Anybody in those categories, premiums gone up 60%, co-pays up, deductibles up, benefits gone now. Bush president for four years, almost four years, no plan at all to deal with this problem. NO plan, just getting worse. John Edwards and i have a real plan. Here's what we are going to do, there are a lot of reasons Health care has problems, part of it is government run program, part of it for profit, private sector, depends on reimbursements. Interdependent. President who is going to bring all people together and put system together, introduce first piece of legislation, day one, first bill that comes out of Kerry Edwards administration, health care plan i have to get us to 97% covered within 3 years of passing bill and look to see other 3% are. Here is the plan, learned a lesson in 93. Great effort, not saying anything about it, didn't work. 14:09:40 American live by certain values, choose own doctor, don't' want government to tell them where to go, American's want several plans to choose from, doctors making medical decisions, i took those principles and put them on table... we are going to offer all businesses in America... savings onto employees, health wellness program, teach people about nutrition, early screening for cancer and diabetes, not a business person i met who haven't said I'll do that in a flash, we government pay for 75% of cost for most expensive cases, so everyone's premium capped at 50K a risk, any case we are paying 75% of cost at federal level, reduce 14:12:11 ask America to roll back unwise tax cut wealthiest people so we can invest in fund to lower cost of health care for all Americans, not whole plan, lower cost of doing business. 14:13:01 better competition in marketplace. If you don't like plan you got, this year we're only going to give you 60% hospital coverage, I'm going over here to the plan senators and congressman have, we will we watching that plan like hawks, put competitive structure, work swap with states, take over medicade children form states, we take over children and exchange states in return is they agree to cover individuals up to 200% of poverty 300% of poverty. Sliding scale of assistance, people will come in and buy insurance. They hate doing medicade children, net plus to state to do it. Grab money, more efficient. Build health care system no mandates, no new bureaucracy, works on incentive you get benefit in exchange for benefit. Let me tell you one of benefits will be 100 billion on diabetes alone. 14:15:14 350 billion on administration on health chare. None of you run overhead of your businesses, we can reduce that by getting technology in health care system, john and i create incentive to get technology into system, go to johnkerry.com. whole plan is there, real plan, lower premiums, 1000 a person, put preventive medicine in place, make system more efficient and a darn sight better than nothing which is what you got today. 14:16:47 describing plan, allow prescription drugs to be reimported to reduce costs, crack down on price gauging and i think it's important that both of us shown over lives that we have a willingness to stand up to drug companies. Use power of government to negotiate better prices, we think that's an important piece of prescription drugs. 14:17:56 that's very important make grid accessible, met farmers in Minnesota making more money putting energy into system than from farming, make this so feasible, excite people to do it, this is the future, not whole solution but boy will it make a difference cut dependence on mideast oil without/ any question whatsoever. WE want to spend a little time chatting with every person... ask everyone to pick up their... 14:19:05 let me just say in closing but, this is about our future, really better choice for how we create jobs, kind of jobs, how we make air clean, water clean, I'm a hunter and fisherman, hunter since i was 12 years old, i believe in second amendment but gotta have a habitat we are going to hunt, 28 states you can't eat the fish, that's unacceptable, i want to work cooperatively, we've been losing jobs over last four years, worst record, i know we can do better, Americans know we can do better, go out and do better.

--SUPERS--\n:34-38\nMel Manternach\nMonticello, Iowa Resident \n\n:41-:48\nMel Manternach\nMonticello, Iowa Resident \n\n:50-59\nGerald Retzlaff\nMonticello, Iowa Resident \n\n1:00-1:07\nGary Fisher\nMonticello, Iowa Resident \n\n1:22-1:34\nVoice of Renee Adams\nHog Farmer\n\n1:44-1:50\nNo Font Provided\n\n1:50-1:57\nRenee Adams\nHog Farmer \n\n1:58-2:03\nPresident Trump/Jan 8 (No Font Necessary)\n\n2:08-2:27\nBill Weir\nMonticello, IA\n\n2:29-2:36\nRenee Adams\nHog Farmer\n\n2:37-2:39\nNo Font Provided\n\n2:53-3:22\nCindy Bagge \nPresident, Oak Street Manufacturing \n\n3:26-3:29\nLou Holly\nRepublican Voter\n\n3:52-4:03\nJerry Hahn \nMonticello, Iowa Resident \n\n --LEAD IN--\nPRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP -- AT THIS POINT IN HIS TERM -- IS THE LEAST POPULAR PRESIDENT SINCE MODERN POLLING BEGAN 70 YEARS AGO.\nA CNN POLL IN DECEMBER SHOWS HIS APPROVAL RATING AT 35-PERCENT NATIONWIDE.\nIOWA WAS A STATE TRUMP WON BY NINE-AND-A-HALF POINTS BACK IN 2016.\nBILL WEIR WENT TO THE SMALL TOWN OF MONTICELLO TO SEE IF OPINIONS ABOUT TRUMP HAVE CHANGED.\n --REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS--\nIN MONTICELLO, THEY STILL WIND THE CLOCK TOWER BY HAND.\n-NATS-\nSTILL MIX POLITICS INTO THEIR COFFEE DOWN AT DARRELL'S.\n-NATS-\nIT'S TRADITION GOES BACK TO TRUMAN…BUT NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER TESTED THE LIMITS OF MIDWESTERN POLITENESS LIKE NUMBER 45.\n-NATS- reporter question\nMel Manternach/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "Trump pulled the wool over their eyes. They have. But his base has not recognized it. And he has really pulled it over their eyes."\n-NATS- reporter question \nMel Manternach/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "They are so ingrained with the crotch grabbing liar."\nGerald Retzlaff/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "Trump wasn't my first choice. However he is doing a hell of a good job.//He's playing three level chess versus everybody else playing checkers."\nGary Fisher/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "The ones that supporting are either greedy or bigots or just don't see it yet.//If the vote were taken today I think things would be different." \n-NATS-\nVoice of Renee Adams/Hog Farmer: "We run about we run 800 acres of corn and beans and then we do bale some hay.//Our kids actually buy their own 4-H animals. //They pay for all the feed vet bills they do the chores for them. (reporter q) That teaches. Yeah yeah."\nOUT AT THE ADAMS FARM…\n-NATS-\nTHE FAMILY OF REPUBLICANS SHOWS LITTLE VOTER'S REMORSE.\nNo Font Provided: "I think he's doing a decent job. I think we ought to give him a chance."\nRenee Adams/Hog Farmer: "He went to the American Farm Bureau Federation meeting // You know I haven't seen that from other presidents.\nPresident Trump/January 8 (no font necessary): "And throughout our history, farmers have always, always, always led the way."\nBill Weir/Monticello, IA: "That words played really well around here…but his actions could could end up hurting these folks. His nominee for head scientist at the Department of Agriculture wasn't a scientist and got tangled in the Russia investigation. He scrapped an Obama rule that would have protected family farms against unfair corporate meatpackers…and he is threatening to tear up NAFTA, the free trade agreement that keeps a lot of these folks alive." \nRenee Adams/Hog Farmer: "Now with NAFTA. That's another story. You know that does scare us pretty bad. (reporter q) We would go bankrupt. Yes. Every producer would go. Yes. I mean every every pork producer when there's just no way."\nNo Font Provided: "I'm sure he has a plan if he just pull out. I don't know what that plan is."\n-NATS-\nAND THERE ARE WORRIES AT OAK STREET MANUFACTURING, A MOM-AND-POP MAKER OF RESTAURANT FURNISHINGS.\nCindy Bagge/President, Oak Street Manufacturing: "We're hopeful as far as the tax reform // so we're we're we're positive about that.We have grave concerns about other facets of his administration and his actions verbally. (reporter q) Some of the some of the statements that he makes. (long silence) There's just there's just a lot of disrespect. For a large number of people."\n-NATS- \nLou Holly/Republican Voter: "As a Republican, he was supposed to be worried about his grandchildren and the national debt. It just seemed to be a damn bit of difference anymore."\n--QUICK CROSSTALK--\nMel Manternach/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "We'll have to have another Obama come in and clean it up."\nGerald Retzlaff/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "Yeah he can double our debt!"\nMel Manternach/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "He got you into the prosperity that you're having now." \nGerald Retzlaff/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "Oh yeah, give him credit for the markets. Yeah get you're head out of your butt, man."\nJerry Hahn/Monticello, Iowa Resident: "When it's a good time to cut your rosebushes? (reporter q) They got into it one day and I was worried so that's the safe word.\nSO ONE YEAR INTO TRUMP, THE STATE HE WON BY ALMOST TEN POINTS IS PRODUCING A BUMPER CROP OF WORRY…EVEN AMONG THOSE WHO LOVE HIM MOST.\n --TAG--\nA LOCAL POLL CONDUCTED IN DECEMBER BY THE DES MOINES REGISTER-MEDIACOM IOWA FOUND THAT TRUMP'S APPROVAL AMONG IOWANS WAS 35-PERCENT WITH 60-PERCENT DISAPPROVAL.\n -----END-----CNN.SCRIPT-----\n\n --KEYWORD TAGS--\nIOWA MONTICELLO U.S. POLITICS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP POLLS APPROVAL\n\n

[Kerry and Edwards Campaign Event in Smithfield, MO 2 of 3 1343 -] [smithfield, mo usa] 2004 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SENATOR JOHN KERRY AND RUNNING MATE JOHN EDWARDS CAMPAIGN IN SMITHFIELD MISSOURI. TAOE 2 OF 3 1343 - Campaign Event at family farm NY 1 / X79 Kerry in Smithfield, MO 13:42:00 you know that hear it, we have in our farm bill, incentive to encourage people to move to those farming, if your crop gets polluted boom your all gone. you gotta take a risk, insurance type of structure to transition in to that and if they were to loose crop... 13:42:59 let me tell you how i know, Edwards spend a life time fighting for little person, helping people discarded by corporations and helping them to make their lives whole again, and all my life the only US senator who has been elected 4 times to senate who voluntarily refused to take PA money, only people i accepted contributions from were individual Americans, this group, that group is not what is pushing my agenda, free-er from bonds and ties of any president and we will stand up and fight for people. 13:44:15 I have a long record, told me in our country, you can't do that, you're just a county prosecutor, you don't have ability to protect witnesses, i got 24 hour protection for witnesses, and we put that crime figure behind bars and we stood up and made it happen, stood up against drilling in Alaska, stopped drilling. Arctic wildlife preserve. Tell you what John and I will fight harder for your jobs than our own. 13:45:30 "can you make a date and promise to come back here in two years" you got a date, so long as you promise me a day as beautiful as this one. 13:48:26 within the farm agenda absolutely top priority, I'll tell you i visited those larger confinement, but i remember i visited them in Iowa, the pollution problem are serious but we can deal with them, we have to grow livestock, regulated like industry, what's happened is, in some parts, property gets devalued, all of a sudden that farm's value gone down, that's not right folks, that's not the way we do things. I know a lot about this, huge issue in NC. 13:49:54 Both of us believe same thing, concentration, bad for family farmers, not just adjacent farms, it's the community, talked about Iowa being in Iowa talking to woman literally had to move her family kids getting sick, had to move family because devastation to health, we have got to have not just state standards but national standards, truth is some states done a lot of good work, we should know KFOES as called, animal farming operations, pollution is not devastating people around them, trying to run as family operation to compete in this environment. 13:51:52 john and i have real common sense approach to environment, no overbearing regulation big beaucracy only way to do something, I've learned last 20 years, haven't learned very effectively. Bring people to table and many different ways to doing sometimes to get to particular objective. Least intrusive least cost most effective way of getting something done. Sometimes that's not going to work for bottom line for business we're working with, you don't put people out of business you work with and achieve jobs, keep people in business keep people with clean water and drink. 13:53:22 kerry given note. 13:53:47 mister Ellis from thorton i can do for hogs what you do for this, they developed an organic plan for raising farms, he supervises family farms, coordinates sale for them and you can eat liman pork, from Iowa, visited farms in middle of winter, really inspiring to do work they did, fields, 4 or 5 crop field, the fifth year they have hogs here, it can be done, economical, huge market in America for products that are quote not going to cause you cancer, we have to organize that, i think fed government could help organize that so people don't get ripped off. 13:55:25 man in red shirt without microphone speaks: all right... fine i appreciate what you said, i have 4 reason i got them, bank lending me money to stay small like i was, only way to stay hog business 13:58:18 you are dead right i know people respond that way. Elizabeth edwards say that way, back when i had a personal life, i use to do bankruptcy, saw hog farmer 13:58:44 Elizabeth edwards: what happened in vertical, if they want to move profit to feed.. 13:59:06 you have no idea how many farmers, you're trying to do what's right, one of reasons mentioned this. take animal waste to turn it into something good and productive. Trouble making money right and responsible I'll speak for the two of us and four of us. 13:59:44 we understand, small business people like you heart of country, make sure stay in business, make sure we don't squeeze you out, i want you to know we understand in our gut what will not work, want ot keep you in business, family hog farmers we do fine with, its the corporate one with bush. We want to be with you we are glad you said what you said. I think the sun rises, says it all. 14:00:42 we are going to work closely with all ways just described, i know how hard it is to get capitol. *break log* 14:07:01 it couldn't have been a better question. Just go out and buy your own, get it through place you work. How many don't have any? Anybody in those categories, premiums gone up 60%, co-pays up, deductibles up, benefits gone now. Bush president for four years, almost four years, no plan at all to deal with this problem. NO plan, just getting worse. John Edwards and i have a real plan. Here's what we are going to do, there are a lot of reasons Health care has problems, part of it is government run program, part of it for profit, private sector, depends on reimbursements. Interdependent. President who is going to bring all people together and put system together, introduce first piece of legislation, day one, first bill that comes out of Kerry Edwards administration, health care plan i have to get us to 97% covered within 3 years of passing bill and look to see other 3% are. Here is the plan, learned a lesson in 93. Great effort, not saying anything about it, didn't work. 14:09:40 American live by certain values, choose own doctor, don't' want government to tell them where to go, American's want several plans to choose from, doctors making medical decisions, i took those principles and put them on table... we are going to offer all businesses in America... savings onto employees, health wellness program, teach people about nutrition, early screening for cancer and diabetes, not a business person i met who haven't said I'll do that in a flash, we government pay for 75% of cost for most expensive cases, so everyone's premium capped at 50K a risk, any case we are paying 75% of cost at federal level, reduce 14:12:11 ask America to roll back unwise tax cut wealthiest people so we can invest in fund to lower cost of health care for all Americans, not whole plan, lower cost of doing business. 14:13:01 better competition in marketplace. If you don't like plan you got, this year we're only going to give you 60% hospital coverage, I'm going over here to the plan senators and congressman have, we will we watching that plan like hawks, put competitive structure, work swap with states, take over medicade children form states, we take over children and exchange states in return is they agree to cover individuals up to 200% of poverty 300% of poverty. Sliding scale of assistance, people will come in and buy insurance. They hate doing medicade children, net plus to state to do it. Grab money, more efficient. Build health care system no mandates, no new bureaucracy, works on incentive you get benefit in exchange for benefit. Let me tell you one of benefits will be 100 billion on diabetes alone. 14:15:14 350 billion on administration on health chare. None of you run overhead of your businesses, we can reduce that by getting technology in health care system, john and i create incentive to get technology into system, go to johnkerry.com. whole plan is there, real plan, lower premiums, 1000 a person, put preventive medicine in place, make system more efficient and a darn sight better than nothing which is what you got today. 14:16:47 describing plan, allow prescription drugs to be reimported to reduce costs, crack down on price gauging and i think it's important that both of us shown over lives that we have a willingness to stand up to drug companies. Use power of government to negotiate better prices, we think that's an important piece of prescription drugs. 14:17:56 that's very important make grid accessible, met farmers in Minnesota making more money putting energy into system than from farming, make this so feasible, excite people to do it, this is the future, not whole solution but boy will it make a difference cut dependence on mideast oil without/ any question whatsoever. WE want to spend a little time chatting with every person... ask everyone to pick up their... 14:19:05 let me just say in closing but, this is about our future, really better choice for how we create jobs, kind of jobs, how we make air clean, water clean, I'm a hunter and fisherman, hunter since i was 12 years old, i believe in second amendment but gotta have a habitat we are going to hunt, 28 states you can't eat the fish, that's unacceptable, i want to work cooperatively, we've been losing jobs over last four years, worst record, i know we can do better, Americans know we can do better, go out and do better.

[Kerry and Edwards Campaign Event in Smithfield, MO 2 of 3 1343 -] [smithfield, mo usa] 2004 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SENATOR JOHN KERRY AND RUNNING MATE JOHN EDWARDS CAMPAIGN IN SMITHFIELD MISSOURI. TAOE 2 OF 3 1343 - Campaign Event at family farm NY 1 / X79 Kerry in Smithfield, MO 13:42:00 you know that hear it, we have in our farm bill, incentive to encourage people to move to those farming, if your crop gets polluted boom your all gone. you gotta take a risk, insurance type of structure to transition in to that and if they were to loose crop... 13:42:59 let me tell you how i know, Edwards spend a life time fighting for little person, helping people discarded by corporations and helping them to make their lives whole again, and all my life the only US senator who has been elected 4 times to senate who voluntarily refused to take PA money, only people i accepted contributions from were individual Americans, this group, that group is not what is pushing my agenda, free-er from bonds and ties of any president and we will stand up and fight for people. 13:44:15 I have a long record, told me in our country, you can't do that, you're just a county prosecutor, you don't have ability to protect witnesses, i got 24 hour protection for witnesses, and we put that crime figure behind bars and we stood up and made it happen, stood up against drilling in Alaska, stopped drilling. Arctic wildlife preserve. Tell you what John and I will fight harder for your jobs than our own. 13:45:30 "can you make a date and promise to come back here in two years" you got a date, so long as you promise me a day as beautiful as this one. 13:48:26 within the farm agenda absolutely top priority, I'll tell you i visited those larger confinement, but i remember i visited them in Iowa, the pollution problem are serious but we can deal with them, we have to grow livestock, regulated like industry, what's happened is, in some parts, property gets devalued, all of a sudden that farm's value gone down, that's not right folks, that's not the way we do things. I know a lot about this, huge issue in NC. 13:49:54 Both of us believe same thing, concentration, bad for family farmers, not just adjacent farms, it's the community, talked about Iowa being in Iowa talking to woman literally had to move her family kids getting sick, had to move family because devastation to health, we have got to have not just state standards but national standards, truth is some states done a lot of good work, we should know KFOES as called, animal farming operations, pollution is not devastating people around them, trying to run as family operation to compete in this environment. 13:51:52 john and i have real common sense approach to environment, no overbearing regulation big beaucracy only way to do something, I've learned last 20 years, haven't learned very effectively. Bring people to table and many different ways to doing sometimes to get to particular objective. Least intrusive least cost most effective way of getting something done. Sometimes that's not going to work for bottom line for business we're working with, you don't put people out of business you work with and achieve jobs, keep people in business keep people with clean water and drink. 13:53:22 kerry given note. 13:53:47 mister Ellis from thorton i can do for hogs what you do for this, they developed an organic plan for raising farms, he supervises family farms, coordinates sale for them and you can eat liman pork, from Iowa, visited farms in middle of winter, really inspiring to do work they did, fields, 4 or 5 crop field, the fifth year they have hogs here, it can be done, economical, huge market in America for products that are quote not going to cause you cancer, we have to organize that, i think fed government could help organize that so people don't get ripped off. 13:55:25 man in red shirt without microphone speaks: all right... fine i appreciate what you said, i have 4 reason i got them, bank lending me money to stay small like i was, only way to stay hog business 13:58:18 you are dead right i know people respond that way. Elizabeth edwards say that way, back when i had a personal life, i use to do bankruptcy, saw hog farmer 13:58:44 Elizabeth edwards: what happened in vertical, if they want to move profit to feed.. 13:59:06 you have no idea how many farmers, you're trying to do what's right, one of reasons mentioned this. take animal waste to turn it into something good and productive. Trouble making money right and responsible I'll speak for the two of us and four of us. 13:59:44 we understand, small business people like you heart of country, make sure stay in business, make sure we don't squeeze you out, i want you to know we understand in our gut what will not work, want ot keep you in business, family hog farmers we do fine with, its the corporate one with bush. We want to be with you we are glad you said what you said. I think the sun rises, says it all. 14:00:42 we are going to work closely with all ways just described, i know how hard it is to get capitol. *break log* 14:07:01 it couldn't have been a better question. Just go out and buy your own, get it through place you work. How many don't have any? Anybody in those categories, premiums gone up 60%, co-pays up, deductibles up, benefits gone now. Bush president for four years, almost four years, no plan at all to deal with this problem. NO plan, just getting worse. John Edwards and i have a real plan. Here's what we are going to do, there are a lot of reasons Health care has problems, part of it is government run program, part of it for profit, private sector, depends on reimbursements. Interdependent. President who is going to bring all people together and put system together, introduce first piece of legislation, day one, first bill that comes out of Kerry Edwards administration, health care plan i have to get us to 97% covered within 3 years of passing bill and look to see other 3% are. Here is the plan, learned a lesson in 93. Great effort, not saying anything about it, didn't work. 14:09:40 American live by certain values, choose own doctor, don't' want government to tell them where to go, American's want several plans to choose from, doctors making medical decisions, i took those principles and put them on table... we are going to offer all businesses in America... savings onto employees, health wellness program, teach people about nutrition, early screening for cancer and diabetes, not a business person i met who haven't said I'll do that in a flash, we government pay for 75% of cost for most expensive cases, so everyone's premium capped at 50K a risk, any case we are paying 75% of cost at federal level, reduce 14:12:11 ask America to roll back unwise tax cut wealthiest people so we can invest in fund to lower cost of health care for all Americans, not whole plan, lower cost of doing business. 14:13:01 better competition in marketplace. If you don't like plan you got, this year we're only going to give you 60% hospital coverage, I'm going over here to the plan senators and congressman have, we will we watching that plan like hawks, put competitive structure, work swap with states, take over medicade children form states, we take over children and exchange states in return is they agree to cover individuals up to 200% of poverty 300% of poverty. Sliding scale of assistance, people will come in and buy insurance. They hate doing medicade children, net plus to state to do it. Grab money, more efficient. Build health care system no mandates, no new bureaucracy, works on incentive you get benefit in exchange for benefit. Let me tell you one of benefits will be 100 billion on diabetes alone. 14:15:14 350 billion on administration on health chare. None of you run overhead of your businesses, we can reduce that by getting technology in health care system, john and i create incentive to get technology into system, go to johnkerry.com. whole plan is there, real plan, lower premiums, 1000 a person, put preventive medicine in place, make system more efficient and a darn sight better than nothing which is what you got today. 14:16:47 describing plan, allow prescription drugs to be reimported to reduce costs, crack down on price gauging and i think it's important that both of us shown over lives that we have a willingness to stand up to drug companies. Use power of government to negotiate better prices, we think that's an important piece of prescription drugs. 14:17:56 that's very important make grid accessible, met farmers in Minnesota making more money putting energy into system than from farming, make this so feasible, excite people to do it, this is the future, not whole solution but boy will it make a difference cut dependence on mideast oil without/ any question whatsoever. WE want to spend a little time chatting with every person... ask everyone to pick up their... 14:19:05 let me just say in closing but, this is about our future, really better choice for how we create jobs, kind of jobs, how we make air clean, water clean, I'm a hunter and fisherman, hunter since i was 12 years old, i believe in second amendment but gotta have a habitat we are going to hunt, 28 states you can't eat the fish, that's unacceptable, i want to work cooperatively, we've been losing jobs over last four years, worst record, i know we can do better, Americans know we can do better, go out and do better.

Dairy cattle rest in the grass of a pasture.

August 14, 2002 POTUS Remarks at Iowa State Fair Des Moines, IOWA RS 20 POOL STIX 15:48:57 bush walk out on stage 15:49:05 push in to ts of bush on stage 15:49:49 intro to bush 15:50:04 ms of bush on stage President Bush Statement 15:50:40 to podium 15:50:54 thank you all very much 15:51:01 thanks for coming out 15:51:19 thank you for that warm welcome.. came off my ranch in crawford and not many places will lure me way but iowa state fair is one.. good to see so many friends.. it is a beautiful state god has blessed iowa and the great citizens.. 15:52:02 hope to get here for the chicken or hog calling contest.. I think Laura called this morning.. send Laura greetings.. she is a great first lady 15:52:35 I am really lucky she said yes when I asked her to marry me.. so glad that you all came make sure that the economy is strong.. doing your best to win the war on terror.. I appreciate so very much congressman on his great efforts.. 15:53:23 want to thank ag sect ann veneman.. she understands farming. thank gov bill sect for being here 15:53:51 thank dave hanker.. and set up a place to chat about America 15:54:08 appreciate hard working Americans for being here.. the economy of ours is challenged.. to me we have a problem.. can't find a place to work, then we have to do something about it.. we had three quarters of negative growth and a scandal that had been brewing came up 15:55:00 some people were found cooking the books.. these are pale in the strength of America.. our farmers are the most productive in the world.. our working people can outwork any one 15:57:26 understand that if you .. you do what you are good 15:59:17 one of things we are going to do is.. and our nation is interested to do so for our working people.. 15:59:44 want you understand 16:00:08 they are the best in the world. Someone else is going to find work here. It is within our worker's interest to do so .. john deer is with us here today 16:00:46 one of your fellow citizens will be likely to 16:01:01 trade is good for the working people. 16:03:26 farmers and ranchers who are there.. only way to keep the family farms in tact is not to tax them. 16:03:59 strongly urge.. demand that you are elected in the death tax once and for all 16:04:19 for the other things 16:04:47 healthy amount of money to fight the war on terror .. 16:05:11 either you spend it all or you spend what is needed.. well you made that decision and you made mine.. 16:05:35 there is a lot of things to do to get a terrorism plan in tact 16:05:49 congress needs to pass a good bill.. one thing we need to do is .. talking about values of heart.. 16:06:15 love the priorities of our farm families and corporate America.. the majority of our business leaders are good people.. want to assure you that if we find someone cooking the books, they would be prosecuted and held to account.. can't hold corruption to corrupt America *** 16:07:20 I understand America,, know we have great people and hard working citizens.. know there are knew businesses.. that road is going to smooth out.. people wonder why an enemy would want to hit America.. we value a society that we have all the freedoms and the enemy can't stand it 16:08:24 they are out there and they hate us and they don't value life.. they don't believe that and so long as they are out there, they will protect America .. every time we get a hint or do something 16:09:05 new dept of homeland security want our gov to be more effective. There is over a hundred agencies and it has something to do with homeland security.. in order to protect our borders better. Give them one chance to protect the society 16:09:52 protecting the homeland is our number one priority.. there fore I expect it is necessary.. the senate looks a little shaky and they want to micro manage 16:10:43 expect the senate to help on behalf of the American people.. the best way top secure the homeland is to protect and that is what the country will do.. it will take a while.. see these battalions and visions this is one of the war that people will hide in caves.. we are patient 16:11:38 we are united that understand that history has called us to action 16:12:04 called on congress to pass the appropriations bill 16:12:27 secondly sending a pretty good message to the rest of the world.. she is vigilant and strong .against those.. all in .. brought them to justice.. they are still out there and have to hear the message .. slowly but surely, bring them to justice.. hoping to get back 16:13:36 congress sometimes likes to play politics on the defense appropriations bill. Believe that we have some hurdles ahead.. it is a fantastic country.. out of the evil, will come some good 16:14:22 by being steadfast., it is 16:15:43 se the great strength of America people don't need govt law.. people say what can I do, I say love some people in need.. people now are understanding the patriotism 16:16:33 a patriot is somebody who assumes the personal responsibility.. in the culture.. f you got a problem blame somebody else.. fortunate enough to be 16:17:12 you are responsible for helping people in need.. if you want to help in war against terror this is the gathering momentum. the enemy hit us.. when they realize.. this is a strong 16:18:11 walk away from podium 16:23:10 ts of girl wearing crown 16:29:58 push in to top of bush's head as he is glad-handing in crowd 16:31:00 compression shot of iowans 16:38:02 ws of stage area

[NELSON FAMILY FARM CUTS / SENATOR JOHN KERRY (D-MASS) AND SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC)] ****NOTE THIS IS CUTS ONLY, THE LOG WILL NOT BE ACCURATE [NELSON FAMILY FARM / SENATOR JOHN KERRY (D-MASS) AND SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC)] [SMITHVILLE, MO USA] [KERRY/EDWARDS - Event, Nelson Family Farm, 5800 NE 142nd St, Smithville, MO] 12:53:09 man talking about his farm 12:54:56 edwards takes microphone 12:55:01 thank you for having us, thank all of you for being here i have to tell you grew up in a small town... 12:55:59 important work to do in this country. 12:56:09 job growth figures way below what everyone was hoping for 32,000 new jobs, last month 300,000 children not quite keeping up 12:57:09 strengthen and lift up our families, john has a copy of it right here 12:57:21 the vice president to be is served... 12:57:35 important to put it in writing, plan going in to what we want to do for America, what we want to do in peoples lives, his involvement in this issue, two decades, importance of America getting away from dependence on oil in middle east. Huge economic issue, saw what happened yesterday what it did to stock market, price of oil, economy as whole, as long as dependent on oil in middle east, leadership and i believe this man will provide it. Where we will go and how we will g et there, what we need to do to create energy independence in America. 12:59:14 all of us believe this is a very important step in right direction, reason in this setting alternative sources of energy, bio-mass, create jobs and bring jobs to areas where jobs lost, one of way to do that is use alternative sources of energy, bio-mass refineries, where jobs needed, anytime knows economy struggling, farmers struggling jobs leaving factories closing. 13:00:06 john and i have a clear rural plan, includes incentives for small business to bring jobs to places we need them the worst, broadband Internet so that rural communities competitive in global economy. 13:00:35 also makes, whats the word I'm looking far, connect hospitals medical services, direct access to the technology sophisticated Medicare what word I'm looking for tele-medication 13:01:01 always count on my wife to keep me straight 13:01:07 where jobs badly needed, quality of public schools, incentive to come ot those communities, move to energy independence, create jobs in rural communities, jobs so badly needed. We want to use tax system and credits, building cars of future, don't want to lag behind rest of the world. Real incentives in our tax system, creativity, developing and building those cars, and make sure government using serious conservation members, both of us believe what most Americans believe. Leadership to accomplish that, somebody with vision of where we need to go and plan to get us there. 13:02:32 say something about of man to introduce today. Whole issue of energy independence, across waterfront, timing as lieutenant governor and senator, write laws, work across isle to make sure American people have clean air and water, this is an issue he has shown lifetime commitment to, if we are going to continue to stay on cutting edge, very important kids grandkids, vision idea and commitment to this issue, i introduce sen john kerry. 13:03:56 thank you so much, wow, i gotta tell you, thank you all of you for an absolutely wonderful welcome to a little bit of paradise, Jim and Ruth thank you so much for opening up spot to us, 13:04:21 hugs woman 13:04:28 we are going to have a talk Jim about cattle got crowded out by wife's horses, that bears discussion gentlemen no I'm just joking. John and I i can't tell you we feel so comfortable right here, have a conversation, we are not here to talk at you, an awful lot of partisanship, shrillness, and it's always attack attack attack john and i are tired of it and so are you, what we want is to talk about things that really make a difference to lives of fellow citizens., 13:05:32 someone mentioned to me talk at coffee shop, where business gets done in America, how talk to republican friends and those friends don't have any answer when it comes to energy policy, i don't think they have any answers on schools, health care and deficit 13:06:55 a gift from America to Americans and to us, for running and meeting you and looking in eyes of people who come out, 12:30 at night, a thousand people cheering and hoping, cheering about the USA, the future, their hopes that we can make smart choices about our country, john and i believe deeply that way down in our gut and in our toes, that the best days for the USA are ahead of us because we are the can do country and we know how to make things happen 13:07:57 both sustained by two extraordinary women, readily admit we married up, happy about it, want you to meet my wife, extraordinary women on health, children, arts, environment, that's the next first lady, Teresa Heinz Kerry. And John's wife Elizabeth willing to tell truth to speak her mind.. 13:09:01 lawyer, educator, marvelous.. Elizabeth edwards, and you know it's tough on kids, we choose to do this it's our life and the kids get dragged into it and it becomes their life. Our kids embraced this campaign cause they care about this country, i want you to welcome Cate Edwards, my daughter Alex Kerry, and Andre Heinz works in environment. 13:10:05 now I'm a little embarrassed to comes to smithville and stop by and not get a chicken fried steak at loemans, but can i tell you on a personal level what a pleasure it is to be here. when i was a kid... foreign service.. aunt uncles farm in MASS, uncle knew how to put me to work, when i was 12 / 13 / 14 got to drive a john deer nothing more rewarding being dirty and seeing furrows knew you done that sense connection to earth and what was going to grow there, clearing a field or two, at end of day, piling rocks into cart, again covered in dirt, go in back door, uncle came up and gave me a quarter and said this is for your days work son I learned the value of a days work. 13:11:56 experience always stayed with me, not something i had to do, but i had a great introduction, a great sense of connection to growing things, power of our land and as we campaigned in Iowa, wherever you go Minnesota and Wisconsin not as much but a lot lately, measured my life by height of corn. Power of America's land. What we can do if we put our minds to it. 13:13:22 net negative loss of jobs in USA, jobs created pay 9,000 less on average than jobs we are losing overseas, 4 our of 5 jobs created are created in low paying different sectors than ones we want to create. My friends in last few days people positions of leadership on other side saying that America has turned the corner, must have been a u turn, the fact is this is unacceptable to the united states, we can do better and put people to work, countless ways to do it. 13:14:25 it's particularly important out here on a farm to think about possibilities of America's future, particularly important at a moment we are at war, where much of focus is on middle east, guess what else, Oil. WE import 61% god only gave us 3% of reserves, whole Alaska oil shelf, Colorado, Wyoming, into Mexico. If US gonna have what truman told you which is our independence, own security controlled in our own hands, control our energy future in our country. I believe John and i are going to put in place principle, no young American held hostage to America's dependence on oil in middle east. 13:16:15 in doing of it, whole bunch of things happened, whole lot of product created, Gore-Tex, digitalization, microwaves, microwave ovens, when we push curve of discovery we open up possbility, cape Canaveral, when he went up there, when latest time, he was doing research that can benefit people on earth. Let me tell you what we can do on earth now. We can be smart, show leadership, build future for children, beginning to move towards energy independence for our country, start putting people to work, you got two ethanol plants, growing some in Iowa, we can be doing more, bio-diesel, mass, three hundred different standard for gasoline additives, localities, all of which makes refining process more complicated, expensive, go tell republicans friends to have uniform standard that we can all agree on, build additional refineries, 13:18:14 We can put in place tax incentives, joint venture incentives to build independent fuel based America, fuels you can produce in Missouri and parts of mid west. I want to get figures correct. 13:18:44 I think, farmer are paying 1 billion extra money today because of the increase cost of gasoline, coming right out of pocket, here it is, farmers are spending 1.3 billion on gasoline. WE haven't taken these kinds of steps, truck drives who deliver goods are spending extra 6 billion on fuel, and households is spending 500 dollars or so, if you have a teenager out driving on one year your paying 800 bucks to go to Friday night game. 13:19:51 We can do better, why can't that teenager go down there and find a car that gets 100 miles to gallon, know who's making most? Japanese Germans, good they're doing it but i want those cars made by American Companies by American workers. 13:20:25 McCain and i joined together to create incentive to buy one of those car, 5,000 tax credit, can't find them, starting, coming, Ford is about to build the escape hybrid, guess who are on waiting list, Edwards and Kerry's. we tried to get past an incentive to help buy, everyone on other side against it. That doesn't make sense, save consumers money, less dependent on oil. 20 billion energy conservation trust fund, royalties of off shore Gas, not raising anyone's taxes, divert it into help people to create new vehicles of future, billion dollars a year, assist in process of making this feasible, efficiently not raise prices for tax codes. 13:22:09 Just quickly, a lot of people tried to scare people, most ridicules ads ever in my life. Little old purple Volkswagon with a harvest or behind it, if we passed this you'd plow your fields with mini-van. WE don't affect tractors pickups trucks. I want Americans to drive, giant SUV terrific, that's America, don't you think it makes sense to get better fuel miles and more efficient. Bunch of other things we are going to do, most important, right now as we sit here nation at war, we are paying a premium for foreign policy of this administration. 13:23:31 8 to 15 dollars, 10 dollars, 12 a barrel of oil is for instability for problems we are facing i know doing this for 25 years, i can run a war on terror that is more effective that makes Americans safer and brings other countries to our side,e doesn't rush to war, never send young American men and women to war. Respect. 13:24:36 instability, restore kinds of changes and protocol... most important election of lifetime, quality of jobs, help to farmers, i know affected... all farmers clobbered and you know why. Big guys are getting all of money, system tilted against small people. Tell me how that makes sense. Tired of hearing small family farms and vertical ownership, John and I are determined to make this system fair and smart and work for average people in our country. 13:25:56 AS you measure us, we want you to look in gut and heart, spent 20 years, lead fight to put 100,000 cops on streets, stood up for welfare, faith based services, but draw constitutional line of separation of church and state the Bush seems to walk over Fought for school reform, want ot measure what our kids are learning but if you don't' have a teachers with a class size that's adequate, we're not going to open the doors of equal opportunity in America. So... 13:27:08 john and i would love to take your questions, just want to say this to you, we are the most blessed people on planet, look at what we got, no one is going to jail for saying what they're going to say, they did once upon a time in America, stood up against British and plenty of moments of peril, we deserve leadership deserves how to make American stronger at home, respected in world. Huge amount of optimists, knowledge if we make good decisions, trust American people with truth, there is nothing Americans can't accomplish, done more for other people in world than any nation in human territory, spilled more blood in democracy and spirit, hope is there the sun is rising, make sure democracy works for all Americans. 13:29:51 put this in our face and said i thought you said you were going to do this, and that's what this is about... 13:30:14 whats it going to take, i believe it's going to take a president who has relationship with many leaders, i do, knows how to work in international community and has record for doing it, bring fresh start, new credibility to table, begin to do things in the first place, build a legitimate coalition and respect to the behavior of system. 13:30:59 I will never cede our security to any international institution or country, no vetoes the security of the US. I will make that decision but i know though life experience we are stronger with other people at our side, international community, rushed around united nations, rushed to war without/ a plan to win the peace. 13:31:45 i began that effort when i came back from Vietnam stood up against the war, some people still don't like that, still trying to fight that, that's 35 years old. Stood up learned a lot. Changed policy towards Philippines, resulted in democracy, negotiated with Cambodia, hold them accountable for terrible killing that took place in 1970's, negotiated with Vietnam with POW's and MIA's. move forward, personally conference on global warming, worked with those delegations, bring 20 years of experience as a leader, chairman of narcotics, chairman of Asia committee, look you in eye and say to you i can run a more effective smarter war on terror i will make America with new credibility and leadership. 13:33:31 EDWARDS: abstract academic question. What has to keep America safe, most of problems with America's relationship with world is Iraq, associated with this administration and most Americans, if we are going to go after terrorists, aggressive war on terror, but to be successful in finding where they are, we have to have strong relationships where they are. To get at them, we have to be leading in way to bring others to us, direct connection to safety and security of American people, and strong relationships, with new president and fresh start, we'll stop those terrorists before they ever get to. 13:36:05 both of us will say something. Elaine thank you Elaine. What you are describing is what i hear from North Carolina, you leave year to year, what you get for your crops are not going up, costs going up, this is by the way true in a different way, peoples wages aren't going up but cost of health care going up, trying to have child care. Those things going up dramatically. Farmers in my view are facing that in a more intense way. 13:37:29 a lot of things we need to do, growth of agra-business, dominating farming business, price of food goes up it's not cause family farmer making money, cracking down on vertical integration. both of us believe and committed to making sure we provide safety net for farmers, can't operate unless safety net available to you. Farming is a hard business, limits to what government can do, we can help with safety net, there are things we can do, it's a hard world out there for farmers. There are things we can do i don't think there is a magic pill for this. I think its' important to tell you the truth, better safety net, making it all go away i don't think we can make it happen but we will work as good as we can. 13:39:25 KERRY: i think i heard two questions, same old, same old. How will we be different. There other john talk about. Add to John i agree, but there are a lot of things that could be happening that have been promised that not followed through on, conservation security test component of farm bill, a lot of assistance of better / different farming practices. when i was in Iowa 100 million requests who wanted to do farming practices but not help promised. You tell me where value system is OK to fight for tax cuts but short change veterans, children and farmers and conservation act. That's going to be funded and provide assistance. I'm going to have an Attorney General of Anti-Trust laws. Ought to be applied. That an have an effect, three when i talked about earlier today, changes the whole picture for farming i want farmers to hear what I'm saying, raise value of soy, coin crop, use all over world, put people to work, raise value of farming. Fourth more and more Americans are learning about nutrition, learning about food value, looking for organic foods. 13:42:00 you know that hear it, we have in our farm bill, incentive to encourage people to move to those farming, if your crop gets polluted boom your all gone. you gotta take a risk, insurance type of structure to transition in to that and if they were to loose crop... 13:42:59 let me tell you how i know, Edwards spend a life time fighting for little person, helping people discarded by corporations and helping them to make their lives whole again, and all my life the only US senator who has been elected 4 times to senate who voluntarily refused to take PA money, only people i accepted contributions from were individual Americans, this group, that group is not what is pushing my agenda, free-er from bonds and ties of any president and we will stand up and fight for people. 13:44:15 I have a long record, told me in our country, you can't do that, you're just a county prosecutor, you don't have ability to protect witnesses, i got 24 hour protection for witnesses, and we put that crime figure behind bars and we stood up and made it happen, stood up against drilling in Alaska, stopped drilling. Arctic wildlife preserve. Tell you what John and I will fight harder for your jobs than our own. 13:45:30 "can you make a date and promise to come back here in two years" you got a date, so long as you promise me a day as beautiful as this one. 13:48:26 within the farm agenda absolutely top priority, I'll tell you i visited those larger confinement, but i remember i visited them in Iowa, the pollution problem are serious but we can deal with them, we have to grow livestock, regulated like industry, what's happened is, in some parts, property gets devalued, all of a sudden that farm's value gone down, that's not right folks, that's not the way we do things. I know a lot about this, huge issue in NC. 13:49:54 Both of us believe same thing, concentration, bad for family farmers, not just adjacent farms, it's the community, talked about Iowa being in Iowa talking to woman literally had to move her family kids getting sick, had to move family because devastation to health, we have got to have not just state standards but national standards, truth is some states done a lot of good work, we should know KFOES as called, animal farming operations, pollution is not devastating people around them, trying to run as family operation to compete in this environment. 13:51:52 john and i have real common sense approach to environment, no overbearing regulation big beaucracy only way to do something, I've learned last 20 years, haven't learned very effectively. Bring people to table and many different ways to doing sometimes to get to particular objective. Least intrusive least cost most effective way of getting something done. Sometimes that's not going to work for bottom line for business we're working with, you don't put people out of business you work with and achieve jobs, keep people in business keep people with clean water and drink. 13:53:22 kerry given note. 13:53:47 mister Ellis from thorton i can do for hogs what you do for this, they developed an organic plan for raising farms, he supervises family farms, coordinates sale for them and you can eat liman pork, from Iowa, visited farms in middle of winter, really inspiring to do work they did, fields, 4 or 5 crop field, the fifth year they have hogs here, it can be done, economical, huge market in America for products that are quote not going to cause you cancer, we have to organize that, i think fed government could help organize that so people don't get ripped off. 13:55:25 man in red shirt without microphone speaks: all right... fine i appreciate what you said, i have 4 reason i got them, bank lending me money to stay small like i was, only way to stay hog business 13:58:18 you are dead right i know people respond that way. Elizabeth edwards say that way, back when i had a personal life, i use to do bankruptcy, saw hog farmer 13:58:44 Elizabeth edwards: what happened in vertical, if they want to move profit to feed.. 13:59:06 you have no idea how many farmers, you're trying to do what's right, one of reasons mentioned this. take animal waste to turn it into something good and productive. Trouble making money right and responsible I'll speak for the two of us and four of us. 13:59:44 we understand, small business people like you heart of country, make sure stay in business, make sure we don't squeeze you out, i want you to know we understand in our gut what will not work, want ot keep you in business, family hog farmers we do fine with, its the corporate one with bush. We want to be with you we are glad you said what you said. I think the sun rises, says it all. 14:00:42 we are going to work closely with all ways just described, i know how hard it is to get capitol. *break log* 14:07:01 it couldn't have been a better question. Just go out and buy your own, get it through place you work. How many don't have any? Anybody in those categories, premiums gone up 60%, co-pays up, deductibles up, benefits gone now. Bush president for four years, almost four years, no plan at all to deal with this problem. NO plan, just getting worse. John Edwards and i have a real plan. Here's what we are going to do, there are a lot of reasons Health care has problems, part of it is government run program, part of it for profit, private sector, depends on reimbursements. Interdependent. President who is going to bring all people together and put system together, introduce first piece of legislation, day one, first bill that comes out of Kerry Edwards administration, health care plan i have to get us to 97% covered within 3 years of passing bill and look to see other 3% are. Here is the plan, learned a lesson in 93. Great effort, not saying anything about it, didn't work. 14:09:40 American live by certain values, choose own doctor, don't' want government to tell them where to go, American's want several plans to choose from, doctors making medical decisions, i took those principles and put them on table... we are going to offer all businesses in America... savings onto employees, health wellness program, teach people about nutrition, early screening for cancer and diabetes, not a business person i met who haven't said I'll do that in a flash, we government pay for 75% of cost for most expensive cases, so everyone's premium capped at 50K a risk, any case we are paying 75% of cost at federal level, reduce 14:12:11 ask America to roll back unwise tax cut wealthiest people so we can invest in fund to lower cost of health care for all Americans, not whole plan, lower cost of doing business. 14:13:01 better competition in marketplace. If you don't like plan you got, this year we're only going to give you 60% hospital coverage, I'm going over here to the plan senators and congressman have, we will we watching that plan like hawks, put competitive structure, work swap with states, take over medicade children form states, we take over children and exchange states in return is they agree to cover individuals up to 200% of poverty 300% of poverty. Sliding scale of assistance, people will come in and buy insurance. They hate doing medicade children, net plus to state to do it. Grab money, more efficient. Build health care system no mandates, no new bureaucracy, works on incentive you get benefit in exchange for benefit. Let me tell you one of benefits will be 100 billion on diabetes alone. 14:15:14 350 billion on administration on health chare. None of you run overhead of your businesses, we can reduce that by getting technology in health care system, john and i create incentive to get technology into system, go to johnkerry.com. whole plan is there, real plan, lower premiums, 1000 a person, put preventive medicine in place, make system more efficient and a darn sight better than nothing which is what you got today. 14:16:47 describing plan, allow prescription drugs to be reimported to reduce costs, crack down on price gauging and i think it's important that both of us shown over lives that we have a willingness to stand up to drug companies. Use power of government to negotiate better prices, we think that's an important piece of prescription drugs. 14:17:56 that's very important make grid accessible, met farmers in Minnesota making more money putting energy into system than from farming, make this so feasible, excite people to do it, this is the future, not whole solution but boy will it make a difference cut dependence on mideast oil without/ any question whatsoever. WE want to spend a little time chatting with every person... ask everyone to pick up their... 14:19:05 let me just say in closing but, this is about our future, really better choice for how we create jobs, kind of jobs, how we make air clean, water clean, I'm a hunter and fisherman, hunter since i was 12 years old, i believe in second amendment but gotta have a habitat we are going to hunt, 28 states you can't eat the fish, that's unacceptable, i want to work cooperatively, we've been losing jobs over last four years, worst record, i know we can do better, Americans know we can do better, go out and do better. 14:55:34 Cuts follow on tape 2 / there are seperate cuts fed on a different tape

[NELSON FAMILY FARM / SENATOR JOHN KERRY (D-MASS) AND SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC)] [SMITHVILLE, MO USA] [KERRY/EDWARDS - Event, Nelson Family Farm, 5800 NE 142nd St, Smithville, MO] 12:53:09 man talking about his farm 12:54:56 edwards takes microphone 12:55:01 thank you for having us, thank all of you for being here i have to tell you grew up in a small town... 12:55:59 important work to do in this country. 12:56:09 job growth figures way below what everyone was hoping for 32,000 new jobs, last month 300,000 children not quite keeping up 12:57:09 strengthen and lift up our families, john has a copy of it right here 12:57:21 the vice president to be is served... 12:57:35 important to put it in writing, plan going in to what we want to do for America, what we want to do in peoples lives, his involvement in this issue, two decades, importance of America getting away from dependence on oil in middle east. Huge economic issue, saw what happened yesterday what it did to stock market, price of oil, economy as whole, as long as dependent on oil in middle east, leadership and i believe this man will provide it. Where we will go and how we will g et there, what we need to do to create energy independence in America. 12:59:14 all of us believe this is a very important step in right direction, reason in this setting alternative sources of energy, bio-mass, create jobs and bring jobs to areas where jobs lost, one of way to do that is use alternative sources of energy, bio-mass refineries, where jobs needed, anytime knows economy struggling, farmers struggling jobs leaving factories closing. 13:00:06 john and i have a clear rural plan, includes incentives for small business to bring jobs to places we need them the worst, broadband Internet so that rural communities competitive in global economy. 13:00:35 also makes, whats the word I'm looking far, connect hospitals medical services, direct access to the technology sophisticated Medicare what word I'm looking for tele-medication 13:01:01 always count on my wife to keep me straight 13:01:07 where jobs badly needed, quality of public schools, incentive to come ot those communities, move to energy independence, create jobs in rural communities, jobs so badly needed. We want to use tax system and credits, building cars of future, don't want to lag behind rest of the world. Real incentives in our tax system, creativity, developing and building those cars, and make sure government using serious conservation members, both of us believe what most Americans believe. Leadership to accomplish that, somebody with vision of where we need to go and plan to get us there. 13:02:32 say something about of man to introduce today. Whole issue of energy independence, across waterfront, timing as lieutenant governor and senator, write laws, work across isle to make sure American people have clean air and water, this is an issue he has shown lifetime commitment to, if we are going to continue to stay on cutting edge, very important kids grandkids, vision idea and commitment to this issue, i introduce sen john kerry. 13:03:56 thank you so much, wow, i gotta tell you, thank you all of you for an absolutely wonderful welcome to a little bit of paradise, Jim and Ruth thank you so much for opening up spot to us, 13:04:21 hugs woman 13:04:28 we are going to have a talk Jim about cattle got crowded out by wife's horses, that bears discussion gentlemen no I'm just joking. John and I i can't tell you we feel so comfortable right here, have a conversation, we are not here to talk at you, an awful lot of partisanship, shrillness, and it's always attack attack attack john and i are tired of it and so are you, what we want is to talk about things that really make a difference to lives of fellow citizens., 13:05:32 someone mentioned to me talk at coffee shop, where business gets done in America, how talk to republican friends and those friends don't have any answer when it comes to energy policy, i don't think they have any answers on schools, health care and deficit 13:06:55 a gift from America to Americans and to us, for running and meeting you and looking in eyes of people who come out, 12:30 at night, a thousand people cheering and hoping, cheering about the USA, the future, their hopes that we can make smart choices about our country, john and i believe deeply that way down in our gut and in our toes, that the best days for the USA are ahead of us because we are the can do country and we know how to make things happen 13:07:57 both sustained by two extraordinary women, readily admit we married up, happy about it, want you to meet my wife, extraordinary women on health, children, arts, environment, that's the next first lady, Teresa Heinz Kerry. And John's wife Elizabeth willing to tell truth to speak her mind.. 13:09:01 lawyer, educator, marvelous.. Elizabeth edwards, and you know it's tough on kids, we choose to do this it's our life and the kids get dragged into it and it becomes their life. Our kids embraced this campaign cause they care about this country, i want you to welcome Cate Edwards, my daughter Alex Kerry, and Andre Heinz works in environment. 13:10:05 now I'm a little embarrassed to comes to smithville and stop by and not get a chicken fried steak at loemans, but can i tell you on a personal level what a pleasure it is to be here. when i was a kid... foreign service.. aunt uncles farm in MASS, uncle knew how to put me to work, when i was 12 / 13 / 14 got to drive a john deer nothing more rewarding being dirty and seeing furrows knew you done that sense connection to earth and what was going to grow there, clearing a field or two, at end of day, piling rocks into cart, again covered in dirt, go in back door, uncle came up and gave me a quarter and said this is for your days work son I learned the value of a days work. 13:11:56 experience always stayed with me, not something i had to do, but i had a great introduction, a great sense of connection to growing things, power of our land and as we campaigned in Iowa, wherever you go Minnesota and Wisconsin not as much but a lot lately, measured my life by height of corn. Power of America's land. What we can do if we put our minds to it. 13:13:22 net negative loss of jobs in USA, jobs created pay 9,000 less on average than jobs we are losing overseas, 4 our of 5 jobs created are created in low paying different sectors than ones we want to create. My friends in last few days people positions of leadership on other side saying that America has turned the corner, must have been a u turn, the fact is this is unacceptable to the united states, we can do better and put people to work, countless ways to do it. 13:14:25 it's particularly important out here on a farm to think about possibilities of America's future, particularly important at a moment we are at war, where much of focus is on middle east, guess what else, Oil. WE import 61% god only gave us 3% of reserves, whole Alaska oil shelf, Colorado, Wyoming, into Mexico. If US gonna have what truman told you which is our independence, own security controlled in our own hands, control our energy future in our country. I believe John and i are going to put in place principle, no young American held hostage to America's dependence on oil in middle east. 13:16:15 in doing of it, whole bunch of things happened, whole lot of product created, Gore-Tex, digitalization, microwaves, microwave ovens, when we push curve of discovery we open up possbility, cape Canaveral, when he went up there, when latest time, he was doing research that can benefit people on earth. Let me tell you what we can do on earth now. We can be smart, show leadership, build future for children, beginning to move towards energy independence for our country, start putting people to work, you got two ethanol plants, growing some in Iowa, we can be doing more, bio-diesel, mass, three hundred different standard for gasoline additives, localities, all of which makes refining process more complicated, expensive, go tell republicans friends to have uniform standard that we can all agree on, build additional refineries, 13:18:14 We can put in place tax incentives, joint venture incentives to build independent fuel based America, fuels you can produce in Missouri and parts of mid west. I want to get figures correct. 13:18:44 I think, farmer are paying 1 billion extra money today because of the increase cost of gasoline, coming right out of pocket, here it is, farmers are spending 1.3 billion on gasoline. WE haven't taken these kinds of steps, truck drives who deliver goods are spending extra 6 billion on fuel, and households is spending 500 dollars or so, if you have a teenager out driving on one year your paying 800 bucks to go to Friday night game. 13:19:51 We can do better, why can't that teenager go down there and find a car that gets 100 miles to gallon, know who's making most? Japanese Germans, good they're doing it but i want those cars made by American Companies by American workers. 13:20:25 McCain and i joined together to create incentive to buy one of those car, 5,000 tax credit, can't find them, starting, coming, Ford is about to build the escape hybrid, guess who are on waiting list, Edwards and Kerry's. we tried to get past an incentive to help buy, everyone on other side against it. That doesn't make sense, save consumers money, less dependent on oil. 20 billion energy conservation trust fund, royalties of off shore Gas, not raising anyone's taxes, divert it into help people to create new vehicles of future, billion dollars a year, assist in process of making this feasible, efficiently not raise prices for tax codes. 13:22:09 Just quickly, a lot of people tried to scare people, most ridicules ads ever in my life. Little old purple Volkswagon with a harvest or behind it, if we passed this you'd plow your fields with mini-van. WE don't affect tractors pickups trucks. I want Americans to drive, giant SUV terrific, that's America, don't you think it makes sense to get better fuel miles and more efficient. Bunch of other things we are going to do, most important, right now as we sit here nation at war, we are paying a premium for foreign policy of this administration. 13:23:31 8 to 15 dollars, 10 dollars, 12 a barrel of oil is for instability for problems we are facing i know doing this for 25 years, i can run a war on terror that is more effective that makes Americans safer and brings other countries to our side,e doesn't rush to war, never send young American men and women to war. Respect. 13:24:36 instability, restore kinds of changes and protocol... most important election of lifetime, quality of jobs, help to farmers, i know affected... all farmers clobbered and you know why. Big guys are getting all of money, system tilted against small people. Tell me how that makes sense. Tired of hearing small family farms and vertical ownership, John and I are determined to make this system fair and smart and work for average people in our country. 13:25:56 AS you measure us, we want you to look in gut and heart, spent 20 years, lead fight to put 100,000 cops on streets, stood up for welfare, faith based services, but draw constitutional line of separation of church and state the Bush seems to walk over Fought for school reform, want ot measure what our kids are learning but if you don't' have a teachers with a class size that's adequate, we're not going to open the doors of equal opportunity in America. So... 13:27:08 john and i would love to take your questions, just want to say this to you, we are the most blessed people on planet, look at what we got, no one is going to jail for saying what they're going to say, they did once upon a time in America, stood up against British and plenty of moments of peril, we deserve leadership deserves how to make American stronger at home, respected in world. Huge amount of optimists, knowledge if we make good decisions, trust American people with truth, there is nothing Americans can't accomplish, done more for other people in world than any nation in human territory, spilled more blood in democracy and spirit, hope is there the sun is rising, make sure democracy works for all Americans. 13:29:51 put this in our face and said i thought you said you were going to do this, and that's what this is about... 13:30:14 whats it going to take, i believe it's going to take a president who has relationship with many leaders, i do, knows how to work in international community and has record for doing it, bring fresh start, new credibility to table, begin to do things in the first place, build a legitimate coalition and respect to the behavior of system. 13:30:59 I will never cede our security to any international institution or country, no vetoes the security of the US. I will make that decision but i know though life experience we are stronger with other people at our side, international community, rushed around united nations, rushed to war without/ a plan to win the peace. 13:31:45 i began that effort when i came back from Vietnam stood up against the war, some people still don't like that, still trying to fight that, that's 35 years old. Stood up learned a lot. Changed policy towards Philippines, resulted in democracy, negotiated with Cambodia, hold them accountable for terrible killing that took place in 1970's, negotiated with Vietnam with POW's and MIA's. move forward, personally conference on global warming, worked with those delegations, bring 20 years of experience as a leader, chairman of narcotics, chairman of Asia committee, look you in eye and say to you i can run a more effective smarter war on terror i will make America with new credibility and leadership. 13:33:31 EDWARDS: abstract academic question. What has to keep America safe, most of problems with America's relationship with world is Iraq, associated with this administration and most Americans, if we are going to go after terrorists, aggressive war on terror, but to be successful in finding where they are, we have to have strong relationships where they are. To get at them, we have to be leading in way to bring others to us, direct connection to safety and security of American people, and strong relationships, with new president and fresh start, we'll stop those terrorists before they ever get to. 13:36:05 both of us will say something. Elaine thank you Elaine. What you are describing is what i hear from North Carolina, you leave year to year, what you get for your crops are not going up, costs going up, this is by the way true in a different way, peoples wages aren't going up but cost of health care going up, trying to have child care. Those things going up dramatically. Farmers in my view are facing that in a more intense way. 13:37:29 a lot of things we need to do, growth of agra-business, dominating farming business, price of food goes up it's not cause family farmer making money, cracking down on vertical integration. both of us believe and committed to making sure we provide safety net for farmers, can't operate unless safety net available to you. Farming is a hard business, limits to what government can do, we can help with safety net, there are things we can do, it's a hard world out there for farmers. There are things we can do i don't think there is a magic pill for this. I think its' important to tell you the truth, better safety net, making it all go away i don't think we can make it happen but we will work as good as we can. 13:39:25 KERRY: i think i heard two questions, same old, same old. How will we be different. There other john talk about. Add to John i agree, but there are a lot of things that could be happening that have been promised that not followed through on, conservation security test component of farm bill, a lot of assistance of better / different farming practices. when i was in Iowa 100 million requests who wanted to do farming practices but not help promised. You tell me where value system is OK to fight for tax cuts but short change veterans, children and farmers and conservation act. That's going to be funded and provide assistance. I'm going to have an Attorney General of Anti-Trust laws. Ought to be applied. That an have an effect, three when i talked about earlier today, changes the whole picture for farming i want farmers to hear what I'm saying, raise value of soy, coin crop, use all over world, put people to work, raise value of farming. Fourth more and more Americans are learning about nutrition, learning about food value, looking for organic foods. 13:42:00 you know that hear it, we have in our farm bill, incentive to encourage people to move to those farming, if your crop gets polluted boom your all gone. you gotta take a risk, insurance type of structure to transition in to that and if they were to loose crop... 13:42:59 let me tell you how i know, Edwards spend a life time fighting for little person, helping people discarded by corporations and helping them to make their lives whole again, and all my life the only US senator who has been elected 4 times to senate who voluntarily refused to take PA money, only people i accepted contributions from were individual Americans, this group, that group is not what is pushing my agenda, free-er from bonds and ties of any president and we will stand up and fight for people. 13:44:15 I have a long record, told me in our country, you can't do that, you're just a county prosecutor, you don't have ability to protect witnesses, i got 24 hour protection for witnesses, and we put that crime figure behind bars and we stood up and made it happen, stood up against drilling in Alaska, stopped drilling. Arctic wildlife preserve. Tell you what John and I will fight harder for your jobs than our own. 13:45:30 "can you make a date and promise to come back here in two years" you got a date, so long as you promise me a day as beautiful as this one. 13:48:26 within the farm agenda absolutely top priority, I'll tell you i visited those larger confinement, but i remember i visited them in Iowa, the pollution problem are serious but we can deal with them, we have to grow livestock, regulated like industry, what's happened is, in some parts, property gets devalued, all of a sudden that farm's value gone down, that's not right folks, that's not the way we do things. I know a lot about this, huge issue in NC. 13:49:54 Both of us believe same thing, concentration, bad for family farmers, not just adjacent farms, it's the community, talked about Iowa being in Iowa talking to woman literally had to move her family kids getting sick, had to move family because devastation to health, we have got to have not just state standards but national standards, truth is some states done a lot of good work, we should know KFOES as called, animal farming operations, pollution is not devastating people around them, trying to run as family operation to compete in this environment. 13:51:52 john and i have real common sense approach to environment, no overbearing regulation big beaucracy only way to do something, I've learned last 20 years, haven't learned very effectively. Bring people to table and many different ways to doing sometimes to get to particular objective. Least intrusive least cost most effective way of getting something done. Sometimes that's not going to work for bottom line for business we're working with, you don't put people out of business you work with and achieve jobs, keep people in business keep people with clean water and drink. 13:53:22 kerry given note. 13:53:47 mister Ellis from thorton i can do for hogs what you do for this, they developed an organic plan for raising farms, he supervises family farms, coordinates sale for them and you can eat liman pork, from Iowa, visited farms in middle of winter, really inspiring to do work they did, fields, 4 or 5 crop field, the fifth year they have hogs here, it can be done, economical, huge market in America for products that are quote not going to cause you cancer, we have to organize that, i think fed government could help organize that so people don't get ripped off. 13:55:25 man in red shirt without microphone speaks: all right... fine i appreciate what you said, i have 4 reason i got them, bank lending me money to stay small like i was, only way to stay hog business 13:58:18 you are dead right i know people respond that way. Elizabeth edwards say that way, back when i had a personal life, i use to do bankruptcy, saw hog farmer 13:58:44 Elizabeth edwards: what happened in vertical, if they want to move profit to feed.. 13:59:06 you have no idea how many farmers, you're trying to do what's right, one of reasons mentioned this. take animal waste to turn it into something good and productive. Trouble making money right and responsible I'll speak for the two of us and four of us. 13:59:44 we understand, small business people like you heart of country, make sure stay in business, make sure we don't squeeze you out, i want you to know we understand in our gut what will not work, want ot keep you in business, family hog farmers we do fine with, its the corporate one with bush. We want to be with you we are glad you said what you said. I think the sun rises, says it all. 14:00:42 we are going to work closely with all ways just described, i know how hard it is to get capitol. *break log* 14:07:01 it couldn't have been a better question. Just go out and buy your own, get it through place you work. How many don't have any? Anybody in those categories, premiums gone up 60%, co-pays up, deductibles up, benefits gone now. Bush president for four years, almost four years, no plan at all to deal with this problem. NO plan, just getting worse. John Edwards and i have a real plan. Here's what we are going to do, there are a lot of reasons Health care has problems, part of it is government run program, part of it for profit, private sector, depends on reimbursements. Interdependent. President who is going to bring all people together and put system together, introduce first piece of legislation, day one, first bill that comes out of Kerry Edwards administration, health care plan i have to get us to 97% covered within 3 years of passing bill and look to see other 3% are. Here is the plan, learned a lesson in 93. Great effort, not saying anything about it, didn't work. 14:09:40 American live by certain values, choose own doctor, don't' want government to tell them where to go, American's want several plans to choose from, doctors making medical decisions, i took those principles and put them on table... we are going to offer all businesses in America... savings onto employees, health wellness program, teach people about nutrition, early screening for cancer and diabetes, not a business person i met who haven't said I'll do that in a flash, we government pay for 75% of cost for most expensive cases, so everyone's premium capped at 50K a risk, any case we are paying 75% of cost at federal level, reduce 14:12:11 ask America to roll back unwise tax cut wealthiest people so we can invest in fund to lower cost of health care for all Americans, not whole plan, lower cost of doing business. 14:13:01 better competition in marketplace. If you don't like plan you got, this year we're only going to give you 60% hospital coverage, I'm going over here to the plan senators and congressman have, we will we watching that plan like hawks, put competitive structure, work swap with states, take over medicade children form states, we take over children and exchange states in return is they agree to cover individuals up to 200% of poverty 300% of poverty. Sliding scale of assistance, people will come in and buy insurance. They hate doing medicade children, net plus to state to do it. Grab money, more efficient. Build health care system no mandates, no new bureaucracy, works on incentive you get benefit in exchange for benefit. Let me tell you one of benefits will be 100 billion on diabetes alone. 14:15:14 350 billion on administration on health chare. None of you run overhead of your businesses, we can reduce that by getting technology in health care system, john and i create incentive to get technology into system, go to johnkerry.com. whole plan is there, real plan, lower premiums, 1000 a person, put preventive medicine in place, make system more efficient and a darn sight better than nothing which is what you got today. 14:16:47 describing plan, allow prescription drugs to be reimported to reduce costs, crack down on price gauging and i think it's important that both of us shown over lives that we have a willingness to stand up to drug companies. Use power of government to negotiate better prices, we think that's an important piece of prescription drugs. 14:17:56 that's very important make grid accessible, met farmers in Minnesota making more money putting energy into system than from farming, make this so feasible, excite people to do it, this is the future, not whole solution but boy will it make a difference cut dependence on mideast oil without/ any question whatsoever. WE want to spend a little time chatting with every person... ask everyone to pick up their... 14:19:05 let me just say in closing but, this is about our future, really better choice for how we create jobs, kind of jobs, how we make air clean, water clean, I'm a hunter and fisherman, hunter since i was 12 years old, i believe in second amendment but gotta have a habitat we are going to hunt, 28 states you can't eat the fish, that's unacceptable, i want to work cooperatively, we've been losing jobs over last four years, worst record, i know we can do better, Americans know we can do better, go out and do better. 14:55:34 Cuts follow on tape 2 / there are seperate cuts fed on a different tape

Aerial shot flying over farmland in Oklahoma scattered with bales of hay and oil wells.

[NELSON FAMILY FARM / SENATOR JOHN KERRY (D-MASS) AND SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC)] [SMITHVILLE, MO USA] [KERRY/EDWARDS - Event, Nelson Family Farm, 5800 NE 142nd St, Smithville, MO] 12:53:09 man talking about his farm 12:54:56 edwards takes microphone 12:55:01 thank you for having us, thank all of you for being here i have to tell you grew up in a small town... 12:55:59 important work to do in this country. 12:56:09 job growth figures way below what everyone was hoping for 32,000 new jobs, last month 300,000 children not quite keeping up 12:57:09 strengthen and lift up our families, john has a copy of it right here 12:57:21 the vice president to be is served... 12:57:35 important to put it in writing, plan going in to what we want to do for America, what we want to do in peoples lives, his involvement in this issue, two decades, importance of America getting away from dependence on oil in middle east. Huge economic issue, saw what happened yesterday what it did to stock market, price of oil, economy as whole, as long as dependent on oil in middle east, leadership and i believe this man will provide it. Where we will go and how we will g et there, what we need to do to create energy independence in America. 12:59:14 all of us believe this is a very important step in right direction, reason in this setting alternative sources of energy, bio-mass, create jobs and bring jobs to areas where jobs lost, one of way to do that is use alternative sources of energy, bio-mass refineries, where jobs needed, anytime knows economy struggling, farmers struggling jobs leaving factories closing. 13:00:06 john and i have a clear rural plan, includes incentives for small business to bring jobs to places we need them the worst, broadband Internet so that rural communities competitive in global economy. 13:00:35 also makes, whats the word I'm looking far, connect hospitals medical services, direct access to the technology sophisticated Medicare what word I'm looking for tele-medication 13:01:01 always count on my wife to keep me straight 13:01:07 where jobs badly needed, quality of public schools, incentive to come ot those communities, move to energy independence, create jobs in rural communities, jobs so badly needed. We want to use tax system and credits, building cars of future, don't want to lag behind rest of the world. Real incentives in our tax system, creativity, developing and building those cars, and make sure government using serious conservation members, both of us believe what most Americans believe. Leadership to accomplish that, somebody with vision of where we need to go and plan to get us there. 13:02:32 say something about of man to introduce today. Whole issue of energy independence, across waterfront, timing as lieutenant governor and senator, write laws, work across isle to make sure American people have clean air and water, this is an issue he has shown lifetime commitment to, if we are going to continue to stay on cutting edge, very important kids grandkids, vision idea and commitment to this issue, i introduce sen john kerry. 13:03:56 thank you so much, wow, i gotta tell you, thank you all of you for an absolutely wonderful welcome to a little bit of paradise, Jim and Ruth thank you so much for opening up spot to us, 13:04:21 hugs woman 13:04:28 we are going to have a talk Jim about cattle got crowded out by wife's horses, that bears discussion gentlemen no I'm just joking. John and I i can't tell you we feel so comfortable right here, have a conversation, we are not here to talk at you, an awful lot of partisanship, shrillness, and it's always attack attack attack john and i are tired of it and so are you, what we want is to talk about things that really make a difference to lives of fellow citizens., 13:05:32 someone mentioned to me talk at coffee shop, where business gets done in America, how talk to republican friends and those friends don't have any answer when it comes to energy policy, i don't think they have any answers on schools, health care and deficit 13:06:55 a gift from America to Americans and to us, for running and meeting you and looking in eyes of people who come out, 12:30 at night, a thousand people cheering and hoping, cheering about the USA, the future, their hopes that we can make smart choices about our country, john and i believe deeply that way down in our gut and in our toes, that the best days for the USA are ahead of us because we are the can do country and we know how to make things happen 13:07:57 both sustained by two extraordinary women, readily admit we married up, happy about it, want you to meet my wife, extraordinary women on health, children, arts, environment, that's the next first lady, Teresa Heinz Kerry. And John's wife Elizabeth willing to tell truth to speak her mind.. 13:09:01 lawyer, educator, marvelous.. Elizabeth edwards, and you know it's tough on kids, we choose to do this it's our life and the kids get dragged into it and it becomes their life. Our kids embraced this campaign cause they care about this country, i want you to welcome Cate Edwards, my daughter Alex Kerry, and Andre Heinz works in environment. 13:10:05 now I'm a little embarrassed to comes to smithville and stop by and not get a chicken fried steak at loemans, but can i tell you on a personal level what a pleasure it is to be here. when i was a kid... foreign service.. aunt uncles farm in MASS, uncle knew how to put me to work, when i was 12 / 13 / 14 got to drive a john deer nothing more rewarding being dirty and seeing furrows knew you done that sense connection to earth and what was going to grow there, clearing a field or two, at end of day, piling rocks into cart, again covered in dirt, go in back door, uncle came up and gave me a quarter and said this is for your days work son I learned the value of a days work. 13:11:56 experience always stayed with me, not something i had to do, but i had a great introduction, a great sense of connection to growing things, power of our land and as we campaigned in Iowa, wherever you go Minnesota and Wisconsin not as much but a lot lately, measured my life by height of corn. Power of America's land. What we can do if we put our minds to it. 13:13:22 net negative loss of jobs in USA, jobs created pay 9,000 less on average than jobs we are losing overseas, 4 our of 5 jobs created are created in low paying different sectors than ones we want to create. My friends in last few days people positions of leadership on other side saying that America has turned the corner, must have been a u turn, the fact is this is unacceptable to the united states, we can do better and put people to work, countless ways to do it. 13:14:25 it's particularly important out here on a farm to think about possibilities of America's future, particularly important at a moment we are at war, where much of focus is on middle east, guess what else, Oil. WE import 61% god only gave us 3% of reserves, whole Alaska oil shelf, Colorado, Wyoming, into Mexico. If US gonna have what truman told you which is our independence, own security controlled in our own hands, control our energy future in our country. I believe John and i are going to put in place principle, no young American held hostage to America's dependence on oil in middle east. 13:16:15 in doing of it, whole bunch of things happened, whole lot of product created, Gore-Tex, digitalization, microwaves, microwave ovens, when we push curve of discovery we open up possbility, cape Canaveral, when he went up there, when latest time, he was doing research that can benefit people on earth. Let me tell you what we can do on earth now. We can be smart, show leadership, build future for children, beginning to move towards energy independence for our country, start putting people to work, you got two ethanol plants, growing some in Iowa, we can be doing more, bio-diesel, mass, three hundred different standard for gasoline additives, localities, all of which makes refining process more complicated, expensive, go tell republicans friends to have uniform standard that we can all agree on, build additional refineries, 13:18:14 We can put in place tax incentives, joint venture incentives to build independent fuel based America, fuels you can produce in Missouri and parts of mid west. I want to get figures correct. 13:18:44 I think, farmer are paying 1 billion extra money today because of the increase cost of gasoline, coming right out of pocket, here it is, farmers are spending 1.3 billion on gasoline. WE haven't taken these kinds of steps, truck drives who deliver goods are spending extra 6 billion on fuel, and households is spending 500 dollars or so, if you have a teenager out driving on one year your paying 800 bucks to go to Friday night game. 13:19:51 We can do better, why can't that teenager go down there and find a car that gets 100 miles to gallon, know who's making most? Japanese Germans, good they're doing it but i want those cars made by American Companies by American workers. 13:20:25 McCain and i joined together to create incentive to buy one of those car, 5,000 tax credit, can't find them, starting, coming, Ford is about to build the escape hybrid, guess who are on waiting list, Edwards and Kerry's. we tried to get past an incentive to help buy, everyone on other side against it. That doesn't make sense, save consumers money, less dependent on oil. 20 billion energy conservation trust fund, royalties of off shore Gas, not raising anyone's taxes, divert it into help people to create new vehicles of future, billion dollars a year, assist in process of making this feasible, efficiently not raise prices for tax codes. 13:22:09 Just quickly, a lot of people tried to scare people, most ridicules ads ever in my life. Little old purple Volkswagon with a harvest or behind it, if we passed this you'd plow your fields with mini-van. WE don't affect tractors pickups trucks. I want Americans to drive, giant SUV terrific, that's America, don't you think it makes sense to get better fuel miles and more efficient. Bunch of other things we are going to do, most important, right now as we sit here nation at war, we are paying a premium for foreign policy of this administration. 13:23:31 8 to 15 dollars, 10 dollars, 12 a barrel of oil is for instability for problems we are facing i know doing this for 25 years, i can run a war on terror that is more effective that makes Americans safer and brings other countries to our side,e doesn't rush to war, never send young American men and women to war. Respect. 13:24:36 instability, restore kinds of changes and protocol... most important election of lifetime, quality of jobs, help to farmers, i know affected... all farmers clobbered and you know why. Big guys are getting all of money, system tilted against small people. Tell me how that makes sense. Tired of hearing small family farms and vertical ownership, John and I are determined to make this system fair and smart and work for average people in our country. 13:25:56 AS you measure us, we want you to look in gut and heart, spent 20 years, lead fight to put 100,000 cops on streets, stood up for welfare, faith based services, but draw constitutional line of separation of church and state the Bush seems to walk over Fought for school reform, want ot measure what our kids are learning but if you don't' have a teachers with a class size that's adequate, we're not going to open the doors of equal opportunity in America. So... 13:27:08 john and i would love to take your questions, just want to say this to you, we are the most blessed people on planet, look at what we got, no one is going to jail for saying what they're going to say, they did once upon a time in America, stood up against British and plenty of moments of peril, we deserve leadership deserves how to make American stronger at home, respected in world. Huge amount of optimists, knowledge if we make good decisions, trust American people with truth, there is nothing Americans can't accomplish, done more for other people in world than any nation in human territory, spilled more blood in democracy and spirit, hope is there the sun is rising, make sure democracy works for all Americans. 13:29:51 put this in our face and said i thought you said you were going to do this, and that's what this is about... 13:30:14 whats it going to take, i believe it's going to take a president who has relationship with many leaders, i do, knows how to work in international community and has record for doing it, bring fresh start, new credibility to table, begin to do things in the first place, build a legitimate coalition and respect to the behavior of system. 13:30:59 I will never cede our security to any international institution or country, no vetoes the security of the US. I will make that decision but i know though life experience we are stronger with other people at our side, international community, rushed around united nations, rushed to war without/ a plan to win the peace. 13:31:45 i began that effort when i came back from Vietnam stood up against the war, some people still don't like that, still trying to fight that, that's 35 years old. Stood up learned a lot. Changed policy towards Philippines, resulted in democracy, negotiated with Cambodia, hold them accountable for terrible killing that took place in 1970's, negotiated with Vietnam with POW's and MIA's. move forward, personally conference on global warming, worked with those delegations, bring 20 years of experience as a leader, chairman of narcotics, chairman of Asia committee, look you in eye and say to you i can run a more effective smarter war on terror i will make America with new credibility and leadership. 13:33:31 EDWARDS: abstract academic question. What has to keep America safe, most of problems with America's relationship with world is Iraq, associated with this administration and most Americans, if we are going to go after terrorists, aggressive war on terror, but to be successful in finding where they are, we have to have strong relationships where they are. To get at them, we have to be leading in way to bring others to us, direct connection to safety and security of American people, and strong relationships, with new president and fresh start, we'll stop those terrorists before they ever get to. 13:36:05 both of us will say something. Elaine thank you Elaine. What you are describing is what i hear from North Carolina, you leave year to year, what you get for your crops are not going up, costs going up, this is by the way true in a different way, peoples wages aren't going up but cost of health care going up, trying to have child care. Those things going up dramatically. Farmers in my view are facing that in a more intense way. 13:37:29 a lot of things we need to do, growth of agra-business, dominating farming business, price of food goes up it's not cause family farmer making money, cracking down on vertical integration. both of us believe and committed to making sure we provide safety net for farmers, can't operate unless safety net available to you. Farming is a hard business, limits to what government can do, we can help with safety net, there are things we can do, it's a hard world out there for farmers. There are things we can do i don't think there is a magic pill for this. I think its' important to tell you the truth, better safety net, making it all go away i don't think we can make it happen but we will work as good as we can. 13:39:25 KERRY: i think i heard two questions, same old, same old. How will we be different. There other john talk about. Add to John i agree, but there are a lot of things that could be happening that have been promised that not followed through on, conservation security test component of farm bill, a lot of assistance of better / different farming practices. when i was in Iowa 100 million requests who wanted to do farming practices but not help promised. You tell me where value system is OK to fight for tax cuts but short change veterans, children and farmers and conservation act. That's going to be funded and provide assistance. I'm going to have an Attorney General of Anti-Trust laws. Ought to be applied. That an have an effect, three when i talked about earlier today, changes the whole picture for farming i want farmers to hear what I'm saying, raise value of soy, coin crop, use all over world, put people to work, raise value of farming. Fourth more and more Americans are learning about nutrition, learning about food value, looking for organic foods. 13:42:00 you know that hear it, we have in our farm bill, incentive to encourage people to move to those farming, if your crop gets polluted boom your all gone. you gotta take a risk, insurance type of structure to transition in to that and if they were to loose crop... 13:42:59 let me tell you how i know, Edwards spend a life time fighting for little person, helping people discarded by corporations and helping them to make their lives whole again, and all my life the only US senator who has been elected 4 times to senate who voluntarily refused to take PA money, only people i accepted contributions from were individual Americans, this group, that group is not what is pushing my agenda, free-er from bonds and ties of any president and we will stand up and fight for people. 13:44:15 I have a long record, told me in our country, you can't do that, you're just a county prosecutor, you don't have ability to protect witnesses, i got 24 hour protection for witnesses, and we put that crime figure behind bars and we stood up and made it happen, stood up against drilling in Alaska, stopped drilling. Arctic wildlife preserve. Tell you what John and I will fight harder for your jobs than our own. 13:45:30 "can you make a date and promise to come back here in two years" you got a date, so long as you promise me a day as beautiful as this one. 13:48:26 within the farm agenda absolutely top priority, I'll tell you i visited those larger confinement, but i remember i visited them in Iowa, the pollution problem are serious but we can deal with them, we have to grow livestock, regulated like industry, what's happened is, in some parts, property gets devalued, all of a sudden that farm's value gone down, that's not right folks, that's not the way we do things. I know a lot about this, huge issue in NC. 13:49:54 Both of us believe same thing, concentration, bad for family farmers, not just adjacent farms, it's the community, talked about Iowa being in Iowa talking to woman literally had to move her family kids getting sick, had to move family because devastation to health, we have got to have not just state standards but national standards, truth is some states done a lot of good work, we should know KFOES as called, animal farming operations, pollution is not devastating people around them, trying to run as family operation to compete in this environment. 13:51:52 john and i have real common sense approach to environment, no overbearing regulation big beaucracy only way to do something, I've learned last 20 years, haven't learned very effectively. Bring people to table and many different ways to doing sometimes to get to particular objective. Least intrusive least cost most effective way of getting something done. Sometimes that's not going to work for bottom line for business we're working with, you don't put people out of business you work with and achieve jobs, keep people in business keep people with clean water and drink. 13:53:22 kerry given note. 13:53:47 mister Ellis from thorton i can do for hogs what you do for this, they developed an organic plan for raising farms, he supervises family farms, coordinates sale for them and you can eat liman pork, from Iowa, visited farms in middle of winter, really inspiring to do work they did, fields, 4 or 5 crop field, the fifth year they have hogs here, it can be done, economical, huge market in America for products that are quote not going to cause you cancer, we have to organize that, i think fed government could help organize that so people don't get ripped off. 13:55:25 man in red shirt without microphone speaks: all right... fine i appreciate what you said, i have 4 reason i got them, bank lending me money to stay small like i was, only way to stay hog business 13:58:18 you are dead right i know people respond that way. Elizabeth edwards say that way, back when i had a personal life, i use to do bankruptcy, saw hog farmer 13:58:44 Elizabeth edwards: what happened in vertical, if they want to move profit to feed.. 13:59:06 you have no idea how many farmers, you're trying to do what's right, one of reasons mentioned this. take animal waste to turn it into something good and productive. Trouble making money right and responsible I'll speak for the two of us and four of us. 13:59:44 we understand, small business people like you heart of country, make sure stay in business, make sure we don't squeeze you out, i want you to know we understand in our gut what will not work, want ot keep you in business, family hog farmers we do fine with, its the corporate one with bush. We want to be with you we are glad you said what you said. I think the sun rises, says it all. 14:00:42 we are going to work closely with all ways just described, i know how hard it is to get capitol. *break log* 14:07:01 it couldn't have been a better question. Just go out and buy your own, get it through place you work. How many don't have any? Anybody in those categories, premiums gone up 60%, co-pays up, deductibles up, benefits gone now. Bush president for four years, almost four years, no plan at all to deal with this problem. NO plan, just getting worse. John Edwards and i have a real plan. Here's what we are going to do, there are a lot of reasons Health care has problems, part of it is government run program, part of it for profit, private sector, depends on reimbursements. Interdependent. President who is going to bring all people together and put system together, introduce first piece of legislation, day one, first bill that comes out of Kerry Edwards administration, health care plan i have to get us to 97% covered within 3 years of passing bill and look to see other 3% are. Here is the plan, learned a lesson in 93. Great effort, not saying anything about it, didn't work. 14:09:40 American live by certain values, choose own doctor, don't' want government to tell them where to go, American's want several plans to choose from, doctors making medical decisions, i took those principles and put them on table... we are going to offer all businesses in America... savings onto employees, health wellness program, teach people about nutrition, early screening for cancer and diabetes, not a business person i met who haven't said I'll do that in a flash, we government pay for 75% of cost for most expensive cases, so everyone's premium capped at 50K a risk, any case we are paying 75% of cost at federal level, reduce 14:12:11 ask America to roll back unwise tax cut wealthiest people so we can invest in fund to lower cost of health care for all Americans, not whole plan, lower cost of doing business. 14:13:01 better competition in marketplace. If you don't like plan you got, this year we're only going to give you 60% hospital coverage, I'm going over here to the plan senators and congressman have, we will we watching that plan like hawks, put competitive structure, work swap with states, take over medicade children form states, we take over children and exchange states in return is they agree to cover individuals up to 200% of poverty 300% of poverty. Sliding scale of assistance, people will come in and buy insurance. They hate doing medicade children, net plus to state to do it. Grab money, more efficient. Build health care system no mandates, no new bureaucracy, works on incentive you get benefit in exchange for benefit. Let me tell you one of benefits will be 100 billion on diabetes alone. 14:15:14 350 billion on administration on health chare. None of you run overhead of your businesses, we can reduce that by getting technology in health care system, john and i create incentive to get technology into system, go to johnkerry.com. whole plan is there, real plan, lower premiums, 1000 a person, put preventive medicine in place, make system more efficient and a darn sight better than nothing which is what you got today. 14:16:47 describing plan, allow prescription drugs to be reimported to reduce costs, crack down on price gauging and i think it's important that both of us shown over lives that we have a willingness to stand up to drug companies. Use power of government to negotiate better prices, we think that's an important piece of prescription drugs. 14:17:56 that's very important make grid accessible, met farmers in Minnesota making more money putting energy into system than from farming, make this so feasible, excite people to do it, this is the future, not whole solution but boy will it make a difference cut dependence on mideast oil without/ any question whatsoever. WE want to spend a little time chatting with every person... ask everyone to pick up their... 14:19:05 let me just say in closing but, this is about our future, really better choice for how we create jobs, kind of jobs, how we make air clean, water clean, I'm a hunter and fisherman, hunter since i was 12 years old, i believe in second amendment but gotta have a habitat we are going to hunt, 28 states you can't eat the fish, that's unacceptable, i want to work cooperatively, we've been losing jobs over last four years, worst record, i know we can do better, Americans know we can do better, go out and do better. 14:55:34 Cuts follow on tape 2 / there are seperate cuts fed on a different tape

[SENATOR JOHN KERRY DELIVERS MAJOR SPEECH ON THE ECONOMY IN DES MOINES, IOWA / RS 109 / CBS / 1:40 PM -] [SENATOR JOHN KERRY / RS 109 / CBS / 1:40 PM -] [DES MOINES, IOWA USA] With only two weeks left before Iowans go to vote, everywhere I go people are looking for someone who will stand on their side. I am running for President because I'm going to fight for you - and I am ready to get things done. As the time for campaigning wraps up and the time for caucusing approaches, we're out there on the trail morning, noon, and night. But a few weeks ago, we decided that even that wasn't enough time to reach out. So we spent a full twenty-four hours straight visiting Iowans in the places they work - on factories and farms, in hospitals and day care centers. When December turns to January and the caucus draws near, it sometimes seems that ears on politicians have become about as rare ears on corn. So I spent the day doing more listening than talking. No yelling, no pointing. No ranting or raving. I just listened. What I heard wasn't that surprising, but it was important. People told me about their struggle to make a decent living and to give their children the chance to live out their dreams. I heard factory workers worry about jobs in Sioux City disappearing to Singapore - about their employers finding cheaper labor in Malaysia than Marshalltown. I heard mothers and fathers talk about how hard it is these days to be good parents and good workers at the same time. I heard farmers share their frustration that huge corporate hog lots that are squeezing family farms and shrinking the chance of everyday Iowans to make a living off the land. I heard nurses talk about patients who battle HMOs for hospital visits, and women working two jobs tell me about their struggles to get by on a minimum wage. These quiet struggles of everyday Americans are at the heart of what this campaign season should be all about. Too often, they're drowned out by all the political shouting and spinning, but you don't have to listen too carefully to hear them loud and clear. We should never forget that this election is not about the ads or the attacks, the polls or the pundits, or even about the nine of us running for President. It's about all of you, and the opportunity - the responsibility - you have been given to replace George Bush with a President who will wake up every day ready to fight for you - and fight for what's right. And with your help, that's just what I'll do as President of the United States. But we've got competition in that fight. Today, big corporations and K Street lobbyists trip over themselves to fund the Bush-Cheney campaign. And it's no surprise. In the Bush Administration, you get what you pay for. And if you have the right connections and a fat bank account, you can afford the access to the inner circle and the Oval Office. That's wrong, and when I'm President, we're going to let the American people back in. We need to end an Administration that lets companies like Halliburton ship their old boss to the White House and get special treatment while they ship American jobs overseas. We need to end an Administration that lets WorldCom bilks Iowa taxpayers out of their jobs and savings and then rewards them by letting them go without paying any taxes of their own. And we need to end an Administration where polluters who contribute to the Republican Party get invited to secret meetings in the White House where they're allowed to rewrite clean air and clean water laws. It used to be that lobbyists and CEOs slipped in and out of the revolving door between government and corporate America. But in this Administration, they've kicked in the revolving door, torn down the wall between public service and private profit, and stampeded into positions of power all over the White House. Today's cabinet members are yesterday's corporate board members, and former foreign lobbyists are put in charge of the very laws that send American jobs overseas. If you're a lobbyist looking for a secret task force, you're invited right in. But if you're laid off and looking for unemployment benefits, they'll make you cool your heels in the front hall. And if you're with big oil, big pharmaceuticals, or big HMOs, you'll get a big time slot for your meeting. But if you're a firefighter trying to get the equipment you need, they'll tell you the calendar's full. 14:54:24 In this White House, if you're a corporate crony calling for another tax giveaway, they'll put you right through. But if you're a middle-class family calling for some tax fairness, you'll have to leave a message, 14:55:08 I'm running for President because the American people are calling for help and it's about time that someone in the White House picked up the phone. Because middle-class families have an agenda too and it's about time someone in the White House held a special meeting for them. Because hardworking Americans who are building this economy want fairness and it's about time someone in the White House cut them a deal. Here's our message for the special interest lobbyists and crooked CEOs who call this White House home: Don't let the door hit you on the way out. We're coming in and we're cleaning house. That's what this fight is all about. We're fighting for a government that listens to the voices of every American, not just those with the connections and the campaign cash. Where the humble hopes of hardworking families are not smothered by the heavy hand of special interests. We're fighting for an America where the decisions that shape our country's future are made not in the smoky backrooms of K Street, but by citizen activists in the open air of Main Street communities all across our country. We're fighting for a White House that's not the site of a daily reunion by old buddies looking for new favors, but a place for the union of voices with nothing but one fancy word in their title: "American." When I'm President, with your help, these are the fights we're going to win. I'm ready to wage this fight - and I'm ready to win this fight. I've been there for the tough fights - and I haven't backed down. I've beaten them before - and I'm ready to do it again. I've been there when the doors are closed and the smooth lobbyists get down to business. But I've stood my ground and fought for what's right. I took on corporate polluters when acid rain was threatening our children. I took on the big insurance companies to help make sure people could keep their health care when they moved from job to job. I led the fight to stop drilling in the Alaskan wilderness, and I'm fighting now to stop George Bush from letting special interests with special access rewrite the Clean Air Act. I've taken on the special interests and won. And as President, I'm going to do it again. And I'm going to keep doing it until we've given everyday Americans the country they deserve. I'm going to stand up to the special interests and stand on the side of ordinary American families. And I won't leave their side until the job is done. It seems like every campaign season, we're always talking about sharing prosperity and bringing back jobs and making health care affordable. And for hardworking Americans, it always seems like a better life is just beyond their reach. Just when parents think they've put enough savings away for their kids' college tuition, big corporations lobby Congress to eliminate their overtime pay. Just when families think they can afford health care, insurance companies get to raise their premiums to a price that's breaks their budget. Just when children think it's safe to breathe the air and drink the water where they live, corporate polluters get the green light to dump toxic waste in their neighborhood. Bringing jobs and prosperity to America have been a core commitment of our party since the beginning, and we have stood up for affordable health care ever since Harry Truman first fought for it in the 1940s. But many times, powerful special interests have beat back our efforts at reform. Well this time, we're gonna beat them. And we're going to start by changing the rules of the road in Washington. In my first 100 days, we will reinstate the five-year ban on lobbying so that government officials cannot cash in by peddling influence. And we'll shine the light on the secret deals in Washington by requiring every meeting with a lobbyist or any special interest deal inserted into a bill by a lobbyist be made public. "We the people" is the first line of our Constitution. And when I'm President, the American people won't be last in line in our country anymore. And once we've changed the rules of the road, we can start putting America on the road to prosperity, good jobs, and health care that Americans can afford. You deserve better than a special interest recovery. Last month, the headlines read "Bush Trumpets Economic Recovery," but the only thing certain about that trumpet is that its sound is heard only by a privileged few. They may be celebrating this so-called recovery in the White House and on Wall Street, but it's not so rosy in places all over Iowa and across America. In an economy that grew at 8 percent last quarter, the average American got to bring home an extra three cents for every hour of work. Three cents. That's the slowest wage growth in 40 years. America has a problem when the workers who help build this economy are pocketing pennies while the few bragging about a recovery are bagging billions. America can do better than a Bush-league recovery - we can have a real recovery that reaches every American. And as President, we'll fight together to get us there. In my first 100 days as President, I will fight to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so that we can invest in education and health care. And we will increase the minimum wage so that working families can make ends meet. We'll beat back the special interest job market. In this economy, corporate profits are up a record 46 percent. But George Bush has lost more jobs than any President since Herbert Hoover. I'm not satisfied with a job-loss recovery, and to put America back to work, we need to put George Bush and Dick Cheney out of work. When I'm President, we will scour the tax code and close every single loophole for companies that take jobs offshore. We will reward companies that create jobs here in America with a new manufacturing jobs tax credit and by helping with health care costs. And we will give the American people the information they need so that they can choose to support American jobs staying on American soil. A quarter of a million call center jobs have been sent overseas in the past three years. That's why today I'm announcing that if you're doing business over the phone, you have a right to know if the company you're calling is using American labor or sending the calls - and the jobs - overseas. You deserve to know whether your calls are answered by workers in Iowa or India. And when I'm President, you will. It's bad enough that companies are sending so many jobs overseas, but the last thing we need is to send government jobs overseas. Today, the jobs for taxpayer-funded government services in New Jersey are being filled by offshore labor. When I am President, I'll make sure that if government contracts can be performed by American workers, then they'll get the jobs. If you need a reminder of what's at stake in this election, consider this: Starting up the country of origin labeling program is going to be delayed for two years - in a vote that's scheduled to occur on January 20th - the day after the Iowa Caucuses. It's no surprise that the Iowa Cattlemen support country of origin labeling even though the National Cattlemen oppose it. And we need a President who will hear the voice of small farmers and everyday Iowans who know we need this important legislation - and need it now. Finally, we need to beat back the special interest health care system. George Bush promised us action on health care when he ran for President. But every year he's been in office, your premiums have risen by double digits. Every year he's been in office, another million Americans have lost their health insurance. And this President hasn't lifted a finger to help. Instead, he's been fighting for the big insurance companies and HMOs that line his campaign coffers-the same ones that have caused so much of the hurt in the first place. In my first 100 days as President, I'll offer affordable health care for all Americans by cutting costs and stopping skyrocketing premiums. The average health care cost per person in Iowa is about $4,000. Under my plan, you'll see real savings of up to $1,000 on that bill. No one in this race will fight harder than I will to cover the uninsured and get to universal coverage, but I also think it's time someone in government stood up and fought for the Americans who have health insurance but are getting killed when they try to pay their bills. And I'm going to fight for them. If you want to see a prime example of Republican's working for powerful interests, just look at this latest Medicare bill. This bill is less about prescription drug benefits and more a prescription to benefit big drug companies. Right here in Iowa, the price of prescription drugs has risen by over 10% in one year! Not surprisingly, the big drug companies and HMO's spent $139 million lobbying Congress and they're going to get $139 billion in return. That's not a bad investment. Say what you want about President Bush, its clear his powerful campaign contributors get what they pay for. But we're getting left with the tab. But drug companies aren't ready to settle for making millions of off seniors in the free market - they're also pulling every string they know of to stifle competition and create their own special interest market where it's illegal to send back cheaper versions of the same exact drugs from Canada. American seniors would save millions a year on the very same prescriptions that Canadian seniors take, but big drug companies just won't give them a break - and this President stand on their side. I'm going to stand on the side of seniors who need our help. As your President, I will wake up every day ready to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. That also means standing up for those who hardly ever have someone fighting for them. America's poor and working poor - and Americans with disabilities. I think of my friend Max Cleland - an American hero who overcame these barriers. He left three limbs on the battlefield after serving his country bravely in Vietnam, but never stopped moving when he returned home to America. He moved obstacles that stood in his way, he moved people with his courage and strength, and with a lot of hard work, he eventually moved into the United States Senate. No one in America has done more than Iowa's Tom Harkin to advance the cause of Americans with Disabilities. And when I am President, the voices of the disabled - and the whisper of all those to weak to shout - will reach the White House once more. Today, as our campaign launches "Women's Voices on the Trail," I also want to say how grateful I am for the support of the many talented and accomplished women who will take their voices on the campaign trail in the coming weeks and months. Women know what it's like to be shut out of this White House just as well as anyone. Their voices have been silenced and their choices threatened by an Administration that welcomes ring-wing special interests and extremist judges with open arms. It's time those voices were heard once again. The issues that were once consigned to a corner called "women's issues," need to be the concern of all of us. It's time for an equal day's pay for an equal day's work to become a reality and not just a slogan. And whether it is choice or Title Nine or affirmative action - all Americans pay the price when progress is reversed. When I am President, women's voices will not just travel on the campaign trail, they will sound openly from the workplace to the doctor's office, echo in the White House, and ring proudly from positions within my Administration. I'm running for President because I'm going to fight for Americans who need someone on their side. Unlike George Bush, I believe America's strength doesn't just come from captains of industry or corporate leaders on the cover of Fortune. I believe it flows from the dedication and productivity of millions whose lifestyles aren't rich or famous but who work hard and do what's right. They get up each morning, go to work, raise their children and pay their taxes. They don't ask for special favors or special recognition. They simply want fairness. A salary that pays the bills. A health care system where a check-up doesn't empty the family checkbook. A workplace that's fair. College tuition that's affordable. And a chance for their children to have a better life than their parents. That's not too much to ask for. And the American people have waited too long for someone to deliver. The time for waiting is over. I'm ready to get it done. And I ask you to join me in this fight.

Dairy cattle graze outside a modern barn.

[SENATOR JOHN KERRY DELIVERS MAJOR SPEECH ON THE ECONOMY IN DES MOINES, IOWA / RS 109 / CBS / 1:40 PM -] [SENATOR JOHN KERRY / RS 109 / CBS / 1:40 PM -] [DES MOINES, IOWA USA] With only two weeks left before Iowans go to vote, everywhere I go people are looking for someone who will stand on their side. I am running for President because I'm going to fight for you - and I am ready to get things done. As the time for campaigning wraps up and the time for caucusing approaches, we're out there on the trail morning, noon, and night. But a few weeks ago, we decided that even that wasn't enough time to reach out. So we spent a full twenty-four hours straight visiting Iowans in the places they work - on factories and farms, in hospitals and day care centers. When December turns to January and the caucus draws near, it sometimes seems that ears on politicians have become about as rare ears on corn. So I spent the day doing more listening than talking. No yelling, no pointing. No ranting or raving. I just listened. What I heard wasn't that surprising, but it was important. People told me about their struggle to make a decent living and to give their children the chance to live out their dreams. I heard factory workers worry about jobs in Sioux City disappearing to Singapore - about their employers finding cheaper labor in Malaysia than Marshalltown. I heard mothers and fathers talk about how hard it is these days to be good parents and good workers at the same time. I heard farmers share their frustration that huge corporate hog lots that are squeezing family farms and shrinking the chance of everyday Iowans to make a living off the land. I heard nurses talk about patients who battle HMOs for hospital visits, and women working two jobs tell me about their struggles to get by on a minimum wage. These quiet struggles of everyday Americans are at the heart of what this campaign season should be all about. Too often, they're drowned out by all the political shouting and spinning, but you don't have to listen too carefully to hear them loud and clear. We should never forget that this election is not about the ads or the attacks, the polls or the pundits, or even about the nine of us running for President. It's about all of you, and the opportunity - the responsibility - you have been given to replace George Bush with a President who will wake up every day ready to fight for you - and fight for what's right. And with your help, that's just what I'll do as President of the United States. But we've got competition in that fight. Today, big corporations and K Street lobbyists trip over themselves to fund the Bush-Cheney campaign. And it's no surprise. In the Bush Administration, you get what you pay for. And if you have the right connections and a fat bank account, you can afford the access to the inner circle and the Oval Office. That's wrong, and when I'm President, we're going to let the American people back in. We need to end an Administration that lets companies like Halliburton ship their old boss to the White House and get special treatment while they ship American jobs overseas. We need to end an Administration that lets WorldCom bilks Iowa taxpayers out of their jobs and savings and then rewards them by letting them go without paying any taxes of their own. And we need to end an Administration where polluters who contribute to the Republican Party get invited to secret meetings in the White House where they're allowed to rewrite clean air and clean water laws. It used to be that lobbyists and CEOs slipped in and out of the revolving door between government and corporate America. But in this Administration, they've kicked in the revolving door, torn down the wall between public service and private profit, and stampeded into positions of power all over the White House. Today's cabinet members are yesterday's corporate board members, and former foreign lobbyists are put in charge of the very laws that send American jobs overseas. If you're a lobbyist looking for a secret task force, you're invited right in. But if you're laid off and looking for unemployment benefits, they'll make you cool your heels in the front hall. And if you're with big oil, big pharmaceuticals, or big HMOs, you'll get a big time slot for your meeting. But if you're a firefighter trying to get the equipment you need, they'll tell you the calendar's full. 14:54:24 In this White House, if you're a corporate crony calling for another tax giveaway, they'll put you right through. But if you're a middle-class family calling for some tax fairness, you'll have to leave a message, 14:55:08 I'm running for President because the American people are calling for help and it's about time that someone in the White House picked up the phone. Because middle-class families have an agenda too and it's about time someone in the White House held a special meeting for them. Because hardworking Americans who are building this economy want fairness and it's about time someone in the White House cut them a deal. Here's our message for the special interest lobbyists and crooked CEOs who call this White House home: Don't let the door hit you on the way out. We're coming in and we're cleaning house. That's what this fight is all about. We're fighting for a government that listens to the voices of every American, not just those with the connections and the campaign cash. Where the humble hopes of hardworking families are not smothered by the heavy hand of special interests. We're fighting for an America where the decisions that shape our country's future are made not in the smoky backrooms of K Street, but by citizen activists in the open air of Main Street communities all across our country. We're fighting for a White House that's not the site of a daily reunion by old buddies looking for new favors, but a place for the union of voices with nothing but one fancy word in their title: "American." When I'm President, with your help, these are the fights we're going to win. I'm ready to wage this fight - and I'm ready to win this fight. I've been there for the tough fights - and I haven't backed down. I've beaten them before - and I'm ready to do it again. I've been there when the doors are closed and the smooth lobbyists get down to business. But I've stood my ground and fought for what's right. I took on corporate polluters when acid rain was threatening our children. I took on the big insurance companies to help make sure people could keep their health care when they moved from job to job. I led the fight to stop drilling in the Alaskan wilderness, and I'm fighting now to stop George Bush from letting special interests with special access rewrite the Clean Air Act. I've taken on the special interests and won. And as President, I'm going to do it again. And I'm going to keep doing it until we've given everyday Americans the country they deserve. I'm going to stand up to the special interests and stand on the side of ordinary American families. And I won't leave their side until the job is done. It seems like every campaign season, we're always talking about sharing prosperity and bringing back jobs and making health care affordable. And for hardworking Americans, it always seems like a better life is just beyond their reach. Just when parents think they've put enough savings away for their kids' college tuition, big corporations lobby Congress to eliminate their overtime pay. Just when families think they can afford health care, insurance companies get to raise their premiums to a price that's breaks their budget. Just when children think it's safe to breathe the air and drink the water where they live, corporate polluters get the green light to dump toxic waste in their neighborhood. Bringing jobs and prosperity to America have been a core commitment of our party since the beginning, and we have stood up for affordable health care ever since Harry Truman first fought for it in the 1940s. But many times, powerful special interests have beat back our efforts at reform. Well this time, we're gonna beat them. And we're going to start by changing the rules of the road in Washington. In my first 100 days, we will reinstate the five-year ban on lobbying so that government officials cannot cash in by peddling influence. And we'll shine the light on the secret deals in Washington by requiring every meeting with a lobbyist or any special interest deal inserted into a bill by a lobbyist be made public. "We the people" is the first line of our Constitution. And when I'm President, the American people won't be last in line in our country anymore. And once we've changed the rules of the road, we can start putting America on the road to prosperity, good jobs, and health care that Americans can afford. You deserve better than a special interest recovery. Last month, the headlines read "Bush Trumpets Economic Recovery," but the only thing certain about that trumpet is that its sound is heard only by a privileged few. They may be celebrating this so-called recovery in the White House and on Wall Street, but it's not so rosy in places all over Iowa and across America. In an economy that grew at 8 percent last quarter, the average American got to bring home an extra three cents for every hour of work. Three cents. That's the slowest wage growth in 40 years. America has a problem when the workers who help build this economy are pocketing pennies while the few bragging about a recovery are bagging billions. America can do better than a Bush-league recovery - we can have a real recovery that reaches every American. And as President, we'll fight together to get us there. In my first 100 days as President, I will fight to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so that we can invest in education and health care. And we will increase the minimum wage so that working families can make ends meet. We'll beat back the special interest job market. In this economy, corporate profits are up a record 46 percent. But George Bush has lost more jobs than any President since Herbert Hoover. I'm not satisfied with a job-loss recovery, and to put America back to work, we need to put George Bush and Dick Cheney out of work. When I'm President, we will scour the tax code and close every single loophole for companies that take jobs offshore. We will reward companies that create jobs here in America with a new manufacturing jobs tax credit and by helping with health care costs. And we will give the American people the information they need so that they can choose to support American jobs staying on American soil. A quarter of a million call center jobs have been sent overseas in the past three years. That's why today I'm announcing that if you're doing business over the phone, you have a right to know if the company you're calling is using American labor or sending the calls - and the jobs - overseas. You deserve to know whether your calls are answered by workers in Iowa or India. And when I'm President, you will. It's bad enough that companies are sending so many jobs overseas, but the last thing we need is to send government jobs overseas. Today, the jobs for taxpayer-funded government services in New Jersey are being filled by offshore labor. When I am President, I'll make sure that if government contracts can be performed by American workers, then they'll get the jobs. If you need a reminder of what's at stake in this election, consider this: Starting up the country of origin labeling program is going to be delayed for two years - in a vote that's scheduled to occur on January 20th - the day after the Iowa Caucuses. It's no surprise that the Iowa Cattlemen support country of origin labeling even though the National Cattlemen oppose it. And we need a President who will hear the voice of small farmers and everyday Iowans who know we need this important legislation - and need it now. Finally, we need to beat back the special interest health care system. George Bush promised us action on health care when he ran for President. But every year he's been in office, your premiums have risen by double digits. Every year he's been in office, another million Americans have lost their health insurance. And this President hasn't lifted a finger to help. Instead, he's been fighting for the big insurance companies and HMOs that line his campaign coffers-the same ones that have caused so much of the hurt in the first place. In my first 100 days as President, I'll offer affordable health care for all Americans by cutting costs and stopping skyrocketing premiums. The average health care cost per person in Iowa is about $4,000. Under my plan, you'll see real savings of up to $1,000 on that bill. No one in this race will fight harder than I will to cover the uninsured and get to universal coverage, but I also think it's time someone in government stood up and fought for the Americans who have health insurance but are getting killed when they try to pay their bills. And I'm going to fight for them. If you want to see a prime example of Republican's working for powerful interests, just look at this latest Medicare bill. This bill is less about prescription drug benefits and more a prescription to benefit big drug companies. Right here in Iowa, the price of prescription drugs has risen by over 10% in one year! Not surprisingly, the big drug companies and HMO's spent $139 million lobbying Congress and they're going to get $139 billion in return. That's not a bad investment. Say what you want about President Bush, its clear his powerful campaign contributors get what they pay for. But we're getting left with the tab. But drug companies aren't ready to settle for making millions of off seniors in the free market - they're also pulling every string they know of to stifle competition and create their own special interest market where it's illegal to send back cheaper versions of the same exact drugs from Canada. American seniors would save millions a year on the very same prescriptions that Canadian seniors take, but big drug companies just won't give them a break - and this President stand on their side. I'm going to stand on the side of seniors who need our help. As your President, I will wake up every day ready to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. That also means standing up for those who hardly ever have someone fighting for them. America's poor and working poor - and Americans with disabilities. I think of my friend Max Cleland - an American hero who overcame these barriers. He left three limbs on the battlefield after serving his country bravely in Vietnam, but never stopped moving when he returned home to America. He moved obstacles that stood in his way, he moved people with his courage and strength, and with a lot of hard work, he eventually moved into the United States Senate. No one in America has done more than Iowa's Tom Harkin to advance the cause of Americans with Disabilities. And when I am President, the voices of the disabled - and the whisper of all those to weak to shout - will reach the White House once more. Today, as our campaign launches "Women's Voices on the Trail," I also want to say how grateful I am for the support of the many talented and accomplished women who will take their voices on the campaign trail in the coming weeks and months. Women know what it's like to be shut out of this White House just as well as anyone. Their voices have been silenced and their choices threatened by an Administration that welcomes ring-wing special interests and extremist judges with open arms. It's time those voices were heard once again. The issues that were once consigned to a corner called "women's issues," need to be the concern of all of us. It's time for an equal day's pay for an equal day's work to become a reality and not just a slogan. And whether it is choice or Title Nine or affirmative action - all Americans pay the price when progress is reversed. When I am President, women's voices will not just travel on the campaign trail, they will sound openly from the workplace to the doctor's office, echo in the White House, and ring proudly from positions within my Administration. I'm running for President because I'm going to fight for Americans who need someone on their side. Unlike George Bush, I believe America's strength doesn't just come from captains of industry or corporate leaders on the cover of Fortune. I believe it flows from the dedication and productivity of millions whose lifestyles aren't rich or famous but who work hard and do what's right. They get up each morning, go to work, raise their children and pay their taxes. They don't ask for special favors or special recognition. They simply want fairness. A salary that pays the bills. A health care system where a check-up doesn't empty the family checkbook. A workplace that's fair. College tuition that's affordable. And a chance for their children to have a better life than their parents. That's not too much to ask for. And the American people have waited too long for someone to deliver. The time for waiting is over. I'm ready to get it done. And I ask you to join me in this fight.

TVU 18 AMY KLOBUCHAR ANKENY IA POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT ABC UNI 080719 2020 This is my husband, Craig and we'd like to welcome you here this morning. This is a family farm, that spinning Creek family for our grandkids are the seventh generation. So. So, we'd like to get started this morning and have him Johnson. Introduce. 105630 Good morning everybody. And it's great to see such a good crowd here. I'm Pam Johnson. I'm a farmer from Northern Iowa six generation. I hate to move on, but my grandkids will be eight. It is my distinct pleasure to be able to introduce to you a true champion for Iowa families and for our farmers and for our rural communities. Amy clover char is the first woman elected to the United States Senate in Minnesota History. And And even more importantly, she's known for getting things done. In the Senate. She's committed to improving the lives of families in the heartland, and ensuring that our kids who grow up here in rural America have a chance to work and live here. When she first entered Congress, her first number one asked to was to be on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Because she understands that America's prosperity depends on the success of our farms. She has worked hard to pass the farm bill that provides farmers the support they need, including the 2018 Farm Bill, It strengthens a safety net for farmers and ranchers invest in conservation, and supports homegrown renewable energy made right here in Iowa. And today, building on everything she's achieved in the Senate, She is announcing her plan as president to strengthen our agriculture and rural communities and bridge that rural urban divide As our senator next door, She is no stranger to Iowa. And we're grateful that she could come here today for this announcement. So please help me give a warm welcome to the senior senator from Minnesota and the candidate for president of the United States. Amy Kolbert. 105855 Thank you. What a beautiful Iowa day. Thank you. This is amazing. And I want to thank so much. First of all, Pam, for that kind introduction, Yvonne,and Craig, for welcoming us to your firm today. My husband, john, where are you in here with us. We are about to embark on a 20 County Iowa Tour, which is good for any marriage, I would say. So this will be fun all over this state. And this farm is a special place. It's been in their family for five generations since 1862. And This is exactly why family farming is not only a part of history in Iowa, but our future. And that's how we want to keep it And That's why I'm here today to talk about agriculture. So I knowthere's a little rivalry between my state and Iowa, I get this. Like you pride yourself on a lot of things being first in corn to hogs right to food on a stick well, okay, so we're first We are first in sweet corn, sugar beets, peas, and turkeys. And there's nothing I would like to make fun of more than that Minnesota is first in Turkey. So I get that I've heard it, I understand it. But The other thing that we both have in common as is coming up soon, Is our love of our state fairs. And I'm very much looking forward to the Iowa State Fair and I kind of challenge challenge some of my competitors. Let's say I'm no strangerto state fairs, going way back to growing up. And in fact, I have a booth at our own Minnesota State Fair that I have stayed with my neighbors because I always believe in keeping with our neighbors but my neighbors include a haunted house not good for a politician right where my booth is. Pork Chop on a stick True story. And we are right strategically located in front of a snake zoo. So all these kids comescreaming and fear out of the snakes Zoo and end up right in our arms at our booth so we enjoy it. But one thing we have in common, of course as strong dairy states is the butter carving. And I am looking very forward to seeing your butter cow at the at the Iowa State Fair, I'm going to have to decide if it holds a candle to our princes kids the Milky Way and her 12 court princesses all carved in butter bus in it. We've all been refrigerator. So we'll be in it for a big competition. So I just want to thank you. I also wanted to mention also with us today is Karen, Karen, dairy state representative. Big leader Thank you very much. As well as Dave Frederickson, various right over here, who is the former head of the National Farmers Union then came to work for me when he retired in my state office worked for me for years, was a mentor to so many young people in our office, gave them everything from agriculture advice to romantic advice, and then ended up as a Minnesota aG Commissioner. So where he just stepped down. So he literally has had three retirement parties. And I'm honored to have him with me and Iowa quite a bit. So on this beautiful I will morning we're here to talk about an optimistic economic agenda for the heartland of our country. But we know we do so in the shadow of the tragedies from this weekend. I was said today I wrote a something out on Twitter about how the flag that hangs on this farm is the very same flag thats hanging today in El Paso and in Dayton. And we know that this gun violence affects us everywhere, whether we are in Dayton or El Paso, or in Iowa. And I just want to say spend a few moments on this because I think it's important Before we get to our topic, that we talked about this not only in urban areas, that we have a leader that's willing to talk about it everywhere as I have in my home state. First we think of the courage, the incredible courage of the people. This weekend, we think about mom who literally shielded her baby from death, She perished herself to gunshot wounds, but she kept her little baby alive. That happened in El Paso. We think the grandpa died shielding his wife and granddaughter, the off duty show soldier who carried children away to safety. We think of those first responders in both towns. But the ones in Dayton that got there, within a minute, nine people had already been killed. But they got there to save so many lives. That is courage. That's the courage of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. And I believe that that courage has to be matched in Washington, DC. We have. We have extraordinary power, extraordinary power in Washington, DC. But there has not been extraordinary courage. The courage has not matched those first responders that we saw this weekend Are those ordinary citizens that did extraordinary things and stepped up to save lives. We know that there are bills that have passed through the House of Representatives. I have worked on them. bills that finally this year, thanks to the shift in the house that passed on universal background checks and waiting times and my bill on closing the boyfriend loophole which would protect victims of domestic abuse and stalking those bills right now on mitch mcconnell's doorstep. And those bills right now are really in the hands of the President of the United States. I actually went to the White House after Parkland and was seated right across from the President. And I noted, just like in Iowa, that my state is a strong hunting state. I said that right there in the White House. And I actually look at these proposals and I say, do they hurt my uncle deck and his gear stands? Right? Are they going to interfere with hunter hunting and they are not. And I think one of the things that has changed over the last year really since Parkland is that kids got motivated across this country, not just the kids in Florida, really all across the nation. And they talk to their dads, and they talk to their grandpas, they talk to their moms, and they said we know we love hunting in our house. But why can't we just pass some of these sensible bills, That has been the shift. And it's part of this shift that brought us these great representatives out of Iowa new representatives in right, that we've gotten in Abby and Cindy right, right here in Iowa. But it's part of the shift that we have to see across this country. And just this week, I had some people come to my state office, the one I have up in Morehead, which is a county, you know, near the right on the North Dakota border near Canada, we had a number of people show up to show their support for making some changes, and one man stood up and he said this, I come here as a gun owner, and a hunter and an outdoorsman. Just like my father, my grandfather, my great grandfather, my brother is my son and their sons, Many are sure to disagree. Some of them are my dearest friends. But sometimes one needs to take a stand for something, or one stands for nothing. So we need to stand for something. And I think we know what that is we need to stand up to lies, we need to stand up for our immigrant community. And we need to see change. And That's why I think it when you leave here today, I Hope you're going to be armed with all my great facts about about rural agriculture and what we can do and how we have to make the case that food just doesn't magically show up on people's tables, right. But I also hope you'll remember this moment because this has got to be a Christ. So many good things have started in Iowa, right, not just a sweet corn. Right? Not just all of the great work that you've done, you think of Norman Borlaug, you think of the Granger movement, which took on big power coming out of Iowa. And so I think we need rural voices in this gun debate as we head into the next few months. So let's remember to take the memory of those people that we lost with us and remind them that we're not just thinking about them in El Paso and date today. But we're also thinking about them in rural America. So What can we do to move forward? So I would argue that we need an optimistic I like that word with the man in the White House an optimistic economic agenda from the Heartland. This doesn't mean that this is just an agenda for the Midwest, it means it's an agenda from the heart. And for me, that means bridging the rural urban divide, Right? That's one of the reasons I love state fairs, by the way, because they bring in people from the urban areas, and then they get to see where food comes from, and see the biggest pig and everything else. But they get to be reminded of this connection that we have between people that make the food and make the fuel and make all kinds of things right now for our nation and the people that consume it. And so bridging the rural urban divide for me has been a passion. I grew up in the metro area, but I grew up very close to farmland, my earliest memories of hanging out with my friends. were riding our bikes to some farms. Okay, we thought some of them were haunted, but that's a whole nother story. And my best friend who's still my best friend whose name is Amy, of course. She and I would always go to her parents dairy farm, we'd ride our bicycles, we get to milk a cow, The sugar family farms, right near Hamel, Minnesota. And that was a big part of my life. Ironically, She went on to become a cook, and then owned some incredibly successful restaurants in New York City, I went on not to be a great customer, but I like to eat things. And so we That was a big part of my life growing up. And then I got started running for office. I remember one of my first visits calls I made was to Collin Peterson. And now the chairman of the House AG committee. And I remember I said if I Drive Four hours or however three and a half hours to meet with you, Will you meet with me for 20 minutes are a bunch of Democrats running at the time for US Senate not and similar to when I'm in not dissimilar to what I'm in right now. And so he said he would and I remember I met with him for a really really long time. And I had memorized how counter cyclical payments work and everything down. And he finally looked at me and he said, You know what, what our farmers want is really a fair shake, okay, they want to have parody, they want to have fairness. And just said it just so you know, he said I there's only like 10 people in the whole country that understand these issues Anyway, and most of them live in North Dakota and Iowa. But What I did learn from that moment was that he knew a lot and he became a mentor to me, I learned a lot from him. I went on, as was mentioned, requested a position on the Agriculture Committee of the US Senate. And I'm now one of the most senior members of that committee. And I have been able, In fact, I think with next in line, to be the chair ranking member. And I have learned from time that there are great leaders in agriculture. And by the way, when their leaders in agriculture, they focus on farms, but they also focus on everything to do with agriculture, economic development for our rural towns, and housing and healthcare and making sure that we're looking out for the economic interests of rural America as a whole. And that includes two incredible mentors of mine and leaders in agriculture. First of all, Tom Harkin, who was the chair of the Agriculture Committee, When I worked on my first Farm Bill. And then secondly, someone who was out of town right now, but gave a nice statement about our ad called Sam putting forward, and that is your former governor and the former Agriculture Secretary under Barack Obama. That is Tom Vilsack. And he's also been a great mentor to me. So one of the ways that I got out there, after I got to the Senate, I pledged I was going to visit every county in our state every year at seven counties. And I got some of the rural areas I swear to God, I met every single person in that county after a decade. And I got to see that not only the farms, which I visited multiple farms, with both the Farmers Union and the Farm Bureau, and so many of our ad groups all over Minnesota, and I got to see firsthand the businesses as well. And I remember there was one county where we had visited like literally every business so we found a new one, and it was called insect Inferno. And what it was was a truck, it won an award and they drove the truck around to get a bedbugs out of mattresses, and they would turn the heat up in the truck. And the sign on the side said, insect Inferno. We killed bedbugs with heat. And somehow we decided that I would go inside that truck. All right. So I went in that truck. And I thought at that moment, they only turned the heat halfway out, by the way. But that was when I thought you know, you go not just where it is comfortable, but you go where it is uncomfortable, Right. And I think that's a lot about one of the problems in our politics today is that people have tended to just go where it's easy, where everyone's cheering for them, Instead of trying to meet people where they are and try to figure out how we can bring people together to come up for solutions for things like our rural economy. And so that is my first answer to some of this rural urban divide, like the you got to go there, Okay. And you've got to make sure then that you don't just go there and see it and take a photo, you got to make sure that you bring back the news and the information to In my case, our colleagues in the Senate about what really works and what's not. And I come at this with this simple premise that kids that grow up in rural America should be able to live in rural America. All right. So that is a good way to begin, how we think about all of them. And that means, as I mentioned, just new ideas all the time. And the best example of that out of Iowa, of course, is Norman Borlaug, I actually got to go to the unveiling of his statue in the capital. Now here's the funny part. The whole time when I was growing up, I was told that Norman Borlaug was from Minnesota. That's just because but you know, he had done a lot of his research there, right. And then I get to the statue unveiling and I realized everyone there is from Iowa, Okay. And that is where I learned a lot more about every great thing that he did. And what he did is he saw people suffering around the world, and he use science to start the Green Revolution, to save more than a billion people from dying of hunger. He said, this civilization, as it is known today, could not have evolved, nor can it survive without an adequate food supply. So we have our challenges of today that were equal to those that they had back then. But what we need to do is to develop that same kind of imagination that he had, right? And getting at those challenges. Where do we see today, We see low commodity prices contributing to net farm income that's down 50%. From 2013. We see tariffs that make it hard to ship everything, from soybeans to strawberries, We always have the weather, which never changes, but has been exacerbated in recent years, because of climate change. And I think, by the way, when it comes to that you think of that as an issue that if Norman Borlaug was around today, I think he would have tackled with that same zest, because it is not just about our country, it is about countries around the world. It's about subsistence farmers in Africa, that can't make it anymore. And they're now heading up its refugees to other countries. It's affecting our economy and our security all over the world. And we have to start thinking about it that way. I think by the way, a voice on the heartland when it comes to this scientific challenge is going to be important, because so much of the talk understandably, has been about rising sea levels, and that is a real serious threat. But we also have to remind people that it is the tornadoes. It is the wildfires. It is the odd hail storms. It is the flooding that we've seen just this last year in Iowa and Nebraska and in Missouri, in farm country. It's a woman named Fran, on the Nebraska border in Iowa near Pacific Junction, who handed me her binoculars and said look through these, She says this is my farm. I love the kitchen, My husband and I got this farm. We live there with our two four year olds. And I want to retire in this farm. And I love the way the light comes through the kitchen. are right now that kitchen is underwater. She said when we bought this farm it had been here for nearly a century, they're still horsehair in the plaster. And then I said, well, where did the water come from? Is this the river right here that rages by this water? She says no, no, no, it's two and a half miles away. It's number come this close. That's what climate change is all about. And I see the solution is not necessarily in Washington, DC, although we can do a much better job. And I've got some great plans that you can check out on our website. But It comes from the Heartland. There's so much incredible innovation and work, you look at the work that's going on with renewable energy out here in Iowa, you think of the innovative ideas we have with soil conservation and other things that can make a huge difference. So Let me talk through this plan. And what I think we need to do, because I'm actually really excited about this in a Hubert Humphrey happy warrior way. Okay, because we know we can get this done. There's this incredible will right now to move ahead some of its the headwinds that we're headed into. And some of its this realization that we're all in this together, and we got to take this on. So the first part of the plan is what I referred to as heartland economics, We need to make sure that our farmers have the resources and incentives to overcome today's challenges. You know, one of these challenges, of course, is a trade war that's hitting even harder, I was talking to a soybean farmer up back, before I get out here, and I talked to soybean, I literally have closed the door in rooms where there's no media, with our farmers back at home, and they're just sobbing. They said, you know, Yes, we'll take this money. But that's not what we want. And we want to be able to carry on the work of generations of our family before us, we want to be able to sell our goods to market. And the problem we're encountering as this escalates instead of the president going back to the negotiating table, is that more and more of these contracts from other countries are being led out to farmers in other countries, and they're not necessarily just one shot contracts, their contracts that go on for a year or two years. And I can tell you one thing, it's your President, I'm not going to treat our farmers and our world communities like poker chips in a bankrupt casino. All right, I'm going to create them as the producers that they are as an integral part of our economy that we don't just play them as pawns. So Why do we need to do going forward? I mentioned one of those challenges. But the other is making sure we keep in place Some of these hard fought safety nets that we have from the farm bill. I've been there through some really good farm bills. And each time we have built on where we've had, we've looked at what we need, how can we improve the safety net, So we're not dependent on foreign food, the way we were for too long dependent on foreign oil. We have always upgraded and must continue to upgrade the conservation provisions. We know support for dairy farmers, a major challenge that we saw so many small dairy farms shut down In the last few years. And the farm safety net must reflect the challenges facing our farmers from the cost of production to the low commodity prices I mentioned to the terrorists that are punishing them. It means making sure these programs are reaching the family owned farms and beginning farmers and making sure we have provisions that keep that core part of our ag community strong. It means changing our bankruptcy laws, something that center grassy and I literally just passed a bill at the end of last week to do we are the leads on the bill So that farmers and ranchers can keep their farms and reorganize when they fall on hard times is especially important right now, with this terror for that's going on. I wish we wouldn't have had to come up with that bill, actually, and introduce it and pass it. But it is a consequence of the policies of this administration, we should be making it easier for farmers to sell their products abroad not harder. Our farmers produced the food, fuel feed and fiber and they need export markets to sell their products. And again, my approach on this when it comes to these tariffs, When I get in, I'm going to review all of them. I can tell you this, I will not be using a meat cleaver or should I say a tweet cleaver. When it comes to our policy and trade. We should be working with our allies and be targeted our approach and my first 100 days I'm going to restart the President's Export Council. I actually served on that Export Council. Right. I served on that under President Obama for years, As we worked on export policy and taking on barriers to selling our goods to market. And ironically I think I'm still on it, but we just haven't met we used to meet in the White House. We also as I mentioned have to support our new and beginning farmers and ranchers and Iowa State University study shows that the age of Iowa farm land owners continue to rise 60% of farmland owners were over the age of 65, which is five percentage points higher than just 10 years ago, I consistently heard that some of the biggest challenges that new farmers face are access to land and capital. My plan expands access to capital and loans for small and family owned farms and expands assistance and training for beginning farmers and ranchers. Another challenge for family farmers, the concentration across ag markets has resulted in increasingly anti competitive industry. Nationwide, we lost nearly 70,000 family farms between 2012 and 2017. I don't have to tell you this, you live it. Many years ago, there was a movement. As I mentioned, it started right here and I walk called the Granger movement. Farmers thought they weren't getting the right price for their goods because of monopoly power. People stood up and said we want to see a change in our loss. And By the way, when you look way back, that wasn't some partisan movement. It was Democrats and Republicans. And when they finally got action in the Sherman Act, center, Sherman, He was a republican senator from Ohio, right, Teddy Roosevelt, who took on the trust took on the railroad companies because they were so much a part of making it hard for farmers to get things to market Use a republican president. So I don't see this as a partisan issue. But I see it as a issue where we've seen a lack of leadership. I am the ranking member of the aggregate of the antitrust subcommittee and the US Senate. And I know a lot about this, and I am ready to make antitrust enforcement cool again. All right. So and I know there's a lot of talk about with this with the tech area, and there should be right. But it is more than that. It's also pharmaceuticals. It's also AG, it's also rail. And we have to remember that a lot of the importance of getting goods to market means having a strong rail system investment in rail, right investment in transportation, but also make sure that we don't have captive customers, right, that the prices are something that we can afford. Okay, that's the first part the pure economics of this second part, conservation and renewable energy. Our farmers and rural communities are being hit hard by climate change. So we have to do more to protect our climate and our environment. I long supported farmer conservation efforts and farming practices that reduce soil erosion and improve our air and water quality. Let's build on the progress we've made by expanding initiatives like our state's like these initiatives, very much CRP CSBNE. Quick, Okay. Yeah, only only and I was out in the plotline. We can do more to improve soil carbon sequestration, which both improves soil health and reduces carbon levels. We started with a pilot program, by the way in the farm bill on this, and it's kind of exciting what we can do to make this part of our conservation efforts. And I mentioned we can do more, because we live in this place that has always been innovative. And that means things like investment in our research universities, right. And investments in new practices, and making them work for all of Iowa and our country. Renewable energies and renewable fuel, have become a home grown jobs generator for the Midwest, and particularly our two states. And that includes biofuels, wind and solar and the manufacturing that comes with it. A few months back, I visited the Lincoln way, ethanol plant where I saw they were creating jobs to help our farmers and workers in the Midwest ideas simple. Why don't we invest in the farmers and the workers of the Midwest instead of the oil sheiks of the mid 80s? Okay, not a bad idea. Across Iowa, and I know there was just a closure. Again, we're dealing with a lot of headwinds, which I'll get to one second, But you have over 40 ethanol and so elastic plants and generate 2.3 billion of income for this state and support about 43,000 jobs through the entire Iowa economy. But a strong renewable fuel standard is just the beginning. Here's my plan when it comes to home grown energy, I mentioned the research that's going to be important. So we keep moving forward. But I will completely overhaul the refinery waivers. All right. We need transparency. And memo to the Trump administration, they should not be giving these waivers which were designed for a very small refineries and particular situations, but they have been granting them to major oil companies. And that must stop right. No one, When this guy put into place thought it would cover Chevron and Exxon and behind closed doors, oil refinery waivers. Other things we need to do. And by the way, as you know, I have led that fight on those waivers. And Senator Grassley and I have been pushing this on a bipartisan way. I have been, was particularly interested It was only when Secretary then Secretary Pruitt of the EPA visited Iowa and the farmers greeted him with protest signs that he had to resign. I'm sure there was no connection. Okay, what else we need to make sure the renewal identification number, you know, the Rin the rain markets account for the secret waivers. And to remove regulatory uncertainty, we must pass legislation that would allow for year round II 15 sales, we know those are in place. Now. We're glad about it, but they should be protected by law. At the same time, wind and solar represents some of the fastest growing jobs in the country, and is a major driver of job growth here. I was when sector already supports some 8000 jobs in this area. Let's keep that going with clean energy bonds, tax credits, and new investment in our grid infrastructure. Let's help rural electric co ops develop energy storage and micro grid projects for renewable energy. I have done a lot of work with CO ops. In fact, last night at the hotel in Des Moines a bunch I don't know why they were here, Minnesota rural electric cars came up and say, hey, yeah, you went up in the bucket and our Co Op. I'm like, Yes, I did. And so I have done a lot. And I've also seen these great ideas, one of our co ops actually started telling customers, okay, if you buy a solar panel, and it's not for your house, you just buy it right right here. And we're going to give you a free water heater, large water heater, large capacity that you would use in farmhouses, and it was a brilliant idea. And they've done very well with it. So it's just kind of one of these things big guys wouldn't think of things like that. But for small electric co Ops, it makes a difference. Okay, The third part of the plan. And The last part of the plan for those of you sitting in the sun, is well everything else that we need to do. Closing the urban rural divide is not just about agriculture, it's about everything from housing, to health care. It's about investing in our rural infrastructure. I mentioned what happened with the flooding, we all know that we need to make changes to our levees and to do things that maybe aren't as sexy like water infrastructure, right, particularly in rural areas, sewer, and those kinds of things. But one thing that is sexy that I know we can do, and that is getting internet to every high speed internet to every household by 2022. Right? I figure if Iceland can do it, we can do it. Now The last time I said that to a big group was at my announcement in the middle of a snowstorm. I went it looked like Iceland, and it was literally 100 degrees colder than it is today. But I truly believe we've looked at this and we know we can do it. This is also about making it easier for workers to afford childcare, housing and education that is shared prosperity. I think a lot of times people think of housing as more of an urban issue, well, then they should be in Iowa City with the people that I met with a few weeks ago about the housing issues that they're having their it's hard to attract businesses and manufacturing in rural Iowa and in rural America, if you don't have the housing to support it, right. It's like a chicken in the egg. As we say it's a no, it's my agriculture policy. It is also it is also about childcare. I remember Marshall, Minnesota meeting there and their businesses, their number one concern right now, because they don't have enough childcare for the workers. And we have to realize some of this is a workforce issue. What does that mean? That means training, that means good pay for childcare, that means federal policy changes. And it also means immigration reform, Something that would make a big difference Economically, when it comes to people to work, and not only run small businesses and come up with innovative ideas, but to work in our farms, to work in our fields to work in our factories, and to work in our hospitals and nursing homes and the like child poverty, again, something that people always think of right, they think of it as urban. But in fact, one in five rural households with children still faced food insecurity. As President, I will cut child poverty in half in 10 years and end child poverty within a generation. Okay, this isn't. And By the way, you guys have the food here that we just have to get there. Right? Because what is going on here, right now there was a National Academy of Science report. And it actually laid out how we can do this, right. And one of the major ways we do this, of course, is getting food to the families that need it. But it is again about housing and those kinds of things. And I think if we look at positive, optimistic economic agenda for this country, embracing this idea of ending child poverty is one of those things like landing on the moon, right, this is something we can actually get. And then something I've talked at length about it other forms here in Iowa, healthcare, understanding one size doesn't fit all making sure we keep our critical access hospitals and something that I've been working on and a bipartisan basis designating hospitals with emergency rooms, so we make sure that those remain strong. And part of this, of course, has to be mental health. Right? You know, how many beds you have public health beds, and I will right now 64 for mental health. That's it. So part of this is mental health. Part of this is addiction. I've recounted my own dad story, he had three dw eyes when I was growing up. And the third one, he finally faced the choice of treatment, or jail, and he chose treatment. And in his words, he was pursued by grace. I believe that everyone should have that right. And it's not going to work in rural Iowa or rural America. And we don't make sure that we have the resources to do that. Example, right from the Heartland. Our country has experienced a 30% increase in suicides in just 15 years. So when you hear these stories, they're not just stories, they're backed up by the numbers, especially high rates among farmers. And you all know why, with what's going on right now. I think of Theresa Gilly, someone who I know well, who lost her husband, Keith to suicide in 2017. They had worked together for over 30 years on their farm, including on land that had been in the family for almost 120 years, two straight crop seasons of bad weather, including hail and floods, had put them in tough financial circumstances and had as had the prices. And they were considering quitting farming. And they talked about it. But in his head, Keith just could not deal with it. He felt his obligation to carry on the work of that family farm that had been in their family for over a century. And he ended up taking his own life. Today, Teresa is still farming a portion of the land are working to raise awareness about mental health issues and increase resources. That's what my plan does. And so one of the things that I want to make clear, as I end this, today, is when I was out talking about this plan, Our reporter actually says to me, well, no one else is talking about this. Does it do well in the polls? Maybe not. But I know that one in five Americans right now in their families, One in five Americans have suffered from mental health problems. And I know that one out of two Americans know someone that's either in their family or close to them that has suffered from addiction. And I suppose they could say the same thing about this plan that I'm unveiling today, Does it do well in the pools? I don't think what this is about With this is about when you're supposed to lead, you're supposed to step back and look at our whole country. And What do we need. And I think one of the things we need is to bring back the respect across the country, for rural America, and have people understand that we are in this together. Because when we embrace our whole country as one, and we acknowledge that there are problems in the cities, just as there are in the rural areas, then that brings our country together. So It's not just about other resources have to go here to it's not just about that at all. It is about how we as a nation talk about this. So we see ourselves as one America and not a divided America. And I think one of the best ways you do that, whether it is for gun policy, which I lead off with today, whether it is for ag policy or health policy is by talking about what unites us and how we can move forward on this together. Closing I think, for many years, and boy, did I hear this people would say, Oh, the heyday of rural America is behind us, right? You've heard all this right now the towns are going away. And they would think of it as kind of flyover country. I don't think that anymore. I think we've come roaring back. We've come roaring back economically, we've come roaring back as part of the solution as I laid out when it comes to wind and solar, and biofuels and all these things that we can get off our land, We've actually come to the forefront when it comes to things like how expensive is to live places, and you want to have innovative ideas. And now with the internet, as long as we expand it, you actually want people to live in small and medium sized towns, you don't want them all living in one place. There's a very strong argument for America's innovation. And that it is based in part on the fact that we're not just in one or two or three or four or five places that we're all over this land. But we have to make sure that that thinking economically is reflected in how we do our politics. So my husband, who hopefully is still standing back there in the sun. He is the third of six boys. And they grew up in Mankato, Minnesota, which is not too far from here. His dad is now a retired biology professor and he taught biology at men, men, men, Kato state now Minnesota State, and his mom was also a teacher. And they raised six boys, okay, they had four boys, and they wanted a girl and she got pregnant again and had identical twin boys. It's true story. Okay, so they raised six boys in this trailer home for until my husband was in sixth grade With triple bunk beds, All right. And they would go on that limited means and they would go on one family trip every summer, somewhere in America, in their station wagon, they'd load all the kids in there. And my husband was the third boy, the quiet boy, the good boy, right, he was just always hard. And I were always afraid that they were going to leave him behind at the gas station, because maybe they almost didn't want All right. So when they got in the car, they would count off 123456 and make sure they were all in that car. So I can tell you this as your President, I will not leave the Midwest behind at the gas station. I will not leave Iowa and the Midwest behind when it comes to this campaign. Because I think in the general election, that you have to win this not just in the easy states, but you have to win it all over the country, that you have to win it not just at the top with some margin of victory, but you have to be willing to win it for the whole ticket. And that means bringing people along with you, like in these congressional districts and in the Senate, see in the state of Iowa. So I have always viewed my races in that way is that you don't just run for yourself, and you can check on my record in Minnesota. It's not just words, it's action. I've won and I've won and flip the house almost I think every time It is because I view it as running as a ticket and running together and running for something. Right. So that is what this is about not leaving the Midwest behind. It's also about what we're going to advance the cause of rural America. We need to get things done. We stand our ground, but we also look for common ground. And that's how we win. And so let us remember as we go into this election, not just in the primary, that the Midwest is going to matter, and it's going to matter big time. Minnesota matters. Wisconsin matters. Nebraska matters. Michigan matters. Ohio matters. And Yes, Iowa matters. So Let's go forward. Let's win this election. But most importantly, Let's never forget why we want to win this election. Right? And you can see it right in your neighbors. You can see it in the soybean farmers eyes. You can see it in those kids that want to stay and grow up and work here and live here and teach at the colleges and be involved in be the next great Norman Borlaug, right. So Let's remember why we're doing it and that's the only way you win it. Thank you, everybody. GAGGLE NBC REPORTER: What's the price tag on your plan? And What about your timeline for an attic? KLOBUCHAR: Sure, Most of you know, I've put forward a lot of price tag for the infrastructure plan, which is part of this, which is a trillion, but it's paid for, by repealing part of that corporate tax rate, I have put forward the plan for how we're going to pay for the mental health care and the opioid addiction. And the I basically Showtime and pay for all of these things. I think the important part of this plan now is different than some of my others. And that is to make this point, which is policy, but it's also political, that we need to bridge the gap between world and urban, that we are not going to be able to move forward as a nation together to tackle these big challenges, like climate change, and gun safety and other things that we don't at least look at each other in the urban areas say, okay, the food doesn't magically appear on my table. And in the rural area, see, okay, these are my customers, how are we going to work together, we've got some challenges, too. So a lot of the theme of my talk today, whether it was the fact that I wanted to leave with the gun safety in a rural area, because I think it's important that we make the case, not only in our city streets, but that we also make the case to rural America, because we know where the support has been and has not been when it comes to gun safety. People in rural America are hearing a lot of stories right now, from the NRA in other places that just are true. And I think that we've got to the only way you take it on is by speaking the truth and saying, okay, here's some sensible ideas. I noticed that a Republican House member in Ohio, in the district that represented stage just came out today for assault weapon ban. And for our limit, I'm magazine first way because I'll See you in one minute, kill people and kill nine people, and then think that that is okay. They have in the public policy United States and someone like that is able to get an assault. Why do I bring it up here, because I really have done this throughout my career, I have brought this out to wherever I am. And wherever I go, instead of just hiding behind it. I've been for the assault weapon ban, since I was Hennepin County attorney. That is in the late 1990s. and ran with that is my position in the purple state and in rural areas and one rural areas. And so I think that what you do is united Now, you know people on other things as well. I mentioned some of them, actually, a lot of people don't know about the huge housing and childcare desert crisis we're having in Iowa and another world state, we need to make that case. And then all of a sudden, when we look at how we're going to get results for public policy, we look to our red and purple states and our rural legislators and our rural members of Congress as part of the solution. We're like, Okay, how can we make this work the solutions for how can we look at immigration reform such a controversial issue right now, when it shouldn't be controversial? If you approach it in a sensible way that we need workers in our fields in our factories in our nursing home? We need workers, how do we make sure that we have a path to citizenship and a way to do that, That is legal and brings a deficit down? Which is exactly what comprehensive reform does. That's why my speech here today was not just about the Farm Bill. All right. I've been a leader on the farm bill, as I said, one of the most senior members of the Agriculture Committee working on everything passing provisions, and a lot of people are just talking about, I Pass it revision or vaccine bank, I Pass the provision on a huge increase in funding for Rural Energy and justice. Last farm bill, the prairie pothole provision that I did was senator food, when it comes to conservation. Those are real things I've gotten done. They're not just promises. So you need someone that understands AG, but also gets that that's not the only thing in rural America, that there are a lot of other issues we have to tackle if we're going to move forward. And I believe, not just politically but policy wise, I am in that place where I could do that as someone that's been able to bridge that divide in such a big way between rural and urban. Unknown Speaker 4:25 Democrats have spoken about gun control as a solution. And that's what I say, based on this weekend. But do you see any legislative solutions for white supremacy and combating racism, of course, Unknown Speaker 4:35 and I've spoken to this today, On the morning show, and all weekend, actually. And I see this as First of all, we have to start with the ball, We have to make sure that we are putting the resources into it that we should. And that is everything from the way it's investigated, to the way we look at what's going on with social media and how we communicate, and how we can find evidence to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place like kill lists and rapes, lists and things like that. Now, I think most likely the best way to do that coming out of local law enforcement is getting the resources to local law enforcement, as well as beefing up the federal efforts. I made hate crimes, one of my signature prosecution efforts when I was county attorney for eight years, so much so that when Bill Clinton was president, he actually invited me to the White House to introduce him when he unveiled the Matthew Shepard hate crime bell. So this isn't just something I came upon to talk about this year. And that was because we prosecuted a guy that on martin luther king day said, I'm going to go out and kill a black kid. And he's luckily didn't die. But he did shoot that kid, or a man who beat someone over the head with a two by four for speaking Spanish, or a Korean church, or mosque that had hateful rhetoric written all over the outside of their walls. So I went after these cases. And that's why I was one of the people that was involved in making sure that federal law work, then I got to the Senate and got to cast one of the deciding votes to get it passed. So that's my background. So I actually get the resources, I get some of the issues that you have with trying to go after these cases. And I think we can do a better job. Okay. That's the micro level, the macro level is the rhetoric. And we all know this and to stop the divisive rhetoric to talk about what brings us together and to stop the hatred. So Unknown Speaker 6:40 El Paso today, despite community leaders, residents saying that he should stay away, is that sensible for him to be visiting by you know, those? Unknown Speaker 6:49 What I am most focused on right now is how he handles it. I haven't been I've been here with all of us. So I don't know what he said since he got there. But each family, the families will have to decide if they want to meet with them or not. I would imagine some will and some won't. And what's key to me is, what does he do when he comes back? No, right? It's words mine. But what about the action? And I'm the one that sat across from him in the White House, where nine times there's a video of it. And we put out nine times. He said to me that he wanted to get universal background checks done. 11;54;05 He said it again this week. Now, come on, he controls the White House and the us senate his party does there's absolutely no way when his party seems to always be how high? Can I jump to keep you happy as their motto? There is absolutely no way he couldn't get this done before if he wanted to. And I would add to that with a republican congressman in Ohio coming out for the assault weapon ban, as he calls it, military style assault weapon, that he should also do that as well. He has the ability our party is there on most these issues. Right. Most of our members are. So he has the ability in his hands to get things done. Has The Unknown Speaker 8:01 President done irreversible damage with the tariffs? And Unknown Speaker 8:05 I think the time will tell I think if he keeps this up, and he keeps doing it, he certainly will. And That was my point about these long term contracts. There's no doubt he's done irreversible damage to certain farmers, right ones that have already gone under or have had to sell their farms or just can't handle it. And those were some of those stories I was telling. And that suicide story was came before he was president. I want to make that clear. Okay, just finished finishing. And so I think that the key is again, what does he do going forward? And he seems to think the best way to do this is by tweet, Instead of engaging and trying to focus your tariffs and trying to focus on things that will make the biggest difference. I had personal experience with this with steel dumping from China. iron ore industry, really important in Northern Minnesota, gives us a steal for our cars. We had a bunch of those mines broke down. last few years of Obama's presidency. I went to Dennis with Jana and asked him to come to Northern Minnesota. We were there with the workers with the owners with everyone and made clear to him. What a damn damaging effect this illegal practice of illegally dumping steel on our shores what's happening. And I still remember one of the steel workers named Dan Hill, he had a shirt, a skilled worker shirt, and he threw it across this huge room of people to Dennis McDonough and he told the story about how his son was in preschool and at their graduation from the preschool. They asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up in Dan Hills kid, all the kids were saying a teacher they wanted to be a sports star. Danielle's kid said I want to make I want to be a steelworker like my dad. And so Dan Hale takes that shirt, throws it to McDonough, who used to be a football player, right and says, make it come true. Mr. McDonald, make it come through. And I thought Please catch the shirt. And he did. And then what went from there was this incredible change in policy that we push through there were some bills we passed, as well as the administration taking this on. Why do I tell the story about last year of the Obama administration, a bunch of those iron ore plants opened up again, that continued with the enforcement With the Trump administration. But I saw that by using targeted, targeted, right measurements of enforcement, you can get this done. And I think that's one of the issues with our Trump has handled this. It hasn't exactly been targeted. As I said he's used a meat cleaver or tweaked flavor Instead of some public policy. Unknown Speaker 10:42 All right. Well, my guys, we have to get to Next up. Some other kinds of candidates have said that the rhetoric that seems by Donald Trump has contributed to the shootings. before boarding the plane passes. Donald Trump said that the shooters responded to Bernie Sanders. Unknown Speaker 10:58 What do you think the role is here? I think the role of a leader is to talk about how we bring people together. And by the president. He is the president. He's in a different place than anyone in the United States. So his role is not to start the day by tweeting against as he did last night, and this morning, a member of Congress about a standing in the polls. I mean, give me a break. And I think the role of a president is to lead and sometimes you've got to take incoming when you're leading, but you've got to be able to handle it. And so I am I've been clear, I think his I actually, interestingly enough, you look back at the tape a few weeks ago, before the shootings was at the Judiciary Committee when Christopher Ray testified the FBI director, and Senator Durbin also asked a bunch of question about this. Maybe others afternoon, I don't know. But Yeah, about the hate crime rise and what we're saying. So I would say that we all know that this general anger out there has contributed to a rise in hate crimes. And the President doesn't try to put out the fire. He adds fuel to the fire every day. All right. Unknown Speaker 12:05 Okay, thank you.

TVU 18 AMY KLOBUCHAR ANKENY IA POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT ABC UNI 080719 2020 This is my husband, Craig and we'd like to welcome you here this morning. This is a family farm, that spinning Creek family for our grandkids are the seventh generation. So. So, we'd like to get started this morning and have him Johnson. Introduce. Good morning everybody. And it's great to see such a good crowd here. I'm Pam Johnson. I'm a farmer from Northern Iowa six generation. I hate to move on, but my grandkids will be eight. It is my distinct pleasure to be able to introduce to you a true champion for Iowa families and for our farmers and for our rural communities. Amy clover char is the first woman elected to the United States Senate in Minnesota History. And And even more importantly, she's known for getting things done. In the Senate. She's committed to improving the lives of families in the heartland, and ensuring that our kids who grow up here in rural America have a chance to work and live here. When she first entered Congress, her first number one asked to was to be on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Because she understands that America's prosperity depends on the success of our farms. She has worked hard to pass the farm bill that provides farmers the support they need, including the 2018 Farm Bill, It strengthens a safety net for farmers and ranchers invest in conservation, and supports homegrown renewable energy made right here in Iowa. And today, building on everything she's achieved in the Senate, She is announcing her plan as president to strengthen our agriculture and rural communities and bridge that rural urban divide As our senator next door, She is no stranger to Iowa. And we're grateful that she could come here today for this announcement. So please help me give a warm welcome to the senior senator from Minnesota and the candidate for president of the United States. Amy Kolbert. Thank you. What a beautiful Iowa day. Thank you. This is amazing. And I want to thank so much. First of all, Pam, for that kind introduction, Yvonne, and Craig, for welcoming us to your firm today. My husband, john, where are you in here with us. We are about to embark on a 20 County Iowa Tour, which is good for any marriage, I would say. So this will be fun all over this state. And this farm is a special place. It's been in their family for five generations since 1862. And This is exactly why family farming is not only a part of history in Iowa, but our future. And that's how we want to keep it And That's why I'm here today to talk about agriculture. So I know there's a little rivalry between my state and Iowa, I get this. Like you pride yourself on a lot of things being first in corn to hogs right to food on a stick well, okay, so we're first We are first in sweet corn, sugar beets, peas, and turkeys. And there's nothing I would like to make fun of more than that Minnesota is first in Turkey. So I get that I've heard it, I understand it. But The other thing that we both have in common as is coming up soon, Is our love of our state fairs. And I'm very much looking forward to the Iowa State Fair and I kind of challenge challenge some of my competitors. Let's say I'm no stranger to state fairs, going way back to growing up. And in fact, I have a booth at our own Minnesota State Fair that I have stayed with my neighbors because I always believe in keeping with our neighbors but my neighbors include a haunted house not good for a politician right where my booth is. Pork Chop on a stick True story. And we are right strategically located in front of a snake zoo. So all these kids come screaming and fear out of the snakes Zoo and end up right in our arms at our booth so we enjoy it. But one thing we have in common, of course as strong dairy states is the butter carving. And I am looking very forward to seeing your butter cow at the at the Iowa State Fair, I'm going to have to decide if it holds a candle to our princes kids the Milky Way and her 12 court princesses all carved in butter bus in it. We've all been refrigerator. So we'll be in it for a big competition. So I just want to thank you. I also wanted to mention also with us today is Karen, Karen, dairy state representative. Big leader Thank you very much. As well as Dave Frederickson, various right over here, who is the former head of the National Farmers Union then came to work for me when he retired in my state office worked for me for years, was a mentor to so many young people in our office, gave them everything from agriculture advice to romantic advice, and then ended up as a Minnesota aG Commissioner. So where he just stepped down. So he literally has had three retirement parties. And I'm honored to have him with me and Iowa quite a bit. So on this beautiful I will morning we're here to talk about an optimistic economic agenda for the heartland of our country. But we know we do so in the shadow of the tragedies from this weekend. I was said today I wrote a something out on Twitter about how the flag that hangs on this farm is the very same flag thats hanging today in El Paso and in Dayton. And we know that this gun violence affects us everywhere, whether we are in Dayton or El Paso, or in Iowa. And I just want to say spend a few moments on this because I think it's important Before we get to our topic, that we talked about this not only in urban areas, that we have a leader that's willing to talk about it everywhere as I have in my home state. First we think of the courage, the incredible courage of the people. This weekend, we think about mom who literally shielded her baby from death, She perished herself to gunshot wounds, but she kept her little baby alive. That happened in El Paso. We think the grandpa died shielding his wife and granddaughter, the off duty show soldier who carried children away to safety. We think of those first responders in both towns. But the ones in Dayton that got there, within a minute, nine people had already been killed. But they got there to save so many lives. That is courage. That's the courage of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. And I believe that that courage has to be matched in Washington, DC. We have. We have extraordinary power, extraordinary power in Washington, DC. But there has not been extraordinary courage. The courage has not matched those first responders that we saw this weekend Are those ordinary citizens that did extraordinary things and stepped up to save lives. We know that there are bills that have passed through the House of Representatives. I have worked on them. bills that finally this year, thanks to the shift in the house that passed on universal background checks and waiting times and my bill on closing the boyfriend loophole which would protect victims of domestic abuse and stalking those bills right now on mitch mcconnell's doorstep. And those bills right now are really in the hands of the President of the United States. I actually went to the White House after Parkland and was seated right across from the President. And I noted, just like in Iowa, that my state is a strong hunting state. I said that right there in the White House. And I actually look at these proposals and I say, do they hurt my uncle deck and his gear stands? Right? Are they going to interfere with hunter hunting and they are not. And I think one of the things that has changed over the last year really since Parkland is that kids got motivated across this country, not just the kids in Florida, really all across the nation. And they talk to their dads, and they talk to their grandpas, they talk to their moms, and they said we know we love hunting in our house. But why can't we just pass some of these sensible bills, That has been the shift. And it's part of this shift that brought us these great representatives out of Iowa new representatives in right, that we've gotten in Abby and Cindy right, right here in Iowa. But it's part of the shift that we have to see across this country. And just this week, I had some people come to my state office, the one I have up in Morehead, which is a county, you know, near the right on the North Dakota border near Canada, we had a number of people show up to show their support for making some changes, and one man stood up and he said this, I come here as a gun owner, and a hunter and an outdoorsman. Just like my father, my grandfather, my great grandfather, my brother is my son and their sons, Many are sure to disagree. Some of them are my dearest friends. But sometimes one needs to take a stand for something, or one stands for nothing. So we need to stand for something. And I think we know what that is we need to stand up to lies, we need to stand up for our immigrant community. And we need to see change. And That's why I think it when you leave here today, I Hope you're going to be armed with all my great facts about about rural agriculture and what we can do and how we have to make the case that food just doesn't magically show up on people's tables, right. But I also hope you'll remember this moment because this has got to be a Christ. So many good things have started in Iowa, right, not just a sweet corn. Right? Not just all of the great work that you've done, you think of Norman Borlaug, you think of the Granger movement, which took on big power coming out of Iowa. And so I think we need rural voices in this gun debate as we head into the next few months. So let's remember to take the memory of those people that we lost with us and remind them that we're not just thinking about them in El Paso and date today. But we're also thinking about them in rural America. So What can we do to move forward? So I would argue that we need an optimistic I like that word with the man in the White House an optimistic economic agenda from the Heartland. This doesn't mean that this is just an agenda for the Midwest, it means it's an agenda from the heart. And for me, that means bridging the rural urban divide, Right? That's one of the reasons I love state fairs, by the way, because they bring in people from the urban areas, and then they get to see where food comes from, and see the biggest pig and everything else. But they get to be reminded of this connection that we have between people that make the food and make the fuel and make all kinds of things right now for our nation and the people that consume it. And so bridging the rural urban divide for me has been a passion. I grew up in the metro area, but I grew up very close to farmland, my earliest memories of hanging out with my friends. were riding our bikes to some farms. Okay, we thought some of them were haunted, but that's a whole nother story. And my best friend who's still my best friend whose name is Amy, of course. She and I would always go to her parents dairy farm, we'd ride our bicycles, we get to milk a cow, The sugar family farms, right near Hamel, Minnesota. And that was a big part of my life. Ironically, She went on to become a cook, and then owned some incredibly successful restaurants in New York City, I went on not to be a great customer, but I like to eat things. And so we That was a big part of my life growing up. And then I got started running for office. I remember one of my first visits calls I made was to Collin Peterson. And now the chairman of the House AG committee. And I remember I said if I Drive Four hours or however three and a half hours to meet with you, Will you meet with me for 20 minutes are a bunch of Democrats running at the time for US Senate not and similar to when I'm in not dissimilar to what I'm in right now. And so he said he would and I remember I met with him for a really really long time. And I had memorized how counter cyclical payments work and everything down. And he finally looked at me and he said, You know what, what our farmers want is really a fair shake, okay, they want to have parody, they want to have fairness. And just said it just so you know, he said I there's only like 10 people in the whole country that understand these issues Anyway, and most of them live in North Dakota and Iowa. But What I did learn from that moment was that he knew a lot and he became a mentor to me, I learned a lot from him. I went on, as was mentioned, requested a position on the Agriculture Committee of the US Senate. And I'm now one of the most senior members of that committee. And I have been able, In fact, I think with next in line, to be the chair ranking member. And I have learned from time that there are great leaders in agriculture. And by the way, when their leaders in agriculture, they focus on farms, but they also focus on everything to do with agriculture, economic development for our rural towns, and housing and healthcare and making sure that we're looking out for the economic interests of rural America as a whole. And that includes two incredible mentors of mine and leaders in agriculture. First of all, Tom Harkin, who was the chair of the Agriculture Committee, When I worked on my first Farm Bill. And then secondly, someone who was out of town right now, but gave a nice statement about our ad called Sam putting forward, and that is your former governor and the former Agriculture Secretary under Barack Obama. That is Tom Vilsack. And he's also been a great mentor to me. So one of the ways that I got out there, after I got to the Senate, I pledged I was going to visit every county in our state every year at seven counties. And I got some of the rural areas I swear to God, I met every single person in that county after a decade. And I got to see that not only the farms, which I visited multiple farms, with both the Farmers Union and the Farm Bureau, and so many of our ad groups all over Minnesota, and I got to see firsthand the businesses as well. And I remember there was one county where we had visited like literally every business so we found a new one, and it was called insect Inferno. And what it was was a truck, it won an award and they drove the truck around to get a bedbugs out of mattresses, and they would turn the heat up in the truck. And the sign on the side said, insect Inferno. We killed bedbugs with heat. And somehow we decided that I would go inside that truck. All right. So I went in that truck. And I thought at that moment, they only turned the heat halfway out, by the way. But that was when I thought you know, you go not just where it is comfortable, but you go where it is uncomfortable, Right. And I think that's a lot about one of the problems in our politics today is that people have tended to just go where it's easy, where everyone's cheering for them, Instead of trying to meet people where they are and try to figure out how we can bring people together to come up for solutions for things like our rural economy. And so that is my first answer to some of this rural urban divide, like the you got to go there, Okay. And you've got to make sure then that you don't just go there and see it and take a photo, you got to make sure that you bring back the news and the information to In my case, our colleagues in the Senate about what really works and what's not. And I come at this with this simple premise that kids that grow up in rural America should be able to live in rural America. All right. So that is a good way to begin, how we think about all of them. And that means, as I mentioned, just new ideas all the time. And the best example of that out of Iowa, of course, is Norman Borlaug, I actually got to go to the unveiling of his statue in the capital. Now here's the funny part. The whole time when I was growing up, I was told that Norman Borlaug was from Minnesota. That's just because but you know, he had done a lot of his research there, right. And then I get to the statue unveiling and I realized everyone there is from Iowa, Okay. And that is where I learned a lot more about every great thing that he did. And what he did is he saw people suffering around the world, and he use science to start the Green Revolution, to save more than a billion people from dying of hunger. He said, this civilization, as it is known today, could not have evolved, nor can it survive without an adequate food supply. So we have our challenges of today that were equal to those that they had back then. But what we need to do is to develop that same kind of imagination that he had, right? And getting at those challenges. Where do we see today, We see low commodity prices contributing to net farm income that's down 50%. From 2013. We see tariffs that make it hard to ship everything, from soybeans to strawberries, We always have the weather, which never changes, but has been exacerbated in recent years, because of climate change. And I think, by the way, when it comes to that you think of that as an issue that if Norman Borlaug was around today, I think he would have tackled with that same zest, because it is not just about our country, it is about countries around the world. It's about subsistence farmers in Africa, that can't make it anymore. And they're now heading up its refugees to other countries. It's affecting our economy and our security all over the world. And we have to start thinking about it that way. I think by the way, a voice on the heartland when it comes to this scientific challenge is going to be important, because so much of the talk understandably, has been about rising sea levels, and that is a real serious threat. But we also have to remind people that it is the tornadoes. It is the wildfires. It is the odd hail storms. It is the flooding that we've seen just this last year in Iowa and Nebraska and in Missouri, in farm country. It's a woman named Fran, on the Nebraska border in Iowa near Pacific Junction, who handed me her binoculars and said look through these, She says this is my farm. I love the kitchen, My husband and I got this farm. We live there with our two four year olds. And I want to retire in this farm. And I love the way the light comes through the kitchen. are right now that kitchen is underwater. She said when we bought this farm it had been here for nearly a century, they're still horsehair in the plaster. And then I said, well, where did the water come from? Is this the river right here that rages by this water? She says no, no, no, it's two and a half miles away. It's number come this close. That's what climate change is all about. And I see the solution is not necessarily in Washington, DC, although we can do a much better job. And I've got some great plans that you can check out on our website. But It comes from the Heartland. There's so much incredible innovation and work, you look at the work that's going on with renewable energy out here in Iowa, you think of the innovative ideas we have with soil conservation and other things that can make a huge difference. So Let me talk through this plan. And what I think we need to do, because I'm actually really excited about this in a Hubert Humphrey happy warrior way. Okay, because we know we can get this done. There's this incredible will right now to move ahead some of its the headwinds that we're headed into. And some of its this realization that we're all in this together, and we got to take this on. So the first part of the plan is what I referred to as heartland economics, We need to make sure that our farmers have the resources and incentives to overcome today's challenges. You know, one of these challenges, of course, is a trade war that's hitting even harder, I was talking to a soybean farmer up back, before I get out here, and I talked to soybean, I literally have closed the door in rooms where there's no media, with our farmers back at home, and they're just sobbing. They said, you know, Yes, we'll take this money. But that's not what we want. And we want to be able to carry on the work of generations of our family before us, we want to be able to sell our goods to market. And the problem we're encountering as this escalates instead of the president going back to the negotiating table, is that more and more of these contracts from other countries are being led out to farmers in other countries, and they're not necessarily just one shot contracts, their contracts that go on for a year or two years. And I can tell you one thing, it's your President, I'm not going to treat our farmers and our world communities like poker chips in a bankrupt casino. All right, I'm going to create them as the producers that they are as an integral part of our economy that we don't just play them as pawns. So Why do we need to do going forward? I mentioned one of those challenges. But the other is making sure we keep in place Some of these hard fought safety nets that we have from the farm bill. I've been there through some really good farm bills. And each time we have built on where we've had, we've looked at what we need, how can we improve the safety net, So we're not dependent on foreign food, the way we were for too long dependent on foreign oil. We have always upgraded and must continue to upgrade the conservation provisions. We know support for dairy farmers, a major challenge that we saw so many small dairy farms shut down In the last few years. And the farm safety net must reflect the challenges facing our farmers from the cost of production to the low commodity prices I mentioned to the terrorists that are punishing them. It means making sure these programs are reaching the family owned farms and beginning farmers and making sure we have provisions that keep that core part of our ag community strong. It means changing our bankruptcy laws, something that center grassy and I literally just passed a bill at the end of last week to do we are the leads on the bill So that farmers and ranchers can keep their farms and reorganize when they fall on hard times is especially important right now, with this terror for that's going on. I wish we wouldn't have had to come up with that bill, actually, and introduce it and pass it. But it is a consequence of the policies of this administration, we should be making it easier for farmers to sell their products abroad not harder. Our farmers produced the food, fuel feed and fiber and they need export markets to sell their products. And again, my approach on this when it comes to these tariffs, When I get in, I'm going to review all of them. I can tell you this, I will not be using a meat cleaver or should I say a tweet cleaver. When it comes to our policy and trade. We should be working with our allies and be targeted our approach and my first 100 days I'm going to restart the President's Export Council. I actually served on that Export Council. Right. I served on that under President Obama for years, As we worked on export policy and taking on barriers to selling our goods to market. And ironically I think I'm still on it, but we just haven't met we used to meet in the White House. We also as I mentioned have to support our new and beginning farmers and ranchers and Iowa State University study shows that the age of Iowa farm land owners continue to rise 60% of farmland owners were over the age of 65, which is five percentage points higher than just 10 years ago, I consistently heard that some of the biggest challenges that new farmers face are access to land and capital. My plan expands access to capital and loans for small and family owned farms and expands assistance and training for beginning farmers and ranchers. Another challenge for family farmers, the concentration across ag markets has resulted in increasingly anti competitive industry. Nationwide, we lost nearly 70,000 family farms between 2012 and 2017. I don't have to tell you this, you live it. Many years ago, there was a movement. As I mentioned, it started right here and I walk called the Granger movement. Farmers thought they weren't getting the right price for their goods because of monopoly power. People stood up and said we want to see a change in our loss. And By the way, when you look way back, that wasn't some partisan movement. It was Democrats and Republicans. And when they finally got action in the Sherman Act, center, Sherman, He was a republican senator from Ohio, right, Teddy Roosevelt, who took on the trust took on the railroad companies because they were so much a part of making it hard for farmers to get things to market Use a republican president. So I don't see this as a partisan issue. But I see it as a issue where we've seen a lack of leadership. I am the ranking member of the aggregate of the antitrust subcommittee and the US Senate. And I know a lot about this, and I am ready to make antitrust enforcement cool again. All right. So and I know there's a lot of talk about with this with the tech area, and there should be right. But it is more than that. It's also pharmaceuticals. It's also AG, it's also rail. And we have to remember that a lot of the importance of getting goods to market means having a strong rail system investment in rail, right investment in transportation, but also make sure that we don't have captive customers, right, that the prices are something that we can afford. Okay, that's the first part the pure economics of this second part, conservation and renewable energy. Our farmers and rural communities are being hit hard by climate change. So we have to do more to protect our climate and our environment. I long supported farmer conservation efforts and farming practices that reduce soil erosion and improve our air and water quality. Let's build on the progress we've made by expanding initiatives like our state's like these initiatives, very much CRP CSBNE. Quick, Okay. Yeah, only only and I was out in the plotline. We can do more to improve soil carbon sequestration, which both improves soil health and reduces carbon levels. We started with a pilot program, by the way in the farm bill on this, and it's kind of exciting what we can do to make this part of our conservation efforts. And I mentioned we can do more, because we live in this place that has always been innovative. And that means things like investment in our research universities, right. And investments in new practices, and making them work for all of Iowa and our country. Renewable energies and renewable fuel, have become a home grown jobs generator for the Midwest, and particularly our two states. And that includes biofuels, wind and solar and the manufacturing that comes with it. A few months back, I visited the Lincoln way, ethanol plant where I saw they were creating jobs to help our farmers and workers in the Midwest ideas simple. Why don't we invest in the farmers and the workers of the Midwest instead of the oil sheiks of the mid 80s? Okay, not a bad idea. Across Iowa, and I know there was just a closure. Again, we're dealing with a lot of headwinds, which I'll get to one second, But you have over 40 ethanol and so elastic plants and generate 2.3 billion of income for this state and support about 43,000 jobs through the entire Iowa economy. But a strong renewable fuel standard is just the beginning. Here's my plan when it comes to home grown energy, I mentioned the research that's going to be important. So we keep moving forward. But I will completely overhaul the refinery waivers. All right. We need transparency. And memo to the Trump administration, they should not be giving these waivers which were designed for a very small refineries and particular situations, but they have been granting them to major oil companies. And that must stop right. No one, When this guy put into place thought it would cover Chevron and Exxon and behind closed doors, oil refinery waivers. Other things we need to do. And by the way, as you know, I have led that fight on those waivers. And Senator Grassley and I have been pushing this on a bipartisan way. I have been, was particularly interested It was only when Secretary then Secretary Pruitt of the EPA visited Iowa and the farmers greeted him with protest signs that he had to resign. I'm sure there was no connection. Okay, what else we need to make sure the renewal identification number, you know, the Rin the rain markets account for the secret waivers. And to remove regulatory uncertainty, we must pass legislation that would allow for year round II 15 sales, we know those are in place. Now. We're glad about it, but they should be protected by law. At the same time, wind and solar represents some of the fastest growing jobs in the country, and is a major driver of job growth here. I was when sector already supports some 8000 jobs in this area. Let's keep that going with clean energy bonds, tax credits, and new investment in our grid infrastructure. Let's help rural electric co ops develop energy storage and micro grid projects for renewable energy. I have done a lot of work with CO ops. In fact, last night at the hotel in Des Moines a bunch I don't know why they were here, Minnesota rural electric cars came up and say, hey, yeah, you went up in the bucket and our Co Op. I'm like, Yes, I did. And so I have done a lot. And I've also seen these great ideas, one of our co ops actually started telling customers, okay, if you buy a solar panel, and it's not for your house, you just buy it right right here. And we're going to give you a free water heater, large water heater, large capacity that you would use in farmhouses, and it was a brilliant idea. And they've done very well with it. So it's just kind of one of these things big guys wouldn't think of things like that. But for small electric co Ops, it makes a difference. Okay, The third part of the plan. And The last part of the plan for those of you sitting in the sun, is well everything else that we need to do. Closing the urban rural divide is not just about agriculture, it's about everything from housing, to health care. It's about investing in our rural infrastructure. I mentioned what happened with the flooding, we all know that we need to make changes to our levees and to do things that maybe aren't as sexy like water infrastructure, right, particularly in rural areas, sewer, and those kinds of things. But one thing that is sexy that I know we can do, and that is getting internet to every high speed internet to every household by 2022. Right? I figure if Iceland can do it, we can do it. Now The last time I said that to a big group was at my announcement in the middle of a snowstorm. I went it looked like Iceland, and it was literally 100 degrees colder than it is today. But I truly believe we've looked at this and we know we can do it. This is also about making it easier for workers to afford childcare, housing and education that is shared prosperity. I think a lot of times people think of housing as more of an urban issue, well, then they should be in Iowa City with the people that I met with a few weeks ago about the housing issues that they're having their it's hard to attract businesses and manufacturing in rural Iowa and in rural America, if you don't have the housing to support it, right. It's like a chicken in the egg. As we say it's a no, it's my agriculture policy. It is also it is also about childcare. I remember Marshall, Minnesota meeting there and their businesses, their number one concern right now, because they don't have enough childcare for the workers. And we have to realize some of this is a workforce issue. What does that mean? That means training, that means good pay for childcare, that means federal policy changes. And it also means immigration reform, Something that would make a big difference Economically, when it comes to people to work, and not only run small businesses and come up with innovative ideas, but to work in our farms, to work in our fields to work in our factories, and to work in our hospitals and nursing homes and the like child poverty, again, something that people always think of right, they think of it as urban. But in fact, one in five rural households with children still faced food insecurity. As President, I will cut child poverty in half in 10 years and end child poverty within a generation. Okay, this isn't. And By the way, you guys have the food here that we just have to get there. Right? Because what is going on here, right now there was a National Academy of Science report. And it actually laid out how we can do this, right. And one of the major ways we do this, of course, is getting food to the families that need it. But it is again about housing and those kinds of things. And I think if we look at positive, optimistic economic agenda for this country, embracing this idea of ending child poverty is one of those things like landing on the moon, right, this is something we can actually get. And then something I've talked at length about it other forms here in Iowa, healthcare, understanding one size doesn't fit all making sure we keep our critical access hospitals and something that I've been working on and a bipartisan basis designating hospitals with emergency rooms, so we make sure that those remain strong. And part of this, of course, has to be mental health. Right? You know, how many beds you have public health beds, and I will right now 64 for mental health. That's it. So part of this is mental health. Part of this is addiction. I've recounted my own dad story, he had three dw eyes when I was growing up. And the third one, he finally faced the choice of treatment, or jail, and he chose treatment. And in his words, he was pursued by grace. I believe that everyone should have that right. And it's not going to work in rural Iowa or rural America. And we don't make sure that we have the resources to do that. Example, right from the Heartland. Our country has experienced a 30% increase in suicides in just 15 years. So when you hear these stories, they're not just stories, they're backed up by the numbers, especially high rates among farmers. And you all know why, with what's going on right now. I think of Theresa Gilly, someone who I know well, who lost her husband, Keith to suicide in 2017. They had worked together for over 30 years on their farm, including on land that had been in the family for almost 120 years, two straight crop seasons of bad weather, including hail and floods, had put them in tough financial circumstances and had as had the prices. And they were considering quitting farming. And they talked about it. But in his head, Keith just could not deal with it. He felt his obligation to carry on the work of that family farm that had been in their family for over a century. And he ended up taking his own life. Today, Teresa is still farming a portion of the land are working to raise awareness about mental health issues and increase resources. That's what my plan does. And so one of the things that I want to make clear, as I end this, today, is when I was out talking about this plan, Our reporter actually says to me, well, no one else is talking about this. Does it do well in the polls? Maybe not. But I know that one in five Americans right now in their families, One in five Americans have suffered from mental health problems. And I know that one out of two Americans know someone that's either in their family or close to them that has suffered from addiction. And I suppose they could say the same thing about this plan that I'm unveiling today, Does it do well in the pools? I don't think what this is about With this is about when you're supposed to lead, you're supposed to step back and look at our whole country. And What do we need. And I think one of the things we need is to bring back the respect across the country, for rural America, and have people understand that we are in this together. Because when we embrace our whole country as one, and we acknowledge that there are problems in the cities, just as there are in the rural areas, then that brings our country together. So It's not just about other resources have to go here to it's not just about that at all. It is about how we as a nation talk about this. So we see ourselves as one America and not a divided America. And I think one of the best ways you do that, whether it is for gun policy, which I lead off with today, whether it is for ag policy or health policy is by talking about what unites us and how we can move forward on this together. Closing I think, for many years, and boy, did I hear this people would say, Oh, the heyday of rural America is behind us, right? You've heard all this right now the towns are going away. And they would think of it as kind of flyover country. I don't think that anymore. I think we've come roaring back. We've come roaring back economically, we've come roaring back as part of the solution as I laid out when it comes to wind and solar, and biofuels and all these things that we can get off our land, We've actually come to the forefront when it comes to things like how expensive is to live places, and you want to have innovative ideas. And now with the internet, as long as we expand it, you actually want people to live in small and medium sized towns, you don't want them all living in one place. There's a very strong argument for America's innovation. And that it is based in part on the fact that we're not just in one or two or three or four or five places that we're all over this land. But we have to make sure that that thinking economically is reflected in how we do our politics. So my husband, who hopefully is still standing back there in the sun. He is the third of six boys. And they grew up in Mankato, Minnesota, which is not too far from here. His dad is now a retired biology professor and he taught biology at men, men, men, Kato state now Minnesota State, and his mom was also a teacher. And they raised six boys, okay, they had four boys, and they wanted a girl and she got pregnant again and had identical twin boys. It's true story. Okay, so they raised six boys in this trailer home for until my husband was in sixth grade With triple bunk beds, All right. And they would go on that limited means and they would go on one family trip every summer, somewhere in America, in their station wagon, they'd load all the kids in there. And my husband was the third boy, the quiet boy, the good boy, right, he was just always hard. And I were always afraid that they were going to leave him behind at the gas station, because maybe they almost didn't want All right. So when they got in the car, they would count off 123456 and make sure they were all in that car. So I can tell you this as your President, I will not leave the Midwest behind at the gas station. I will not leave Iowa and the Midwest behind when it comes to this campaign. Because I think in the general election, that you have to win this not just in the easy states, but you have to win it all over the country, that you have to win it not just at the top with some margin of victory, but you have to be willing to win it for the whole ticket. And that means bringing people along with you, like in these congressional districts and in the Senate, see in the state of Iowa. So I have always viewed my races in that way is that you don't just run for yourself, and you can check on my record in Minnesota. It's not just words, it's action. I've won and I've won and flip the house almost I think every time It is because I view it as running as a ticket and running together and running for something. Right. So that is what this is about not leaving the Midwest behind. It's also about what we're going to advance the cause of rural America. We need to get things done. We stand our ground, but we also look for common ground. And that's how we win. And so let us remember as we go into this election, not just in the primary, that the Midwest is going to matter, and it's going to matter big time. Minnesota matters. Wisconsin matters. Nebraska matters. Michigan matters. Ohio matters. And Yes, Iowa matters. So Let's go forward. Let's win this election. But most importantly, Let's never forget why we want to win this election. Right? And you can see it right in your neighbors. You can see it in the soybean farmers eyes. You can see it in those kids that want to stay and grow up and work here and live here and teach at the colleges and be involved in be the next great Norman Borlaug, right. So Let's remember why we're doing it and that's the only way you win it. Thank you, everybody. GAGGLE NBC REPORTER: What's the price tag on your plan? And What about your timeline for an attic? KLOBUCHAR: Sure, Most of you know, I've put forward a lot of price tag for the infrastructure plan, which is part of this, which is a trillion, but it's paid for, by repealing part of that corporate tax rate, I have put forward the plan for how we're going to pay for the mental health care and the opioid addiction. And the I basically Showtime and pay for all of these things. I think the important part of this plan now is different than some of my others. And that is to make this point, which is policy, but it's also political, that we need to bridge the gap between world and urban, that we are not going to be able to move forward as a nation together to tackle these big challenges, like climate change, and gun safety and other things that we don't at least look at each other in the urban areas say, okay, the food doesn't magically appear on my table. And in the rural area, see, okay, these are my customers, how are we going to work together, we've got some challenges, too. So a lot of the theme of my talk today, whether it was the fact that I wanted to leave with the gun safety in a rural area, because I think it's important that we make the case, not only in our city streets, but that we also make the case to rural America, because we know where the support has been and has not been when it comes to gun safety. People in rural America are hearing a lot of stories right now, from the NRA in other places that just are true. And I think that we've got to the only way you take it on is by speaking the truth and saying, okay, here's some sensible ideas. I noticed that a Republican House member in Ohio, in the district that represented stage just came out today for assault weapon ban. And for our limit, I'm magazine first way because I'll See you in one minute, kill people and kill nine people, and then think that that is okay. They have in the public policy United States and someone like that is able to get an assault. Why do I bring it up here, because I really have done this throughout my career, I have brought this out to wherever I am. And wherever I go, instead of just hiding behind it. I've been for the assault weapon ban, since I was Hennepin County attorney. That is in the late 1990s. and ran with that is my position in the purple state and in rural areas and one rural areas. And so I think that what you do is united Now, you know people on other things as well. I mentioned some of them, actually, a lot of people don't know about the huge housing and childcare desert crisis we're having in Iowa and another world state, we need to make that case. And then all of a sudden, when we look at how we're going to get results for public policy, we look to our red and purple states and our rural legislators and our rural members of Congress as part of the solution. We're like, Okay, how can we make this work the solutions for how can we look at immigration reform such a controversial issue right now, when it shouldn't be controversial? If you approach it in a sensible way that we need workers in our fields in our factories in our nursing home? We need workers, how do we make sure that we have a path to citizenship and a way to do that, That is legal and brings a deficit down? Which is exactly what comprehensive reform does. That's why my speech here today was not just about the Farm Bill. All right. I've been a leader on the farm bill, as I said, one of the most senior members of the Agriculture Committee working on everything passing provisions, and a lot of people are just talking about, I Pass it revision or vaccine bank, I Pass the provision on a huge increase in funding for Rural Energy and justice. Last farm bill, the prairie pothole provision that I did was senator food, when it comes to conservation. Those are real things I've gotten done. They're not just promises. So you need someone that understands AG, but also gets that that's not the only thing in rural America, that there are a lot of other issues we have to tackle if we're going to move forward. And I believe, not just politically but policy wise, I am in that place where I could do that as someone that's been able to bridge that divide in such a big way between rural and urban. Unknown Speaker 4:25 Democrats have spoken about gun control as a solution. And that's what I say, based on this weekend. But do you see any legislative solutions for white supremacy and combating racism, of course, Unknown Speaker 4:35 and I've spoken to this today, On the morning show, and all weekend, actually. And I see this as First of all, we have to start with the ball, We have to make sure that we are putting the resources into it that we should. And that is everything from the way it's investigated, to the way we look at what's going on with social media and how we communicate, and how we can find evidence to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place like kill lists and rapes, lists and things like that. Now, I think most likely the best way to do that coming out of local law enforcement is getting the resources to local law enforcement, as well as beefing up the federal efforts. I made hate crimes, one of my signature prosecution efforts when I was county attorney for eight years, so much so that when Bill Clinton was president, he actually invited me to the White House to introduce him when he unveiled the Matthew Shepard hate crime bell. So this isn't just something I came upon to talk about this year. And that was because we prosecuted a guy that on martin luther king day said, I'm going to go out and kill a black kid. And he's luckily didn't die. But he did shoot that kid, or a man who beat someone over the head with a two by four for speaking Spanish, or a Korean church, or mosque that had hateful rhetoric written all over the outside of their walls. So I went after these cases. And that's why I was one of the people that was involved in making sure that federal law work, then I got to the Senate and got to cast one of the deciding votes to get it passed. So that's my background. So I actually get the resources, I get some of the issues that you have with trying to go after these cases. And I think we can do a better job. Okay. That's the micro level, the macro level is the rhetoric. And we all know this and to stop the divisive rhetoric to talk about what brings us together and to stop the hatred. So Unknown Speaker 6:40 El Paso today, despite community leaders, residents saying that he should stay away, is that sensible for him to be visiting by you know, those? Unknown Speaker 6:49 What I am most focused on right now is how he handles it. I haven't been I've been here with all of us. So I don't know what he said since he got there. But each family, the families will have to decide if they want to meet with them or not. I would imagine some will and some won't. And what's key to me is, what does he do when he comes back? No, right? It's words mine. But what about the action? And I'm the one that sat across from him in the White House, where nine times there's a video of it. And we put out nine times. He said to me that he wanted to get universal background checks done. 11;54;05 He said it again this week. Now, come on, he controls the White House and the us senate his party does there's absolutely no way when his party seems to always be how high? Can I jump to keep you happy as their motto? There is absolutely no way he couldn't get this done before if he wanted to. And I would add to that with a republican congressman in Ohio coming out for the assault weapon ban, as he calls it, military style assault weapon, that he should also do that as well. He has the ability our party is there on most these issues. Right. Most of our members are. So he has the ability in his hands to get things done. Has The Unknown Speaker 8:01 President done irreversible damage with the tariffs? And Unknown Speaker 8:05 I think the time will tell I think if he keeps this up, and he keeps doing it, he certainly will. And That was my point about these long term contracts. There's no doubt he's done irreversible damage to certain farmers, right ones that have already gone under or have had to sell their farms or just can't handle it. And those were some of those stories I was telling. And that suicide story was came before he was president. I want to make that clear. Okay, just finished finishing. And so I think that the key is again, what does he do going forward? And he seems to think the best way to do this is by tweet, Instead of engaging and trying to focus your tariffs and trying to focus on things that will make the biggest difference. I had personal experience with this with steel dumping from China. iron ore industry, really important in Northern Minnesota, gives us a steal for our cars. We had a bunch of those mines broke down. last few years of Obama's presidency. I went to Dennis with Jana and asked him to come to Northern Minnesota. We were there with the workers with the owners with everyone and made clear to him. What a damn damaging effect this illegal practice of illegally dumping steel on our shores what's happening. And I still remember one of the steel workers named Dan Hill, he had a shirt, a skilled worker shirt, and he threw it across this huge room of people to Dennis McDonough and he told the story about how his son was in preschool and at their graduation from the preschool. They asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up in Dan Hills kid, all the kids were saying a teacher they wanted to be a sports star. Danielle's kid said I want to make I want to be a steelworker like my dad. And so Dan Hale takes that shirt, throws it to McDonough, who used to be a football player, right and says, make it come true. Mr. McDonald, make it come through. And I thought Please catch the shirt. And he did. And then what went from there was this incredible change in policy that we push through there were some bills we passed, as well as the administration taking this on. Why do I tell the story about last year of the Obama administration, a bunch of those iron ore plants opened up again, that continued with the enforcement With the Trump administration. But I saw that by using targeted, targeted, right measurements of enforcement, you can get this done. And I think that's one of the issues with our Trump has handled this. It hasn't exactly been targeted. As I said he's used a meat cleaver or tweaked flavor Instead of some public policy. Unknown Speaker 10:42 All right. Well, my guys, we have to get to Next up. Some other kinds of candidates have said that the rhetoric that seems by Donald Trump has contributed to the shootings. before boarding the plane passes. Donald Trump said that the shooters responded to Bernie Sanders. Unknown Speaker 10:58 What do you think the role is here? I think the role of a leader is to talk about how we bring people together. And by the president. He is the president. He's in a different place than anyone in the United States. So his role is not to start the day by tweeting against as he did last night, and this morning, a member of Congress about a standing in the polls. I mean, give me a break. And I think the role of a president is to lead and sometimes you've got to take incoming when you're leading, but you've got to be able to handle it. And so I am I've been clear, I think his I actually, interestingly enough, you look back at the tape a few weeks ago, before the shootings was at the Judiciary Committee when Christopher Ray testified the FBI director, and Senator Durbin also asked a bunch of question about this. Maybe others afternoon, I don't know. But Yeah, about the hate crime rise and what we're saying. So I would say that we all know that this general anger out there has contributed to a rise in hate crimes. And the President doesn't try to put out the fire. He adds fuel to the fire every day. All right. Unknown Speaker 12:05 Okay, thank you.