It is a pleasure real pleasure to welcome all of you today. And that includes a Welcome to our radio audience throughout the Upper Midwest who hear this program on Minnesota Public Radio. These broadcasts are made possible by the law firm of Oppenheimer wolf and Donnelly. There's probably very little need to remind you that we are in the midst of the 1992 presidential campaign. I suspect that you may already have noticed that quadrennial phenomenon. Minnesota meeting has invited all of the major presidential candidates to speak to us on what they see as the significant issues confronting this country and the world and we're very pleased to be able to present to you today. The first of what we hope will be all of these candidates. We have with us today, Senator Robert Kerry of Nebraska one of the remaining five Democratic Democrats seeking the presidency. Following his address Senator. Kerry will take questions from the audience Jane mrazek and Gloria mcclenahan. Are you in the room? Yes. Yes. It's to of Minnesota meeting will move among you with microphones, please use the slips of paper that are on your table for jotting down your questions. To introduce our speaker today we have with us a fellow Democrat and Minnesota Congressman Tim. Penny Congressman penny has represented Minnesota's first congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for about 10 years since 1982 before that. He served in the Minnesota state senate a lifelong Minnesotan Congressman Penny grew up in Freeborn County and is a graduate of Winona State University Congressman penny. I'm proud to introduce to the audience today Senator, Bob Kerrey of Nebraska. Bob is a colleague whom I respect and a friend whom I trust. on May 14th 1970 Bob Kerrey was presented with Congressional Medal Medal of Honor. In that citation, he was recognized for conspicuous gallantry. At the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a seal team leader during action against enemy aggressive forces in the Republic of Vietnam. That citation also credited Bob Kerry for his courageous and inspiring leadership Valiant fighting spirit and tenacious Devotion to duty in the face of almost overwhelming opposition. in short courage Under Fire Courage Under Fire is a rare commodity especially in politics John Kennedy's Book Profiles in Courage makes for inspiring reading. It's about several well-known and a few not so well known US senators who put their public careers on the line in order to fight for something they believed in. In politics today driven by opinion polls and campaign Consultants. You find very few Profiles in Courage leaders who will put principle before popularity, but Bob Kerrey is such a leader. Perhaps as a consequence of his War experience, Bob Kerrey has brought to politics that conviction that some things are worth fighting for regardless of the odds in 1982. He ran uphill race to defeat an incumbent Republican governor. Though he inherited a budget deficit he proceeded to make the tough decisions to cut spending and balance the budget and maintained a surplus throughout his term. He also provided the leadership to resolve contentious issues in the areas of insurance banking education and water issues that had languished for years in Nebraska. He then did what few politicians would consider doing? He walked away from politics after one very successful term to return to private business. However, Nebraskans did not let him stay away for long two years later. He was elected to the United States Senate again defeating an incumbent Republican in his three years in the Senate Bob. Kerry has continued to demonstrate that he is willing to take on the odds. He has shown courage and Leadership on the budget the flag Amendment the Savings and Loan bailout and National Health Care just to give a few examples. You may be aware and I guess Jerry just mentioned this that Bob is now running for president. I went to Lincoln Nebraska to join Bob on the platform the day that he announced for the presidency. I did not do so because I share Bob's views on every issue. I did so because I believe in his vision for the future and I believe that his style of leadership is critical if America is to build for greatness again. I strongly believe that we need more Profiles in Courage in elected politics in America, and I'm proud we have one with us here today Bob Kerry. Thank you very much. Tim. I really appreciate your introduction and your support and your friendship. You've been a real Ally in this campaign and I am very grateful for it. What a difference a word makes maugeri. Joseph is introducing me. She use the word one of the remaining five Democratic candidates and that Drew a laugh. I'm pleased to say that you didn't say the remains of one of the Five Democratic candidates. I am running for president United States and I'm running because I believe it makes a difference what we do now if we want to build a better country. You cannot wait until just before the moment when you would like to have a structure done to say I'm going to start I believe it matters that we have an attitude that says that we are willing. In fact allow somebody else to take credit for what it is that we do start today. One of the most spectacular examples of that for me was John Kennedy saying he was going to put a man on the moon in 1961 and one has to wonder whether or not he was started that great Quest had he known that it was going to be Richard Nixon who took credit for it in 1969, but it is precisely the kind of attitude that we at our finest moment have When we realize in our lives and occurs with most of us as adults that there's somebody out there more important than we are. We are prepared in that moment to risk it all for them. But it all on the line for that other individual. And is often times observe that people do that in combat and Wars but it is far too seldom observed that people do that as well with their families with their children that people do that with their communities with their neighborhood with their friends and that people attempt at their best to do it with a stranger as well in that moment when we realize that there is someone out there who is more important than we are we become that moment. Not just a responsible human being But in my judgment we become a free human day. And before that we find ourselves trapped out of fear that something might happen to us if we say something inappropriate or if we do something inappropriate only when we are unafraid to lose are we truly free I'm running for president United States of America because I see extraordinary opportunity in the post-cold War era extraordinary opportunity much the same as we had at the end of World War II when our leaders were bold. They did not Retreat inside the borders of the United States of America. They said that we have an obligation an obligation as human beings and most importantly As Americans to try to win and secure the peace after that war. And as a consequence our president and George Marshall came to the American people and said we're going to participate in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It was not popular to do that had they been doing polling at the time. They wouldn't have done it. Our president came to us in the 1940s and said that we are going to as well build new structures for trade the general agreement on tariffs and trade the World Bank the international monetary fund not for the purpose of merely satisfying short-term consideration, but because they believed in both instances. That we would as a country secure increased political stability and peace and that we would lift the Next Generation to an air New Era of economic Prosperity the Investments that were made the political Investments that were made at the close of World War Two and the human Investments that were made following that in the interstate highway system. The GI Bill those benefits were enjoy long after the political leaders who started them began them. It is precisely what America must do in 1992 if we are to seize this moment and to seize this historic opportunity that we currently have It is odd at the close of the Cold War at the moment when we have just recently felt enormous Jubilation at the liberation of hundreds of millions of people that Americans are feeling despondent feeling like losers. I went to Eastern Europe to Berlin and to Prague Czechoslovakia 1989 and felt the Jubilation of men and women rushing to freedom. I listened with tears streaming down. My face is vaslav hovel like valenza and Nelson Mandela came to the people of this great country and said, thank you. Your sacrifice for us allowed us to become free. We were prisoners and now we are free. We made an extraordinary effort and sacrifice on behalf of hundreds of millions of people who we did not know and have just recently celebrated their liberation. But it is odd in the aftermath of that great victory that Americans are feeling as if we have just lost something there's no question that the economic condition of the United States of America is serious and that there is a considerable lack of confidence. I do not need to tell you in the federal government's capacity to do anything about it today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics not just reported that was seven point one percent unemployment. But in a senate hearing at the Joint economic committee said that if you added discouraged workers, do you added those who were unemployed who are underemployed that the unemployment figure was probably ten and a half percent. And if you add on top of that the number of Americans who have seen their income go down in the last 10 years in real terms. If you add on top of that the number of American Americans who have seen their asset values Decline and for the first time in two generations in 1990, there was a real On a network if you add on top of that the number of Americans whose incomes have been squeezed by rapidly Rising costs for health care for college tuition for housing and transportation. And if you add on top of that the federal government's courageous response in the deficit the federal government's courageous response with the savings of loan. If you add into that the federal government's graders response and a number of other areas. It's not surprising that Americans wonder whether or not we had the capacity in the post-cold War era to respond to the challenge. I'm running for president of the United States because above all other things I believe Americans can still do the impossible that there is great economic and spiritual strength left in this great country of ours and that we ought not sell ourselves short. I'm coming to you people of Minnesota and the people of this country saying that if our attitude is a desire to build a stronger economy and a greater nation and if we act upon that desire, we will build our greater country. I'm running for president United States because I have a dream of a nation that is more prosperous a dream of a nation that is healthier dream of a Nation where our children feel as if they have more opportunity, but we will not build either the dream that I have or the dream that you have without courage and without strength. I'm running for president. I had States of America because I believe in spite of the cynicism of the peasant wisdom. There is much that we can do I would like and the afternoon presentation that I made to you to make two you to describe three areas. Where? I believe we must make fundamental change in order to not just lift our economy in the short term. But in order to be confident that we're going to lift the Next Generation to a new era of economic prosperity. The first issue first area for me where fundamental change will be required is in the area of international economics. I know then find myself rather amused as a Democrat to find myself having to come to democratic audience and audiences and 1992 to convince them. That trade is a good word. There was a time when trade was a good word today trade means for far too many Americans at my job's going to Mexico. My job's going Japan. My job is going to leave the United States of America, but it need not be that way. We ought to look in the first instance with International economics and say there's an opportunity to convert old enemies into new customers in Eastern Europe and in the Commonwealth of independent states, that's what we did in Western Europe after World War 2 and that opportunity presents itself to us today. Not only is there an economic urgency to do so, but there is a strategic urgency to do so given that the Commonwealth of independent states still possesses 27,000 nuclear weapons that are aimed at us there is opportunity in international economics in the second area of trade. I believe that we do need to be tough. I was not An individual who felt like a winner when I see the president. I'd States going to Japan begging for concessions. I believe the time it for begging is over and then we ought to say to the Japanese if you want access to our markets, you've got to give us access to theirs but it will not work for us to stop. There are problems do not end. Simply with Japan's willingness to block our access to high value markets in their country indeed our problems begin with that declaration. We need to come home as well and build an economic strategy that targets those high-paying jobs those high value adding added jobs and says that our policies will reinforce our desire to increase our standard of living. It's what the Japanese and the Germans have done so well and it will not work for us to Simply go to Japan and Germany to be tough though. I think we need to be The third and fourth area for me is it's going to be difficult for us to have any influence in the international economic scene and to develop markets that mean anything at home unless first of all, we take action with our fiscal deficit and we will not do so without courage we will not do so without being willing to look and say that we are going to perform for 12 year olds and thirteen-year-olds if all we are concerned about is satisfying short-term considerations. We will do nothing about the deficit. Lastly, I believe in the internet in the area of international economics. Now that the United States of America needs an energy policy that focuses not just on conservation, but the development of alternative sources of energy are highest obligation as adults is to try to take action to make sure that we do not have to send our young men and women into combat and as president. I will take action with an energy policy to make sure that if we go to war again, we will not be going to war to make sure that we have a cheap supply of petroleum. The second area for me where I believe we need action is here at home and we will have to have courage and strength to take it. It's not just a question of making reductions in defense and spending on a few more items here at home. I believe America needs an industrial policy. I believe we should declare directly that it's not possible for the federal government to do anything other that again involved in business. And as long as it's going to get involved in business, it should get involved with a purpose. It should not be an ad hoc policy one year dealing with clean air one year dealing with Transportation another deal year dealing with energy whatever happens to be hot. Whatever happens to be popular whatever we toll and find out the People Want it should instead be policy with a purpose our purpose my purpose with an industrial policies to say simply that we are going to try to create more jobs above the median family income than below it. There are 47 million American families who earn more than $30,000 a year and there are 47 million Americans families who earn less than $30,000 a year and I believe strongly that our policies. Our federal policies can move the standard of living of a median family income in an upward Direction and that we should take action to do so, it is not inexorable that America become a low-wage nation. It is not an extra bowl that we create more jobs below thirty thousand dollars and we do above it. There are five elements of my policy. I'll run through it rather quickly and question-and-answer. I'll be glad to add additional detail, but I want to make sure I get the points made in the speech ends on time and you have an opportunity to grill me first. America needs National Health Insurance America needs to put in place a policy that is similar to every single one of our industrial competitors that breaks the link between eligibility for health care and Climate that puts the emphasis on training and education. We are bankrupting private sector businesses and on the public sector, we spend 13 percent of GNP today for healthcare. It was 11% in 1988. It was 9% in 1980. It was 7% in 1970 1970. It will be 17 percent in the year 2000. We spent eight hundred and twenty billion dollars this year on Healthcare and that is approximately 200 billion dollars a year more than Germany and 250 billion dollars a year more than Japan. We are putting ourselves in a non-competitive position. It is making it difficult for individuals to move from job to job. We as I said, we are the only industrial nation that says to our workers lose your job and you lose your health care only industrial nation that does that And it is making it extremely difficult for us to develop policies in the second area of education and job training where I would just sell say briefly that unless we produce human beings that have the capacity to earn the standard of living that they want in their life time. We ought not to be timid about it. We ought to say that those who have educated them have done a lousy job those who were given the responsibility to get the job done have done a lousy job at maybe the parents fault had maybe the community fault. It may be all sorts of other instances that are at fault, but we cannot say that it is a child's fault that it's the students fault. If we begin with that as our test, it seems to me that we will simply sit back and not respond to produce people that are competitive in the world market. Thirdly, we need a technology strategy that not just supports generic technologies that will produce the highway jobs of tomorrow, but our government's regulation and our government's tax policy must reinforce and reinforce the investment on the private sector our policy and Technology should say that we're not going to make technology investment just for political reasons. We will make it for economic reasons and will reinforce those economic decisions by tax decisions and by regulatory decisions, making sure that instead of destroying high-wage jobs. We in the federal government on the business of attempting to create them the fourth and fifth area for me and an industrial policy is to build the best transportation system in the world and to build the best Communication System the world it may be that there's no better example of how politics in America had been reduced to short term considerations then to consider what happened with our recent Transportation bill. We just signed a highway reauthorization Bill the president just signed or Highway reauthorization Bill. He's been trying to get Congress to pass it and we finally passed it. He went down to Texas to president didn't sign it down there in this campaign on the Democratic side as well. We've seen Transportation as a short-term way to put people back to work. It is a way to put people back to work building infrastructure is important for short-term job creation. But once again, I say to you that we have an obligation not just to build infrastructure in the short term but to build with a purpose and its president United States. I will come to Americans and say that our purpose would Transportation will be to build the most productive and with communication the most productive systems in the world and it is entirely likely that if I'm elected president United States and lay that challenge out and begin to make the expenditure and begin to expand the political Capital to start that it is entirely likely that some future Your politician will take credit for those Investments. The third big area for me is that I say to you here in Minnesota as well as I've said in the nation as well that our federal government is not organized for political action for economic action. It's organized for political action. We have established independent agencies at the federal level for a variety of political reasons. And as a consequence when those different agencies, go to Congress, we present a rather incoherent message to the American people and we are policies in response become incoherent as well. I'm proposing that we go from 14 cabinet secretaries down to seven. I'm proposing that we reduced the number of oversight committees in Congress by 75% I'm proposing that we reduce the size of the federal government by approximately 25 percent over the next 10 years, but I'm proposing most of all to give the American people a single secretary for economic policy a single secretary for human resources. And a single secretary for natural resources that has the capacity not just to present a coherent strategy but as the capacity as well to work with local communities and to be able to solve problems in all three areas. I have done community-based work as a governor community-based work as a private citizen and Community Based work as a senator and I will tell you that over and over and over whether the problem is infant mortality. The problem is education. The problem is economic development the first and most difficult problem. We've got in carrying out a program at the local level of just trying to get the various agencies of government to work together. This is not simply Shifting the boxes around into more convenient positions. It is us saying we need to organize our federal government so that it can do what we want and we've got to have the courage to disregard those who will say they want to preserve their independent cabinet secretary. In this campaign, I will talk as well about the need for Americans to change their values. Most of all, we act upon the values that we hold dear. It drives our actions. It influences our decisions. It determines our course of action. I will come and not just presented strategy for increasing our economic output and increasing our economic Prosperity, but I will come to Americans and say that we have an obligation and to reach out to those who are bent low. I was three or four weeks ago and the presence of man who I consider to be the finest living President Jimmy Carter, you may not think he is here I do in my opinion Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter's working on a project in Atlanta. He left the office of presidency has been extremely active in international Affairs. He's been extremely active and trying to get a peace agreement peace agreements in Central America working try to bring peace to to this planet and he is now working in Atlanta Georgia. He said to me in Houston Texas that he has met with Community leaders in Atlanta and he found himself in the presence of school superintendent who was describing it life in Atlanta, Georgia the second poorest city in America and the circumstances he described though. They may be more intense in Atlanta and maybe more difficult Atlanta. I tell you I believe go on and almost every city in this country. School superintendent said he said mr. President the problem of all young people. He said is they just don't think we care about him any longer. It isn't our welfare system that's destroying them. We can blame it on welfare institutions. If we choose to we can blame it on our government. If we wish he said the problem is these young people just don't think we give a damn about them or their lives. So the boys and our school system. He said one own automatic rifles that's their dream in life and the girls want to get pregnant. The president was set back a bit superintendent went on and said that the biggest problem we have with pregnancy in our school system is with sixth graders. President with a grand daughter and the sixth grade was alarmed and asked why and the superintendent said I'm not sure you want to know and he pressed further. And he said mr. President. The reason the sixth graders are at risk and Atlanta Georgia is because The Pimps know that sixth graders are unlikely to have AIDS. I tell you this isn't going on in Bangladesh. This isn't going on in some foreign country. This is going on in the United States of America and we are Americans we ought to protect our children from pimps and from Crooks and from criminals and we ought to stand with the understanding that we do not pick our parents. In some of our children do not have Advocates do not have the fenders and we as adults. It's adult Americans if we require our young people to stand every single morning and pledge allegiance to the flag and God helped George Bush if he goes at me in the Pledge of Allegiance, if we require our young people to pledge allegiance to the flag every single day than we can pledge our allegiance to them. It is Our obligation to do so, and they do not And they increasingly do not feel that we care about them. I will come in this campaign as well. And as I said at the beginning and say that I understand the nature of personal responsibility, it's important. It's crucial if an individual is going to connect the life and feel some purpose in life and feel as if they've got some capacity to do good things. In 1969. I came back to the United States of America as a result of the Vietnam War. She was all of my own mistakes. I believe I got blown up over there. And I came back to this great country and had to learn how to walk again and to go through all the ups and downs that people do and you rehabilitate yourself and it's not easy. And so I understand the nature of personal responsibility of determination and perseverance. It's a critical element if we are to be successful But I also know that this great nation saved my life. In 1969 not only did I not make a contribution to any political candidate, but there wasn't a politician in America that I liked hadn't met Hubert Humphrey at that time. It wasn't a single American politician that I looked upon with favor. But in spite of that this great nation was still Guided by the values of a Great Society not the values of a Grimm Society but a great society that said that every human being has dignity and we are going to try to provide even those who do not like us with an environment in which they can grow to their full potential. You gave me Health Care you gave me an educational opportunity and and it has not produced somebody who is dependent upon their government at has produced and said instead someone who is enormously grateful to this great country for what it has done for me. I will come in this campaign and say we have an obligation not only to build for greatness not only to begin today to build an economy. That is more Prosper for our children not just to act now to make sure that the Next Generation lives in a world that is more peaceful lives that with with increased Economic Opportunity. But we have an obligation to reach out to those who are who are been bent Low by economic or other circumstance and just say before you ever decide. Are you going to use tax dollars or private sector dollars before you ever decide? How are you going to do it? I will say that it matters just to let them know that we care. And I will come to you and try to provoke not just your conscience, but your willingness to respond to help if we act upon a value that says that we care more about the Next Generation then the next election more about posterity then we do about popularity. If we act upon a willingness to risk it all for our family our friends our neighbors and for the strangers amongst us. We will build a nation that the people of the Year 2050 will look back upon us and they will say the Americans of the 1990s were bold. They were courageous. They were forward-looking and they gave us opportunity for which we are grateful. That is the message of my campaign. I appreciate very much your willingness to listen to me. I appreciate very much your interest in this great country of ours and your willingness to give to it. Thank you very much. Thank you Senator. Kerry first question here from John Herman. You got my attention with talking about cutting the federal government by 25% since every president history has gotten mired down in bureaucracy. How do you plan on cutting this by 10% 25% Well, I'm asking for a specific mandate. I mean, I've got to propose a lot there that goes from that takes us from 14 the secretary's down to seven. I describe exactly how I want to do that. It does reduce oversight committees and it does reduce it the the size of the federal bureaucracy and I'm asking for a mandate as I am in a number of other areas as well. It will take it will be a fight. I've Got Friends and almost every single organization out there that that do not want to lose an independent agency. I'll give you an example. I'm a member of the disabled American veterans. I'm a member of the veterans of foreign war. I'm a member of the American Legion and we have just created a separate independent Department of Veterans Administration that in my judgment cannot serve veterans nearly as well as if it was inside a single Secretary of Human Resources. I just believe it. We see veterans today as a special interest. We see agriculture's Especial interest. We see labor as a special interest. We see education as a special interest not as a coherent part of either economic strategy or a human resource or a natural resource strategy. And so what I'm asking for in this campaign as a mandate to do it not supposing that is going to be easy or without a fight. Thank you, Senator, Kerry. We have a question now from Joe Silva Geo. Senator you touched a bit on the problems of the Central City and story about Jimmy Carter. So I'd like to ask you a little more about your strategies there how you might deal with the different housing problems or the problems of the urban poor the underclass those that are leaving the city for the suburbs those that don't want to think the cities are to have too many problems and can't live there or do business there. well I mean the short answer is that you know, I see a solid connection between Education and Training and an individual's capacity to to earn and to move out of poverty. I mean, there's a connection between the two and so I want to focus my attention on education. I'm going to focus my attention on training but as I do and I've done that as Governor work with people in the inner city and in Omaha trying to help them get off of welfare as you do that you run smack into the barrier of Health Care and Medicaid is a tremendous barrier. It just is and even though even if you were willing to say that we're going to continue to allow the cost of healthcare to grow and devour larger and larger pieces of GNP and if you said so what if we spent a trillion 6 in the year 2000, I'm willing to spend 17 percentage. Even if you weren't alarm by the competitive decline you ought to be alarmed by this entrapment that occurs with individuals and Medicaid I abolished Medicaid. With my proposal it is federally funded it's a federal-state proposal the state's manage it not the federal government and it liberates individuals that are currently trapped on welfare and it liberates policymakers because we save a hundred and fifty billion dollars over the next five years to focus our attention on job training and on education furthermore. It provides twenty seven billion dollars worth of property tax relief since it's a federal-state program, which should I believe liberate municipalities to focus their attention on infrastructure on housing on those things that rightfully belong at the local level not just quickly and housing. I mean, I also think that we've cut back the Federal share of housing far too much and I'm prepared to come and increase funding in the housing area, but I do not believe that's going to work until we reform in a fundamental way Healthcare, which will allow us then to move into and job training Thank you, Senator, Kerry question here from Ed Hunter. Senator Minnesota lawmakers are now trying to decide whether we ought to have a presidential primary with or without party registration and I noted earlier this week that the columnist David Broder suggested that we really ought to think more seriously about electing presidents and and representative to congress from the same party. Would you share with us your thoughts about what parties mean in presidential elections? Well, I agree with Broder only he has a slightly different conclusion than I he thinks we should have a republican Congress. I think we should have a Democratic president. I mean, so I agree. And frankly, I don't know that it necessarily that this divided government is a terribly important issue. What happened in 1988 is we elected someone without a mandate to do anything other than protect us from flag burners and protect us from Willie Horton and not a promise not to raise taxes. I mean, I didn't hear a mandate for Action Ronald Reagan had won in 1980. He didn't have one in 1984 but George Bush did not have one in 1988 and unless you've got a mandate to to make change and to bring to the Congress whether you're Republican or a Democrat. I mean, then it's unlikely that the policies of America are themselves going to change and I don't have a strong opinion on restructuring the electoral process and doing all that sort of thing. Although I've got strong opinions on the need for campaign Finance reform to restrict them on a money that can be spent in elections what I'm Suggesting is that the Citizens need to listen and make sure that when they are voting they are voting for a mandate that provides a foundation for action. Thank you. We have a question now from Mitch pearlstein Senator, you spoke effectively and really quite evocatively about children, but I would argue that as long as such an extraordinary percentage of children are brought into this world out of wedlock that everything that the federal government will attempt to do to improve education reduce poverty. And so forth will be severely undercut. How do you see yourself dealing with this issue an issue, by the way that I would argue that very very few American politicians have the courage to deal with Well, I may be in that category of people were not curious the deal with it as well. Well, you know, you know once again, I mean I and I do think we need to examine the institutions of welfare and try to judge what sort of impact those rules and regulations have on the families that we're trying to support and I give gave you some indication what I think would occur with a reform of our Medicaid system. I think Medicaid doesn't wrap people and makes it difficult for us to actually improve the quality of life of poor families. But I also believe that it is necessary for us to go much further and providing young people with education about sexuality with information about Family Planning with a foundation upon which they can make decisions and we don't typically do that in our federal government has been very timid as a consequence of being afraid of the issue of abortion. Our federal government has been very timid the president for example Apple recently has recently put upon doctors of America a thing that's known as the gag order saying two doctors that you cannot in a clinic setting. You cannot provide a young girl with any information about abortion. Otherwise, we'll cut off Federal funding for that family planning Clinic. Well, the Paradox of that rule in my judgment is its app to produce more abortions not less as a result of young women not get young women and girls not getting Family Planning information leaving aside a the issue of restriction the Freedom of Information and speech on a rather important issue and our willingness to allow it to occur when it affects 5 million poor women leaving that aside it seems to me that the fact that we are not moving directly to provide family planning information to young people here in America are not I'll sing it in a direct and Frank fashion does encourage the very thing that you're describing not just with poor teenagers, but with all teenagers in this country, we are not it but I'm suggesting to you is that there's I see to direct things that can be done one in the area of welfare reform and the other in the area of direct action as a from us as adults from us as parents and from us at the community level and our federal government's policies made it difficult to do that. Thank you, Senator, Kerry Dean Bosworth one of our corporate sponsors. Make sure that we always have one very important question by seeing that we have a group of eighth graders who attend all the Minnesota meetings piete qiao. Qiao. Qiao. Thank you. It's going to ask a question probably will get some help from her friend here. If they spend less less to reduce deficit or do they find money for education? Well, let me tell you just directly where I would make reductions in order to get reductions in the deficit. First of all, again, the specific proposal that I've introduced on Health Care does not allow us to sell bonds for doctors and hospital bills were we will sell 35 billion dollars to the bonds this year for for three or four major health care proposals. And so there's 35 billion dollars in current dollar reduction in the deficit the restructuring proposal talk that I that I have in will produce somewhere between seven or nine billion dollars. I would take defense reductions that we're going to make the president's likely to propose 10 billion in his State of the Union Address. It could be 15 or 20 by the time we're done. I personally would use all of that for reductions or most of that at least in reductions for defense. I would come to Congress and say that they're still I'm on the Appropriations Committee and so I know this fairly well, there's still Fair amount of room in this budget to set aside things that are not needed in the in the short term that we could use to spend on head start on education. I've actually got a specific proposal to increase funding for education, but it drives the support back to the community level, but that I mean the proposal a lot is actually what I call a Venture Capital Corporation that puts the federal government in a position of being more flexible less as they say in education categorical and it could come directly to the to the community level and support those communities that have done Equalization done. The the tough work are prepared to do the tough work are willing to hold themselves accountable are willing to put in some of the resources as well to sign a contract for additional monies. I'm prepared to come to taxpayers on education and say we should spend more money, but I want to make sure that the expenditures are or feel comfortable at the expenditure. Are likely to produce some improvement in performance? Thank you yet is an 8th grader. Dan Watson is our the rest of these students. Thank you. We have a question now from Peg Chamberlain Senator Kerry your beat to be commended on this vision for the Next Generation. I believe the American people are hungry for a vision that calls us Beyond ourselves and gives us meaning in the future you've spoken about that next generation and how it might be affected by your plans for healthcare education and somewhat shelter. We have five point five million children in the United States who are hungry here in Minnesota more than 74,000 children who are right now hungry what kinds of things could we expect from you to deal with the nutrition aspect of the Next Generation? Well first I'll say directly that I want to take the nutritional programs from USDA and put it in a in the secretary for human resources. I mean clear that I'm that I see nutrition as something that's connected to education connected to housing connected to job training. It's not something that's disconnected to other efforts that we're trying to make and I do believe in the end that what we have is an obligation not just a feed people in the short term, which I'm willing to do. I'm and I don't want any American to go hungry. I don't want to any American at the Atman in any Community to go without food, but we're not only do we have an obligation to feed them with things that they need to eat in order to satisfy nutritional hunger. We also need to feed them with things that allow them to be independent and it's why I could coming back repeatedly to Education and Training. I mean there is a cause and effect. - ship most of us I suspect in this room understand it from our own education that there's a cause and effect relationship between the training and education that you've got and your capacity to feed yourself. I give you a concrete example in 1988 when I was running for Senate I brought back I invited back are invited to Nebraska get the right preposition some members of the United States Navy SEAL Team that I served with in Vietnam are served with in San Diego and they came back there and campaigned with me and they're a bit rowdy at times still in their 40s, perhaps thinking of their wasted youth but they are nonetheless the capacity to be quite vigorous. Shall we say and in a bar in Norfolk, Nebraska? GE that I have never seen the inside of myself the two of these friends of mine were attracted to a woman who sat at the bar because she had a tattoo on her arm and they went and asked her. Why are you who are you going to vote for in this election? And they said and she said we're I'm going to vote for Bob Kerrey and being amazed that they were trying to establish some Rapport. They said is that because you think he's better looking than she she turned out that she turned to them. Barry sharpless said no, it's because of the Community Development block grant in 1984. He established a training program in Norfolk Nebraska as a part of an economic development strategy. I went through the training program and I now have a job it it's that kind of effort that I think that we must do on behalf of those who are unable to feed themselves. And I know there'll be in some instances people do not have the capacity for that kind of Independence, but I want to feed them. Perkins with more than just short-term food. Thank you. You're listening to Senator Bob Kerrey u.s. Senator from Nebraska and Canada for the Democratic nomination for president speaking to the Minnesota meeting on the station's of Minnesota Public Radio. Next question here from Amy Klobuchar. Senator Kerry, you mentioned the Bold leadership of America after World War 2 and now we have another enormous opportunity for leadership with the Cold War ending yet. The current Administration does not appear to be seizing this historical moment as president. What would be your policy to assist the new Soviet Republics? Well again, what I would what Americans should see is that the that there's two parts of the strategy one is that we need. New strategic relationships that give these independent states that security to make reductions in their defense to other have to do it anyway and because as a discover how high an expenditure they're making a and their need for food and other sorts of things are apt to do it anyway, but they we will need new strategic relationships in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union provide security. There is already obviously increased or obvious to us now a frightening amount of tension, for example between Ukraine and Russia would Ukraine asserting that they've got the Authority for the Black Sea Fleet Ukraine asserting that they should have the authority over not just nuclear weapons, but all forces that are stationed in Ukraine and this tension can produce great violence. So new security arrangements are essential and I would say to the American people That we should lead the industrial world not by ourselves, but lead the industrial world to assist these former Soviet former communist Nations to make the transition to democracy and free markets and that it is our economic self interest to do so. I was at the James River plant in Berlin, New Hampshire back two days ago. Oh dark hundred in the morning and doing a handshake at a plant gate with Workers who looked more alert than I although that meant they were dead asleep as they were coming in and out of work and I talked to the plant manager there and here's a here's a plant by the way that pays $14 an hour. They're trying to keep the plant alive. It is it is a plant that short of investment. Our tax policies haven't encouraged the investment that is needed there, you know at our basic technology policies haven't as well. But if you ask them what the problem is, the problem is they're not selling paper. I mean I can have all the technology in the world. I can develop a terrific product. But if I don't sell it, I don't employ anybody and there is a tremendous Market in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. They're not going to be able to buy anything unless their standard of living Rises the more we are successful in helping them make this transition to free markets and and democracy the more it's likely they're going to be able to buy value-added products from us and the more it's likely that we're going to be able to employ people here in America. There is a connection in short both a strategic piece connection and an economic connection between this effort that's precisely what we did after World War 2 and it is precisely what we ought to do now. Thank you. We have time for one more question question here from Bob White. Senator he mentioned the high unemployment statistics statistics. If you were president today, what are three things you would do tomorrow to start making them statistics better? Oh, I get capital in the banking system. I prefer not to do with tax dollars. I prefer to do it either with a tax system or some other inventive way. I mean we're destroying jobs right now. Bye. Bye. We got Banks out there that are calling loans that don't need to be called just to make Capital requirements. I would come particularly in those areas that are suffering high unemployment as a result of reductions in defense or closure of basis and provide short-term impact Aid to give them some sense of hope that we're moving the right direction. I would move thirdly to provide community-based job training resources to train people again at the community level for higher paying jobs. I mean, what I would do is in all three areas, and I would also by the way come and try to get a Target investment tax credit and make the research and development tax credit permanent, and I do some additional things with the tax code. It's not app to produce immediate increase in employment, but I would come and say that in the short term. We're going to put people back to work but it is the medium term that we should pay attention to and there it is international economics and trade there. It is an industrial policy there as well. It's trying to get our own government organized for Action. I mean, I give you an example of that and I believe that though, we may create fewer jobs in the health care industry, but national health insurance. We will create more jobs in all other Industries with it will provide an environment for entrepreneurs and small businesses. That is much more likely to create new jobs and Economic Opportunity in the non-healthcare area, and we need to do that. We need to do that if we expect to be able to put Americans back to work. Thank you very much, Senator, Kerry that it.