>> c-span is your unfiltered view of government funded by these television companiesand more including communications . >> broadband is a force for empowerment. that's why charter has invested billions building infrastructure,upgrading technology, and power and opportunity in unities big and small charter is connecting us . >> charter communications supports c-span as a public service along with these other providers giving you a front row seatto democracy . >> earlier today president biden spoke about four bills related to benefits for veterans . after his remarks beside each piece of legislation into

law. thebills address disparities andbenefits, continuation of service, conditions for survivors as well as a proposal to help mothers who served . this is about 15 minutes . >>. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states accompanied by the vice president of the united states and the secretary of veterans affairs. [music]

>> well, i guess it's still morning. good morning everyone. please be seated. i feel like we have a quorum in the house. i miss the quorums. vice president harris, honored guests i want to thank you all for being here. secretary mcdonough iq for your work to make sure the va provides care and support for those who bore the battle and in a moment i'm going to have the honor of signing into law 4 bills in this room had written and got past, bipartisan bills. they honored one truly secret sacred obligation. there are many obligations but we have only one truly sacred obligation and that is prepare for those we send into harm's way and care for them andtheir families .

and that's a lifetime commitment. a lifetime commitment that the nation owes to every one of our veterans and it's one that i embraced as commander-in-chief. for me, for jill and the entire biden family it's mostly personal and it's a commitment that we are helping to keep today with the leadership of the men and women in this room. the first bill requires the government accounting office to assess whether there are disparities associated with race and ethnicity when it comes to va benefits and disability ratings . the weapons of war and nature of injuries they inflict don't differentiate based on race at the type of disabilities our veterans carry with them don't differentiate based on race. so the claims approved and benefits delivered should not differentiate either. we've heard from veterans of color who upon returning home from their service are treated differently from white veterans.

this bill will help us understand how this happened, keep better records, exposed the facts to the light of day and allow us to do the necessary work of making sure all our nation's veterans, all of them are treated with equal dignity and equality throughout their entire time. these considerations being no different based on race. i want to thank senator warnock as well as representative mcconnell who has done yeoman's work in the house. the second bill i'll sign is the higher veterans health care act . i want to thank the editor hassan and braun and representatives rice for their work to help veterans find a way to continue to serve their country. in 2019 the inspector general of theva reported staff

shortages are one of the causes of the many problems we face . at the same time with our military there are nearly 200,000 dedicated well-trained workers and nearly every area of healthcare. doctors, nurses, pharmacies technicians and physical therapists. they understand the challenges our men in uniform face . 1000 or 13,000 of them separated from active duty every year and we can do more by helping separate the servicemembers to continuing their work in the federal government at places like the va. this bill directs the department of veterans affairs to recruit military medical personnel with less than a year left in service to work in federalhealthcare occupations . this program building upon existing efforts to create a pipeline for former military health professionals for both our veterans and military medical personnel servicing

and it's not just what they do, it's too they are. this bill will allow professionals to continue service to each other and our nation and the third bill i'll sign is the colonel john m mccue tuition fairness and survivors act. for so many servicemembers their service to us is also about building a better life for themselves and their families and part of keeping our commitment to them means helping survivors get the education they need to fulfill their dreams. this law ensures that surviving spouses and children of veterans who access the survivors independence education assistance program are eligible for in-state tuition wherever they choose to go to school whether they live in that state or not. i want to recognize senator chester and moran, for the work they've done on this

bill. i want torecognize a very special guest, kelly stewart. where are you? kelly, thank you for being here . and she is the daughter of colonel john m mccue and i want to thank her. her dad was an american hero. he wasn't the only one in the family. your work to share your story to advocate for other surviving families and understanding its heroic as well so thank you personally. the final bill i'll sign today is protecting the moms who served act. the senate was championed by tammy duckworth. senator susan collins is also one of the pet projects that the vice president had when he was a united states senator and idon't know how many times i heard about what we have to do . in the house it was championed by a former representative lauren underwood and representative bill rockets and our country continues to have the highest

mortality rates in the developed world. it's hard especially among black and native american women. for many years president and vice president harris has led the fight to address this tragedy in maternal mortality in our nation. our emphasis on the senate was reflected in our bill back better framework and our investment inmaternal health . to help expand and diversify the health workforce and improve maternal mental health, bolster community-based programs, training providers and enhance research and ensure maternal care is coordinated. as we continue that work we recognize that women veterans and there are more than half 1 million women veterans under the age of 40 face additional maternal challenges. they frequently have other

health issues that can complicate pregnancy for example expecting moms with physical disabilities or mental illness are much more likely to experience complications and have their children prematurely. this bill will commission a comprehensive study of maternal health challenges facing veterans and will invest in maternal care coordination grabs at the va. it's an important step in making sure we meet the needs of american mothers who have served . earlier this month i commemorated veterans day at arlington national cemetery. on that solemn day we lay a wreath and renew our. keeping the faith required much more than playing wreaths for making more oaks. it requires hacks. that's what you've done today . that's why i'm so proud to sign these bills. may god bless you and may god protect our troops and their

families and now i want to infect folks the state as i signed the firstbill . you very much. thank you. i want to tell you i only have one pen. so you're all going to get can we've only got one with you today . i could not figure out how to bring 50 of them up here. all right. congratulations. all right. here we go.

governor accountability office study. on disparities associated with race and ethnicity with respect to certain benefits administered by the secretary of veterans affairs. well, sort of. okay. thank you everybody. my mother would say you're doing god's work. thank you.hey. how are you. good to see you. you're going to be here all day. okay.

how are you. nice to see you. all right. okay. you ready? okay. [applause] all right. thank you. thank you. >> it means a lot to everybody you did what you did. you should be very proud. you've got some great allies.

and you've got big john tester. all right. here we go. i'm not going to read it all. all right. thank you. okay, going to sign the last bill in a moment. folks can get that picture up here. how are you doing? you are good, you did it.

the last bill, protecting moms who served act 2021. all right, here we go. [applause] you said you were going to do this. you did. >> whatever she tells me to do i just say yes.

[music] [applause]

>> season one focuses on the presidency of lyndon johnson. you'll hear about the 1964 presidential campaign, gulf of tonkinincident , march on selma and war in vietnam. not everyone knew they were being recorded. >> certainly johnson's secretaries new because they were tasked with transcribing many of those conversations. in fact they were the ones who made sure the conversations were taped as johnson would signal to them through an open door between his office and there's. >> you all. talk.

>> i want a report of the number of people assigned to kennedy and the number assigned to me now if my are not less than i want less liquid. in fact i may never know go to the bathroom. i promise you i won't go anywhere. i'll stayright behind these gates . >> presidential recordings by then on the c-span now mobile or wherever you get your podcast.

>> next a discussion with former us ambassador to israel martin in dagon the us role in the middle east. he spoke at an event hosted by the chicago council of global affairs. >> i'm evil, president of the chicago council for global affairs and it's a great pleasure to welcome you to this interesting conversation . on and reconsiders policy towards the middle east and we have probably the master about the master, the master of the game. martin in date with us. we were colleagues at brookings and served in different times in government together and it's wonderful to have martin with us today to discuss his new book master of the game. a special thanks to our members for jo