is in recess this week. prime minister's questions will return may 15. this wednesday, c-span will bring you live coverage of the official state opening of parliament and the queen's speech, which officially begins the new session. >> president obama gave his first commencement address of the year on sunday. to the graduating class of the ohio state university in columbus, ohio, where he was awarded an honorary degree. he became the third sitting president to deliver a commencement speech at ohio state, including presidents ford and george w. bush. scheduled to speak at two other commencement ceremonies later this month, in atlanta at morehouse college, and the u.s. naval academy. this is about 25 minutes. [applause]

>> thank you. hello buckeyes. [applause] oh! oh! o.h.! thank you so much. everybody please be seated. thank you dr. gee for the wonderful introduction. i suspect the good president may have edited out some other words that were used to describe me. [laughter] i appreciate that. know going to let michelle n all the good comments. to the board of trustees, congresswoman beatty, mayor coleman, and all of you who make up the ohio state university, for allowing me to join you. it is an incredible honor.

most of all, congratulations class of 2013. [applause] of course, congratulations to all of the parents, family, friends, and faculty. here in the horseshoe, this is your day as well. [applause] i have been told to ask everybody, please be careful with the turf. the coach has big plans for this fall. i very much appreciate the presidents introduction. i will not be singing today. [laughter] ha ha. [laughter] it is true that i did speak about certain university of a few years ago. you did that

president ford speak your once, and he played football for michigan. [laughter] so, everybody can get some redemption. in my defense, this is my fifth visit to campus in the past year or so. [applause] one time i stopped at sloppiest to grab some lunch. lunch. y's to grab some it's sloopy's, i know. [laughter] i am coming off a foreign trip. [laughter] sloopy'slough be -- and many of you were still eating breakfast. at 11:30. on a tuesday. [laughter] of 2013, i will

offer my first piece of advice. enjoy it while you can. soon you will not get to wake up and have breakfast at 11:30 on tuesday. [laughter] once you have children, it gets even earlier. , your path to2013 this moment has wound you through years of breathtaking change. as freedom forced its way through a wall in berlin, tore down an iron curtain across europe. you were educated in an era of instant information, which put the world's accumulated knowledge at your fingertips. as terrorme of age touched our shores and historic recession spread across the nation and a new generation signed up to go to war. you have been tested and tempered by events that your

parents and i never imagined we would see when we sat where you sit. or yet, despite all this, perhaps because of it, yours has become a generation possessed with that most american of ideals. the people who love their country can change it for the better. all the turmoil, for all the times you have been let down or frustrated with the hand you have been dealt, but i have seen, what we have witnessed from your generation, is that perennial quintessentially american value of optimism. altruism. empathy. tolerance. a sense of community. a sense of service. all of which makes me optimistic for our future. 50 cadetshat today,

in your graduating class will become commissioned officers in the army, navy, air force, and marines. [applause] 130 of your fellow graduates have already served, some in combat, someone multiple deployments. -- some on full deployments. deployments. [applause] of the 98 veterans earning bachelors degrees, 20 are graduating with honors and at least one cap serving his fellow veterans when he came home by starting up a canvas organization called vets for vets. adds your commander-in-chief, i could not be prouder of all of you. [applause] consider that graduates of this

university serve their country through the peace corps and educate our children through established programs like teach for america, startups like blue engine, often earning low pay for making the biggest impact. some of you have already launched startup companies of your own. i suspect that those of you who pursue more education or climb the corporate ladder or enter the arts or science or journalism, you will still choose a cause that you care about in your life and you'll fight like heck to realize your vision. there is a word for this. it is citizenship. we don't always talk about this idea much these days. citizenship. let alone celebrate it. sometimes we see it as a virtue from another time.

a distant past. one that is slipping away from a society that celebrates and eventual ambition above all else. a society lost in instant technology that empowers us to leverage our skills as never before, but also allows us to retreat from the world. the result is that we sometimes forget the larger bonds we share as one american family. but it is still out there. all the time. every day. especially when we need it most. just look at the past year. when a hurricane struck our mightiest city, and a factory exploded in a small town in texas, we saw citizenship. when bombs went off in boston and when a malevolent spree of gunfire visited a movie theater, , aemple, an ohio high school

first grade classroom in connecticut, we saw citizenship. of darkestrmath tragedy, we have seen the american spirit at its brightest. we have seen the petty divisions of color and class and creed replaced by a united urge to help each other. we have seen courage and compassion, a sense of civic duty and a recognition, we are not a collection of strangers, we are bound to one another by a set of ideals and laws and commitments. and a deep devotion to this country that we love. and that is what citizenship is. it is at the heart of our founding. as americans, we are blessed with god-given talents and inalienable rights. with those rights come responsibilities to

ourselves and to one another and the future generations. [applause] now if we are being honest with ourselves, as you've studied and worked to become good citizens, the fact is all too often the institution that is give structure to our society have at times betrayed your trust. in the run up to the financial crisis, too many on wall street forgot their obligations don't end with what is happening with their shares. in entertainment and the media, the ratings and shock value often trump news and storytelling. washington, well, this is a

joy oh youse occasion so wet le put it charitably. it's fair to say our democracy isn't working as well as we know it can. t could do better. and so those of us fortunate enough to serve in these institution owe it to you to do better every single day. i've been thinking a lot lately about how we can keep this idea of citizenship in its fullest sense alive at the national level, not just on election day or in times of tragedy but all the days in between. and perhaps because i spent a lot of time in washington, i obsess with this issue because

that sense of citizenship is so sorely needed there. and i think of what your generation's traites, compassion and energy and a sense of selflessness might mean for a democracy that must adapt more quickly to keep up with the speed of technological and wrenching economic change. i think object how we might pert wait this notion of citizenship in a way that another politician from my home tate once described patriotism not as short out burst of emotion but the steady dedication of a lifetime. that's what patriotism is. that's what citizenship is. now i don't pretend to have all the answers. i'm not going to offer some grand theory on a beautiful day

like this. you all have celebrating to do. i'm not going to get partisan either because that's not what sid hip is about. i'm asking the same thing president bush did. america needs more than taxpayers, spectators and occasional voters. america needs full-time citizens. and as graduates from a university, as graduates from a university who is motto is education for citizenship, i know all of you get that this is what you signed up for. it's what your country expects of you. so briefly i'll ask for two things from the class of 2013. to participate and to per certificate veer. after all your democracy does

not function without your active participation. bare minimum that means voting. it means knowing who has been elected to make decisions on your behalf and what they believe in and whether or not they delivered on what they said they would. and if they don't represent you the way you want or conduct themselves it is way you expect, if they put special interest above your own, you have to let them know that's okay. if they let you down often enough there is a built in day in november where you can really let them know it's not kay. your civic duty is more than just voting. you don't have to run for

office yourself but i hope you do at all levels because our democracy needs you. i promise it will give you a tough skin. i know a little bit about this. president wilson once said if you want to make enemies try to change something. and that's precisely what the founders left us the power each of us to adapt to changing times. they left us the keys to a system of self-government. the tools to do big things and important things together that we could not possible do alone. to stretch railroads and electricity and a highway system. to educate our people with a system of public schools and colleges including the ohio university. to care for the sick and vulnerable and provide a basic level of protection from alling into poverty in the

wealthiest nation on earth. to conquer disease tofment visit the moon and mars. to secure our god given rights regardless of who they are, what they look like or who they love. [applause] we, the people, chose to do these things together because we know this country cannot accomplish great things if we pursue nothing greater than our own individual ambition. unfortunately you've grown up hearing voices that warn of government as nothing more than something that's at the root of all our problems. some of these same voices do their best to gum up the works. they'll twharntirnny is always lurking just around the corner.

you should reject these voices. what they suggest is our experiment in self-vule a sham with which we can't be trusted. we have never been a people who place all of our faith in government to solve our problems. we shouldn't want to. but we don't think the government is the source of all our problems either. we understand this democracy is ours. as citizens we understand it not about what america can do for us, it's about what can be done by us together through the hard and frustrating but absolutely necessary work of self-dwovement. and class of 2013 you have to be involved in that process. [applause] the founders trusted us with this awesome authority.

we should trust ourselves with it too. because when we don't, when we turn away and get discouraged and advocate that authority we grant our silept con sent to someone who will gladly claim it. that's how we end one lobbyist ho set the agenda and the well connected who demand that washington stay out of their business and whisper in government's ear for special treatment that you don't get. that's how a small minority of law makers get cover to defeat something the vast majority of their constituents want. that's how our political system gets consumed by small things when we are a people called to do great things like rebuild the middle class and repair the climate that threatsens everything we want to leave for

our kid and grandkids. only you can ultimately break that cycle. only you can make sure the democracy you inherit is as good as we know it can be. but it requires your dedicated and informed and engaged citizenship. and that is a harder higher road to take but it leads to a better place. it's how we built this country. it's the question the president kennedy posed to the nation at his inauguration. it's the dream dr. king invoked. it does not promise easy success but it has led to success and it has led to progress and it has to continue with you. which brings me to the second thing i ask of all of you. ask that you persevere. whether you start a business or run for office or devote

yourself to aleviating poverty or hunger, please remember nothing worth doing happens over night. a british inventor went through more than 5,000 prototypes before getting that first vacuum cleaner just right. we remember michael jordan's six champion ships, we don't remember his nearly 15,000 missed shots which i lost my first race for congress and ook at me now, i'm an honorary graduate of the ohio state university. [applause] the point is if you are liing your life to the fullest, you will fail. you will stumble, you will screw up, you will fall down but it will make you stronger. and you'll get it right the next time or the time after

that or the time after that and that is not only true for your personal purr suits but it's also true for the broader causes that you believe in as well. so you can't give up your passion if things don't work right away. you can't lose heart or grow cynical if there are twists and turns on your journey. the cynics may be the loudest voices but i promise they will accomplish the least. it's those folks who stay at it. those who do the long hard committed work of change that gradually pushed this country in the right direction and make the most lasting difference. so whenever you feel that creeping cynicism, whenever you hear the voices saying you can't do it, you can't make a difference, whatever someone tells you to set your sights

lower, the trajictry of this great nation should give you hope. what generations have done before you should give you hope. because it was young people just like you who marched and mobilized and stood up to secure women's rights and voting rights and worker's rights and gay rights often at great danger, often over the course of years, sometimes over the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime and they never got acknowledged for it but they made a difference. [applause] and even if their rights were already secured, there were those who fought to secure those same rights and opportunities for others. and that should give you some hope. where we're going should give you hope because while things are still hard for a lot of

people, you have every tron believe that your future is bright. your graduating into an economy and a job market that is steadily healing. the once dying american auto its try is on pace for strongest perform innocence 20 years, something that means everything to many communities in ohio and the midwest. by strides in energy universities like this one have us on track to secure our own energy future. advances in technology sparred by the risk takers of your generation have the potential to change the way we do almost everything. there is not another country on earth that would not gladly change places with the united states of america. and that will be true for your generation just as it was true for previous generations.

so you've got a lot to look forward tofment but if there is one certainty about the decade ahead, it's that things will be uncertain. change will be a constant just as it has been throughout our history. yes, we still face many important challenges. some will require technological break throughs or policy insights. ut we will need political will . to harness the ingentlemen newtty of your generation, the repair the middle class, to all families a fair shake, of this is going to happen if you are involved. it takes determination. the determination of our citizens. to educate more children at a

younger age and to reform our hools for a new time and to give more young people the chance to earn the kind of education you did at the ohio state university and to make it more affordable so young people don't leave with a mountain of debt, that will take the care and concern of citizens like you. [applause] to build better road and airports and faster internet and to advance the kind of basic research and technology that has kept america ahead of everybody else. that will take the grit and fortitude of citizens. to confront the threat of climate change before it's too late. that requires the idealism and initiative of citizens. to protect more of our kid from the horrors of gun violence. that requires the passion and untiring resolve of citizens. it will require you --

[applause] 15 years ago president kennedy told the class of 1963 that our man ms are man maid -- made therefore they can be solved by man and man can be as big as he wants. we're blessed to live in the greatest nation on earth. but we can always be greater. wect always aspire to something more. it doesn't depend on who you elect to office it depends on you as citizens how big you want us to be, how badly you want to see these changes for the better. and look at all that america has already accomplished, look how big we've been. i dare you class of 2013 to do better. i dare you to dream bigger. and from what i've seen of your generation i'm confident that

you will. and so i wish you courage and compassion and all the strength that you will need for that trang quill and steady dedication of a lifetime which thank you. god bless you and god bless these united states of america. [applause] >> one of two live events on monday on c-span2 first a report of migration and economic competitiveness in the u.s., mexico and central america with former commerce secretary. and former mexican president hosted by the migration policy institute live at 9:30 a.m. eastern. and a look at the political

situation in egypt two years after the revolution. new america foundation will host about the new leaders. our live coverage begins at 1: 15 p.m. eastern. >> next navy secretary ray mabus talks about the military's efforts to use more bio and alternative fuels. he spoke at an event hosted by the trueman national security roject for about 40 minutes.

>> the men and women of the united states navy are incredibly well prepared, incredibly well informed. they know how to execute my mission. so it's a complete mystery to me how they allowed an army veteran to introduce their boss. seriously guys, heads are going to roll, i'm sorry. in all seriousness it's a great honor to welcome the 75th secretary of the navy, ray mabus. his career in government and public service is incredible. from his own service as a seaman in the navy to his service in the government of mississippi to his incredible work of the reconstruction of the gulf course following the oil spill. and now i would say his

visionary leadership as the secretary of the united states navy. that leadership has manifested itself in many ways. we are excited by his leadership in energy security and the navy's energy initiatives. about four years ago the trueman project started operation free. a coalition of veterans in national security experts, many of whom served on the ground in afghanistan and other conflicts who were combhitted to energy security and embracing technologies in order to secure our future. and we hoped for a leader like secretary ray mabus to take the stage. and so we've been proud to support his work as the navy has embraced new technologies, flying f-18 hornet aircraft on what has to be the most powerful chicken fat in the world.

and so we're proud to stand with him and inspired by his leadership. please join me in welcoming secretary ray mabus. and know that all veterans of operation free across the country and all the members of the true man project are proud to stand behind you. and finally, go army. [applause] >> thank you and my apoll jis at you were turned down at annapolis. 'm just going to quit. i've gotten to be friend with

mike and i appreciate deeply the opportunity to come and peak to the truman project and operation free. but also on a personal note thank mike for his service in iraq and afghanistan to the united states and thank all the veterans who are here today for what have you done for this country and what you are continuing to do. and thanks to truman security project and operation free for bringing such needed attention to some of these crucial issue that is we are facing. as the secretary, i'm responsible for recruiting, training, and quipping the almost 900,000 sailors, marines, civilians who spend

every day working to defend the american people and our national interest. every day navy ships, submarines, aircraft and marine units are deployed worldwide to protect and defend america. they are around the clock far from our shores, far from home and far from loved ones, they are in every sense of the word america's away team. in this job i also oversee the purchase and maintenance of our ships and our bases. as i look at how to carry out those responsibilities, the kind of fuel we buy and how we use power is a strategic and a tactical question and vulnerability. our ability to get it, our ability to pay for it impacts our national security. and our ability to be there to

provide our national defense. because being there matters. in military speak that a loft of you recognize, being there translates into presence. in the business world american companies are around the world in overseas markets because being there matters. sbiss e department has in nearly every country on the globe because being there matters. when north korea threatens a missile launch, our ships with ballistic missile defense capabilities are there. when the earthquake hit in 2010 -- tune hit japan

we had ships there. it requires being in the right place at the right time. to accomplish those things i focus on four priorities. people, platforms, power and partnerships. now some folks keep asking why is power in there, why is energy in there but it ought to be obvious. without the energy to power our platforms, we might not be .here when it matters d.o.d., the department of defense is the largest single consumer of fossil fuels on the face of the earth. the vast majority of our power in navy comes from fossil fuels specifically oil. now oil is the ultimate global commodity.

it's traded sometimes on speculation and rumor. supply shocks like america xperienced in the 1970's are not very frequent but they remain a really strategic concern. but price shocks, price shocks happen way too often. they are caused by everything om hard liners, national insspabblet, threats to disrupt supplies and mer time choke points. because we purchase our fuel on e open market, the impact of this world price for oil has a major impact on our budget which every time the cost of a barrel of oil goes up a dollar it cost the navy and marine corps $30 million dollars in

additional fuel cost. in fiscal years 2011 and 201 our fuel bill was almost a billion dollars higher than we had budgeted because the price of oil went up quicker than anyone had anticipated. now these extra fund are mainly paid out of operation al accounts which means pilots spend less time flying and ships spend less time at sea and marines spend less time in the field. and you are seeing a lot today about the renaissance of oil and gas production in the united states which is great. is the again oil ultimate global commodity. even if we could produce every single drop america needs

inside america we could not drol price. those price shocks would be because even ss n peacetime the threat of some the le regime, and i use term unstable regime because my public affairs officer told me i had to quit using the term , and here she is. the threat of some yahoo in some unstable regime -- [applause] i'm going to pay for this in way that is y'all can't even

imagine, may drive prices up and may affect our budget and there are ss and more dramatic cost. in wartime threats to energy supplies are vulnerability that can and do cost lives. during the height of operations in afghanistan, we were losing killed or wounded one marine r every 50 con voice of fuel that came in the theater. that is unacceptable tofment help address these threats to our combat effectiveness in 2009, mike pointed out i established some energy goals for the department of the navy. these goals drive the navy and marine corps to strengthen our combat capability by using energy more one of the big goals is by no

later than 2020, half of all energy used by the navy and marine corps afloat and onshore will come from alternative fuels. , we areus achieve that trying in the department to develop the next generation of energy and a patient. that is advanced biofuels. exploring new ways to power our ships and that is absolutely nothing new for the navy. .e have got a long history and those of you have heard me speak before have heard this. oil and pioneering nuclear. the the 1840's to today, u.s. navy has led in changing energy usage. we have not done this because it

has been the latest fad and we sure have not done it because the new supply was cheaper. hard to beat cheaper than free which is what the wind is. just look today at the cost differences between a conventionally powered sub and a nuclear powered sub. , u.s. end of world war ii navy and braced the revolutionary idea that nuclear power could be used to drive ships. that were folks everywhere skeptical would be an improvement on their view. they challenged everything -- size, practicality, cost. the navy didn't because -- di d it because of its effects. those critics turned out were wrong -- absolutely wrong then

and now, war than six decades later, nuclear power is giving us the edge in submarines. today we are on a similar with things like biofuel. thehe direction of president, the department of the navy has teamed up with agriculture and energy to fund the advanced drop in biofuel initiative. the development of multiple dispersed refineries. dod issued a procurement under title iii of the defense production act. it has been around since 1950. it says that if national department of defense needs something that america does not produce an efficient quantities we can't

invest in it. -- can invest in it. energy is called out. what we are trying to do is construct or retrofit through a public-private partnerships, next generation refineries, jerry brown think dispersed -- geographically dispersed to great drop in biofuels that meet military specs. with severalting companies that can do that. i have made a commitment and dod has a policy we will not buy operational quantities until they are cost competitive. having said that, i am absolutely confident that it will be cost effective when we begin buying those operational quantities. , lasthael referenced

summer the biggest naval exercise in the world rim of the pacific, rimpac, nimitz strike group everything from every type of airplane that took off from nimitz. they were flying and steaming on a 50-50 blend of biofuels and aviation gas or marina diesel. the big news out of that exercise was there was no news. we did not change it thing. we bought these biofuels and yet it was an -- an used cooking oil. -- andit in our normal we put it on a miss named euler. -- oiler.

we took it to sea. we do not -- we did not change a single setting. it was absolutely seamless, transparent. the engines, cannot tell the difference. that is one of the keys -- only the source of fuel should change. alluse we have got almost of the fleet either at sea are being built today that we are going to have in 2020. we have most of the aircraft that we will have in 2020. to change our engines, to accommodate other fuels like natural gas would be incredibly expensive and will cost a whole lot more than pursuing this drop in solution.

, we are pursuing alternative fuels. we are pursuing this initiative onshore with things like solar, geothermal and hydrothermal wave, wind and all of that is critical. all of that is incredibly important. being better at how we use feel is important, too. doing the same things using less fuel. is aewest amphibious ship good example. these amphibious ships are two tons. 3000 sailors on board. they carry helicopters and landing crafts and marine expeditionary units.

propulsionbrid system. forlectric power plant speeds under 12 knots. it went on its maiden employment. $33 million fuel budget. it only spent 18 million. it came back with $50 million in fuel savings from one deployment. plans for our next amphibious the uss american and, the same system. we are working on a similar system to retro for it -- or retrofit. and i haverine corps to say, when you think of

marines you do not think of environmentalists. [laughter] i will tell you, they are so far ahead and proving renewable energy increases come back -- combat effectiveness. actual combat in afghanistan. using their experimental operational phase product, desecrated alternative sources -- they have created alternative sources. it helps to produce the fuel convoys and traditional sources like batteries. , a group ofof 2010 marines deployed. flying ine hottest

afghanistan was going on. they went with things identified as such dramatic impact. what it allowed the full control to do was to work for three will using solar blankets power their radios and gps and did not batteries. they could go for three weeks without a battery resupply instead every few days. they shed 700 pounds of batteries. thatdid not have to carry extra 700 pounds. the equipment, once they tested .t, they tested it in combat it got turned around and put into production. it is a stander part of the marine kit.

with theseuipped technologies like solar blankets or led lights. because of this new equipment, arefghanistan, the marines putting 208 fewer trucks on the 5.4 million gallons a year. , fewerans fewer convoys marines needed to protect. we are not the only once a working on this. we are not the only ones who realize how important developing alternative fuels are. our friends and allies around the world are exploring similar to increase their combat effectiveness. the australian navy who participated in rimpac and the

fleet commander that one of his helicopter that landed on nimitz. .e signed an agreement when asked about it he was committed to this project lima he said i am about to get on the helicopter. [laughter] so, yes. the british army, partnering afghanistan.in they are using alternative energy equipment developed by our marines. they now operate. all of the technology and all of the engineering and chemistry is great, that i think the best part of this initiative is watching how quickly sailors and marines have understood and embraced this change.

.t is a cultural change it is going on across the navy and marine corps. it is happening on the deck points. sailors and marines come to grip with the fact that these programs help them become more effective war fighters. it helps them do their jobs better. getting locked into things because either it is the wait we have always done things or we have never done things that way, it is an excuse. if you join the navy or the marine corps, it usually means you have got some of that spirit. you want to see what is over the horizon. you want to see what comes next. you want to be a part of that change.

createse spirit sailors, marines that look for new and innovative solutions. they want to find better ways to do things. i went and visited the island during the deployment. one of the places that i always go on the ship is the engineering department. number one is because nobody ever goes where the engineers are. and -- but youot can talk to a third class petty officer standing watch down there. you can find out a lot about how the ship operates. while i was there, i talked to the engineering officer who was on watch. he was the lieutenant commander.

he was enlisted in service first before he became an officer. one of the things he said it was, he was proud of the new hardware. and he was proud of high well make an island was doing. macon island was doing. he said there were competing to see who can save the more you'll. competing to see who could come up with a more -- most ideas. they had the most junior folks who live and work in that room every day understand that ship better than anybody. they were the ones coming to him and saying, boss, i have always that we can do this better. were taking it on themselves to get better and make their platform a better

word platform. war platform. i award the secretary of navy awards and all -- to all sorts of people. one andr, the island one of the big ship categories. in one of the big ship categories. they saved 40 house and barrels of oil through better planning. it was better conservation efforts. as we in this country ,ransition from two land wars itthe maritime strategic was announced by the president in january of 2012 that our

naval forces will be even more critical in the years ahead. requires agy flexible, vote emission force. that is the description of the navy and marine corps. here in congress, we have some complicated fiscal realities to balance our missions with our resources. we are going to have to make some tough decisions and be strategic in our thinking and planning. one of the things i get asked sometimes any hearings defended the budget is this the right time to be investing in things like this? and my response is lima we cannot afford not to

now. with thenot do it now, spikes that come with these price shocks, we are not going to have the money to do the operations we need to. we will not have the money. this is absolutely an imperative now. and so those four priorities i talked about, people, platforms, partnerships are being used as a guide and how we make those decisions. ,he energy to fuel our ships fuel our basis lima is a scituate check -- basis, is a central challenge. it helps to guarantee our prevalence and guarantee our

ability to respond and give the president flexibility and options to any crisis that may arise. and that spirit of adventure, with this and wanting to know what is over the horizon is the reason that our navy and marine corps remain on the cutting edge of innovative ideas. are the characters, character traits, and characteristics that will help ensure the navy and marine corps continue to protect the american people. continue to do the work this country around the world. , notdent george washington a navy man, mike.

[laughter] he said at the end of the american revolution, "it follows as certain as that night succeeds today that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, but with one, everything honorable and glorious." thank you very much. [applause] >> who has got a question?

>> i appreciate you taking the time. the question i have is earlier this week the new york -- describingd fora's maritime growth and the erosion of our power. the contents of my question is when i joined the navy some years ago lamotte we were talking about 600 ships. ago, we were talking about 600 ships. what number do we currently need to provide that required presents and do you have the resources to do so? >> very fair and great question. that we needssment a fully of 306 ships. that is to do everything. the good news is that after years of decline, we are on track to have a 300 ships fleet

at least by 2019. i will give you a couple of numbers. , the u.s. navy had 316 ships. officers.,000 by 2008, it had declined to 278 ships. during one of the great military buildup in history, the navy got significantly smaller. put three ships under contract. not enough to keep the fleet size from declining. since i have been there, we have put 43 ships under contract. we have the ships under contract that withg built eight more ships, we will get to 300.

it is there. we are doing it. , one of the ships reasons that these numbers of the fleet bounce up and down, as you pointed out in the 1980's, the goal was a 600 ship navy to meet the russian fleet. they are retiring now. , we are retiring a whole lot of ships. we are not replacing one to one, but with a greater capability. , we can haveeet that on the horizon. by using ships it differently, we are putting -- ddg deployed it takes the place of for back home.

lcs intotting 4 singapore. i am leaving on tuesday to meet the first one that got there. they are deployed there and we are going to have the cruise following on the ships. the ship will stay there for a good while. we have a blue and a gold crew. three cruise for every 2 ships. on ships are already command. one is back home doing training. wem very confident that have the fleet and will have the fleet to do the missions that we need to do. , onesaid during my talk of the things we have to do is to make sure we do have the money and making sure we are not spending $1 billion extra

because of some unstable regime. um, it is a with that that we are pursuing this. , i am- as secretary confident in platforms and as anyin the navy secretary has ever been. >> if i could follow-up on john's question. thatlectual rebalancing comes with a rebalanced strategy. rebalancing in east asia where we do not have the

capital invested where the operators are officers understand the area, regional knowledge, linguistics. is there more we could be doing in the upcoming the years to rebalance the region? >> it is one of the things that i have been working the most on. the foreign affairs officer whom a new community -- officer, new communication. it is a growing community and we are getting people coming in earlier. we are getting people who are incredibly capable in terms of language lima cultural awareness to go into this. the navyt of how innovates and gross -- grows. we have been involved in

and weon -- central asia were innovative their. in the first trip i made to afghanistan, next week i am going for my 11th trip. we have visited a profits near the pakistan border -- a province near the pakistan border that was commanded by a summer rain commander. -- submarine commander. i'm pretty sure when they joined, they did not expect to be on the side of a mountain in afghanistan. but they did and they were and they were great. , i amdo the rebalance confident the postgraduate , ourl in our rotc, academy

each one gets who language training coming out of that we will have the intellectual underpinnings and capability. finally, one of the things this allows me to point out is the partnership building that is so important under the new defense strategy. the fact that many times sailors and marines are the only americans, they have to be great warriors lamotte what also great -- warriors, but also great depomed. -- diplomats. >> good afternoon. my question is of the arctic. politics aside on the science and the treaties, in terms of having the platform because this is one the newest locations where the navy has to

go. i am wondering about your thoughts on the partnership. that wase a roadmap produced by our task force climate change 4 years ago. we are taking another look at that to make sure we have the right platform and the arctic in the summers and you are beginning to see the northwest passage opening up. of years agodreams are there. it is going to take a new navy -- new responsibilities for the navy. -- makeing to have partnerships with those arctic nations and nations who are going to sail through to make

sure what ever frictions, disputes arise on either resources are managed in a peaceful way and keeps free commerce. freedom of movement. freedom of the sea there. we need to pass the law of the sea. we need to ratify. we are the only world power who has not done it. it keeps us from having a seat at the table. it harms our national interest. it is way past time that we did that. it will help us in the arctic. mike tells me this my last last -- that was the last question. [laughter] i always ignore what the army says. [laughter] >>

>> this week on "q&a," former congressman and reagan's administration budget director david stockman discusses his latest book, entitled "the great deformation: the corruption of capitalism in america." >> david stockman, the author of the book "the great deformation. 1981, when you were budget director for ronald reagan? >> the last thing was that the machine of the government in the united states is pretty brittle, and if mistakes are made