is, much worse than the taliban. end up five years down the road in a civil war in a new safe haven for the taliban and isis, i will say this would be a surprise. >> tonight at 8:00 eastern and pacific on c-span's q&a. former president bill clinton spoke this weekend at a commemoration ceremony in new orleans, marking the 10th anniversary of hurricane katrina. the event also included remarks from the mayor, members of congress, and local residents and community leaders. ♪

o, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming? whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming? and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there. o say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? ♪ [applause] ♪ the home of the brave [applause] soledad: that was beautiful. it was francis scott key who gave us the anthem. but that rendition was full of the soul of the city.

we all know what it means to miss new orleans. we all know too well. as the floodwaters rose, so they also fell. we are living in rebirth and rejuvenation. presenting tonight's sponsor -- the rockefeller center. a round of applause. [applause] this extremely generous organization has provided support to committee groups throughout the storm. they stop by for the decade after. the rockefeller foundation through their initiative, 100 urban centers across the globe through resilience, to help with a shock that can help disrupt lives. the foundation has made it possible to stage this week all of the katrina 10 events. we are incredibly grateful for their support. and also the support from major global foundations like the rockefeller. we would not be possible were it not for friends and allies in government who insured that billions of dollars necessary for recovery and rebuilding this great city were sent from washington, d.c. to build greater flood protections, to help rebuild neighborhoods, and

help people get back on their feet. i am pleased tonight to introduce to you a champion for the recovery, one who represents the river parishes in congress. and with the assistance of former u.s. senator mary landrieu help deliver billions -- with a b. [applause] he took on the half of new orleans the fight to make sure they had the investment from washington, d.c. so please join me in welcoming congressman cedric richmond. [applause] mr. richman: thank you for the introduction. let me start by saying a few thank you's to very key people who helped us in our rebuilding. and of course, you will hear from most of them later. but my colleagues from congress, i know we have sheila jackson

lee. we have maxine waters. [applause] and you will hear from the first female speaker of the united states congress, nancy pelosi. i also want to thank our -- [applause] i want to thank our city council. our former senator mary landrieu, was a champion for the state of louisiana and the city of new orleans. [applause] mary, i know i do not have to

translate new orleans language. but that means we love you. i also want to thank former governor kathleen, who was here today. [applause] and of course, our mayor mitch landrieu and our city council members. [applause] we owe a lot of things to millions of people around the country. they donated either money or time or who got on her knees and prayed for our resurrection and for our recovery. but i want to take a second to thank another group of people.

i want to thank the people of new orleans. who had the faith and courage to come back when it looked like there was nothing to come back to. [applause] there was nothing to k to. [applause] people in new orleans rebuilt their homes before the playstation, fire station, hospital. and they did it for the love the city. people in lakeview, the lower ninth ward came back when people do not think those areas could be rebuilt. churchber being in the when they had the service. the bishop preached about they thought we were buried. there really did think the city of new orleans was buried underwater. but they forget that we are a special type of people down here. seed thatt strange can grow underwater.

instead of being buried, we are growing into the city that we want to be. commemoratinge that have just passed, the 10 years of hard work and dedication. but we are also doubling down on our efforts that we still have work to do. until every person that wants to come home has the ability to come home, we are not done. until every person that is here but is not home, until their home, we still have work to do. celebrate our great music, leadership. and let's go home and get ready to roll up our sleeves and double down. because we still have a bunch of work to do. thank you new orleans. i love you, god bless you and the united states. i had the pleasure of introducing someone that i work

with everyday. someone who was nice enough to invite me to go to italy a couple of weeks ago to the world expo. which so you know, new orleans food which showcased finally in the u.s. pavilion. response toaw the katrina and set up a special task force to guide us through the federal regulation, get us more money. she appointed jim clyburn do that committee. what else doess new orleans need? they only sent down $40 million initially. vees.lp us rebuild the lee and they do in cash, which is unique. i want to present to you the first female speaker of the united states house of representatives, nancy pelosi.

[applause] nancy: thank you all very much. thank you congressman richmond. governors, mayor mitch landrieu, and congressman cedric richmond, what an honor it is to be here with so many people from new orleans. it is with great pride and even greater humility that i bring the sympathy of course and the aberration of the united states -- and the admiration of united states congress to the people of the new orleans. [applause] it is a privilege to stand with mayor mitch landrieu to observe the 10th anniversary of

hurricane katrina. 10 years after katrina made landfall, now america looks to new orleans and sees an indomitable city and an export very people -- a model for resilience, a beacon of possibility. we see a new orleans on the rise. out of the heartbreak america sees, we see a crescent city come back. made possible above all by the power of the community. you all know the community contains the word unity. in some communities, when disaster strikes, people fear that it would change the character of their community. but this community would not be broken. your heritage runs deep. your unity is strong. you got thet if help you needed, help you

deserved, new orleans would not merely survive. new orleans would prevail. your courage echoes through the halls of congress and across the country. it was carried forth by your champion, senator mary landrieu. [applause] the great mary landrieu. clyburn, whoby jim ouric mentioned, he chaired democratic task force on hurricane katrina. maxine waters was here this evening. she came to talk here about housing, working with president obama and the department of housing and urban development. she was welcoming so many new orleans folks to houston. [applause] orleans'odied in new own cedric richmond. thanks to him and your strength, you turn to the nation's

compassion into a national commitment to make new orleans whole again. congressman richmond is a great member of congress, and i thank all of you for sending him to the congress. [applause] he fits very comfortably in the lineup of great staff leadership here. them, cedric reminds us that much more needs to be done here. you had the commitment of three presidents who are present this week -- president obama, president bush, and tonight, the great president clinton. [applause] we are all very eager to hear from him. but also, you have the commitment of president george herbert walker bush who helped immediately, and president jimmy

carter here in the form of habitat for humanity. [applause] and you have the commitment of the house democrats who work with the house majority whip, denise scilly's of louisiana. to see that louisiana has what it needs to succeed. i want to especially knowledge governor blunt go for tremendous washington coming to and making the case. it is an honor to be here with you. and because of all of the others this evening that will be have taughtou, you america how to be great. how to survive. not just to survive, but to succeed and to transform into something truly great. and today, let america renew our vow to be there for you on the road to recovery.

thank you, new orleans. for your strength, courage, renewal. congratulations on your spirit of resiliency. and thank you for being an inspiration to america. let the music began. in. thank you all very much. [applause] >> please welcome back to the stage mrs. soledad o'brien. oledad: at this time, we wanted to take a few moments to recognize the government officials who continue to support the rebuilding effort -- 10 years after the storm. their leadership and their faith in the city's potential has been

vital to its continued progress. they are congressman jackson lee, commerce woman maxine jared. councilmember councilmember james gray. presidenterson parish john young, gordon burgess, former governor kathleen bla nco. and mary landrieu, thank you all. [applause] ♪ >> i call it a sacred place. named afteroulevard a great civil rights leader, on a street that a long time ago

was a cornerstone of african-american business. in the last four years, it was torn up. brought younge kids in here to teach them what it meant to be at a table with your family. switch over to a culinary program. i want to know my area, it will help me become stronger. >> i think it is great. >> this location, this corner, this place gets me every time. it became a home for the fema workers. and this really escalated. graduates 100% of our

now qualify for a scholarship. 34% of the last three classes are ienrolled. kidsrofile is 80% of these are involved in the legal justice and her. center. through all the barriers, they come to the program, and with a lot of love and respect and support, they emerge. it is a career. >> we see somebody who needed school. and if we are looking for a job, he said who wants to be a cook? who wants to better their life? it was a great opportunity for the community. i will always have a job. >> you can work in a hotel. you can go into politics. and you can meet someone who will change your life.

it is a great opportunity. hospitality industry training program is a great gateway job. we are trying to run into them constantly, going to restaurants and businesses. and we are still talking about the treatment. where they were and what they did. >> the 10th anniversary of katrina? >> especially the state. we had a conversation about it. it is such a pivotal point for our city. it opened up everybody's eye. to really look at what it meant to be a community in the city. >> representing cafe reconcile, please welcome belvin davis. [applause]

mr. davis: a famous new orleans chef once said that being a cook is one of the most important jobs there is. because when we cook, what we serve as part of someone. reconciled from cafe in june of 2014. for me, the opportunity to go through the program was a blessing and a privilege. every single person at cafe reconcile is 100% supported. they never let me settle. they pushed me to be the best i could be. they wanted me to get a job one day, keep learning, keep cooking. they believed in me. today, i worked in a banquet kitchen at the hyatt regency. i use the skills i learned at cafe reconcile every day. [applause] it is a place that will always be a part of me. now, please let me welcome

---time grammy award nominee welcome nine-time grammy award nominee. ♪ gracious lord take my hand

me home let me stand hand in hand i am weak am lost through the night through the night lord please lead me home

take my hand lordous homeme ♪ precious lord

sweet lord guide my feet lord hande hold my my hand precious lord me home ♪

[applause] you nola! [applause] soledad: let it be. a voice like that is truly a gift from above. and with a soulful voice and a prayer of redemption, we must pause to give thanks to the many blessings that have in fact been bestowed upon us. and we can count the hardships, we can count the tragedies of the past. that is our history. but we also know of a higher power who comes to us to comfort us during our darkest hours. our nation, as well as the city, was founded on many faiths. and it has been those faithful

ic, have brought us mus community, and strength. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the following leaders who will set our service in motion with passion and peace. raymond,p gregory archdiocese of new orleans. reverend fred, franklin avenue baptist church. st. charleszabeth, avenue baptist church. friar sergio. templeeman, congregation sinai. smith.toria mcgee mary queen ofic,

vietnam catholic church. house of the merciful. darrell, beacon light cathedral. >> let us pray. father, as wend gather to commemorate 10 years since katrina, we come first and thanks giving to you. and to all of those who have come to our aid, who have helped us to rebuild our lives and this great community. we also come to you this evening and grief, remembering the more than 1800 people whose lives were taken. we commend them to your kingdom for eternal rest. and we also come in hope and and perseverance for those who are

still try to rebuild their lives, those who have not been able to come home. who are still experiencing challenge. bless them and encourage them. lord god, and the aftermath of katrina, many dividing lines among us vanished because we needed you and we needed one another. and so we ask you to help us continue to build on that unity. may cleanse unity, our city of violence, murder, and racism. and become the people you have called us to be. what has taken place, we give thanks. for what is left to do, we offer you our hands and our hearts. >> father god, we thank you and praise you for this wonderful privilege and opportunity that you have given us to be here tonight. king arena.hie

10 years ago, our neighborhoods and churches and synagogues were destroyed. 10 years ago, god, our schools were destroyed. our city was destroyed. now because of the grace of god, 10 years later, we are still standing. 10 years later, we are still building. 10 years later, we are still rejoicing and thanking you for the fact of the matter -- the word of god. i have never seen the righteous forsaken. so we thank you for the resilience of the people of new orleans. now our schools are coming back. our neighborhoods are coming back. our churches and synagogues are coming back. and god, the great city of new orleans is coming back. and we give you all the praise glory, to do what you will naesus' to do, and jesus'

name we prya. ay. amen. were or onet as we day will be. is beforement, what us is right and true. we name what brings to light what is to be celebrated. we see and know the goodness that surrounds us. with gratitude for the joy and resilience and beauty we encounter daily and the faces we see in the city we love. and yet in the next breath, we name what is left undone, what is not as it should be, we name what is unjust and what is unfinished. we see and know that our prayers need us to back them up.

our words must turn to action. may we not dismiss injustice as a charming quirk of an imperfect place, instead may our love for our neighbor overflow in peace and kindness, equity and opportunity. may our love for this city be the love that seeks the good of all people. itch -- with each breath draw us closer to people and further along to your way, seeing people as brothers and sisters fully made in the divine image. may we also release what once was as we commemorate. we give thanks for what now is and as we look toward a bright future of this amazing home, we proclaim great hope in a new day that is to come. prayver willing god, we

that our city of new orleans accent free to be revealed so we offer you these words. ather, we praise you as the god of creation, the savior of the world. us thee entrusted to thatof freedom, a gift calls forth responsibility and commitment to the truth that all have a fundamental dignity before you. as you anointed jesus christ, aura ofy son, with the joy, we ask you to anoint each one of us so we can offer our lives and worth to build a city

of truth and light come of justice -- a light, of justice, love, and peace. one god for ever and ever. [speaking spanish]

amen. was the past 10 years, we have been on the road to healing. i offered these words in the hebrew and english.

[speaking hebrew]

>> more than 700 years ago, a man asked if you care anything about your personal securities on the should first of all pray for order and tranquility. in the absence of peace in the world, society cannot prosper and individuals cannot obtain happiness. that is why all people have a mission to actualize global peace. where there is unity, there is joyful advance. when we unite in prayer, there is no obstacle that cannot be some must did, no poison that cannot be transformed into medicine. we must awaken to the power that resides within us and create a

new age that celebrates true human victory. let's create a new history together. i invite you to enjoy me and chanting for the peace of our land. [chanting] blessing you have bestowed upon us, we are grateful for the opportunity to grow in your wisdom.

we are well-prepared for our future. we may open our hearts and mind to helping support one another. generally, our creativity and intellectuals beautify the city of new orleans. they nurture love for future generations. to pour down upon us your grace and protect our city from all harm. people in this city

strength and endurance and that in our daily life, we may enjoy peace and harmony to worship you. us to the next 10 years in unity and truth. that in everything we do brings glory to your name. in

amen.

>> forgive us our shortcomings. the cannot allow the differences to be people -- the differences of people to find a way we see each other. bless this city with your peace and security, with the intentions to complement the work established by the great anders that seek to guide establish loss for humanity to live in peace. to continue a us spiritual purification.

respond to relate and and charity, love, compassion to the easy -- to the needy, oppressed, downtrodden. increase in the universal understanding. they are minds and hearts be decorated in beautified with god's divine attributes so we as a nation under god enable us to his grace and compassion to demonstrate the strength and brotherhood for all the world. leaders withof courage, strength, and the will to serve you faithfully. ands us in our health decisions. amen. franco,ate victor jewish holocaust survivor, says

to live is to suffer, but to survive is to find meaning in the suffering. father come it is with great joy that we are grateful and able to stand here now 10 years later to look over the many experiences, the challenges and situations you have allowed us to endure. for we understand that everything in our lives either you ordered or allowed it. and we bless and thank you that you have the final and last word. we know you today as the god of restoration. according to your word, we declare and decree that the greatest days of this great city are still yet upon us. we thank you for allowing us to endure the destruction, to experience the transition, and to behold the restoration. you are a good god and worthy to

be praised. havederstand and when we come this far by faith. we are leaning and trusting on your word. we pray for the leadership. we thank you that you should bless us with blessings that we stand in need of. thank you for letting us know in life that it is not our locality where the sheer force of our personality, but the mentality when informed by our spirituality that shapes and colors are reality. for a new horizon. to wife for a new dawning. -- thank you for a new horizon, a new dawning. amen. [applause]

[chanting]

>> lord have mercy when the morning come down >> [chanting] ♪ [singing] i love to hear you [chanting] ♪

early in the morning nowt you hear him coming love to hear you call ♪ early in the morning comingou see him ain't gon' give no warning my indian rig i love to hear you

call in the morning how i love to hear you call my indian rig do, hondon in the morning you call myo hear indian rig the nation ♪ we leaving for the nation

we won't bow down down on the ground lord have mercy one they morning come walking down the lord have mercy can i have a real good time ♪

engines of from a nation >> engines of the nation. >> the whole creation we won't bow down down on the ground on the dirty ground how i love to hear you call ♪ >> thank you. [applause]

>> welcome back your host for this evening. this week'soughout commemorative activities, including tonight's event, there many solemn moments of remembrance but also opportunities to reflect on the progress this city has made over this decade and the people who have helped along the way. take a look. to the thousands who served in the katrina response and recovery effort, we salute you. thank you. >> on behalf of the men and women of the north, thank you. >> we're tremendously grateful to those who helped us. >> thank you, america. we love you all and if you have not had a chance to come meet us, come down. >> thank you. thank you.

>> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> you were the catalyst and momentum we needed. thank you. >> thank you, thank you, thank you. >> i want to say from the bottom me,y heart, thank you from my family, my sister, my brother. we were all in the throes of her own recovery. i want to thank you for stepping up to help us. it is not going unnoticed. we appreciate it. [applause] referring to our next performer, jazz at lincoln center noted every so often, a new voice stands up and proclaims itself that few do

with so much supreme depth and understated soul. she is a prominent jazz vocalist please to perform "home" welcome stephanie jordan. [applause]

♪

when i think of home, i think of a place where there's love overflowing i wish i was home, i wish i was back there with the things i've been knowin' wind that makes the tall grass bend into leaning suddenly the raindrops that fall they have a meaning sprinkling the scene

makes it all clean maybe there's a chance for me to go back now that i have some direction it would sure be nice to back home where there's love and affection and just maybe i can convince time to slow up giving me enough time in my life to grow up time be my friend let me start again

♪ suddenly my world's gone and changed its face but i still know where i'm going i have had my mind spun around in space and yet i've watched it growing

if you're listening god, please don't make it hard to go to know if we should believe the things that we see tell us should we try and stay, or should we run away? or would it be better just to let things be? living here in this brand new world might be a fantasy but it's taught me to love so it's real to me

and i've learned that we must look inside our hearts to find a world full of love like yours and mine like home ♪ [applause] soledad: bravo. >> we have been in operation

since 1938. when katrina hit, the water was as high as this. all of this was wiped out. we lost all of our inventory. there was massive destruction like the rest of the city. really orees overwhelmed by this storm surge and in many cases, they were nearly washed away. >> the outlaw canals in the city collapsed or were under my did -- or were under minded. >> this entire area was under water. some of our employees were stuck in different areas because of the storm and had to be rescued. we were really brought your knees at the time. >> my grandmother was in the

lower ninth ward and she lost everything. memories, pictures, furniture. hit, he knewa where they were. >> i got someone to help me get downtown to the the a -- va downtown. he was there when the storm hit. >> my dad saw on the news and he could not believe it. as soon as he was able to come back, he was almost the first one ready to rebuild. eventually, he was approached by a corporation who thought they could buy us out. they offered a lot of money but he knew it was so important for the community for this to stay a family run business. >> my grandmother wanted to rebuild her house.

orleansback to new where she rebuilt her home. >> it wasn't just that the levees broke, the city took a huge hit from the storm surge. i want to make sure the american public understands what we have done as a country to protect the city better. we're looking at the great wall of new orleans. i want you to talk about what it is so we can talk about what it does and why we are better off today than we were. havee lines of defense been pushed outward. the 1.8 mile long surge barrier and sector gate and barge gate do not allow the search to enter or approach the downtown area. this as well as between 24 and 26 feet high. surge out of the city, far away from the structures. >> the leadership here really

made a commitment to focus and plan and prepare for the next event. rebuilt, itea was was really all about resiliency. you can see here there is a second story with a ramp that for of so now the force the hospital can be expendable is a flood or to have been and the rest of the hospital is available to take care of patients. in the next disaster, we will be ready to continue to serve our patients and citizens. >> i love new orleans. new orleans is home. honor thisi community garden. we give fresh fruits and vegetables. it is a wonderful area. everyone knows it's a quality community. >> it seems like the community

has really come together and been strong and decided they are going to help keep it safe. >> they try to make sure you understand it's a stepping stone. they try to get us out and on our feet. >> we call that resiliency. one of the strongest things people can do is work to each other and talk to each other. >> new orleans is coming back now. areave young people who coming together with the community, trying to build up the community. i noticed the things the mayor is doing now. things are getting better. >> new orleans is doing great. it is not where it needs to be but i think after something as heartbreaking as katrina was, to see people coming back, it shows how strong we are, how resilient we are. we all found something deep within us that helped us fight

even harder and never give up. >> like any other city, you will have challenges but new orleans is moving forward in a great way. enough that i want to raise my son here. people who haven't come back yet, what do you want to tell them? >> come home. >> it is home. >> explain what that means. why everyone is so drawn to the city. >> it doesn't leave. >> please look at the 61st mayor of new orleans, mitchell jerry landrieu. [applause] uptown?ndrieu: where is

where is downtown? bank?out the west how about the east? what about lower nine? and everywhere in between? [laughter] happy to see all of you. president, thank you so much for being with us. you? think the world loves three presidents in three days. give president obama, president bush, and president clinton a

round of applause. enrichment, -- all of our faith leaders with us, 10 years ago, do you remember where you were? do you remember what you are doing? do you remember sitting in that long line trying to get out, didn't know where you were going? thought we would just go out and come back in? and then the levees broke. the greatest man-made disaster in history, a tragedy of epic proportions that changed our lives forever. for 10 years -- but 10 years later, back then, 17 feet underwater but 10 years later, here we are. some people said that we should come back. -- shouldn't come back. some people said we couldn't

come back. some people said that it was never going to happen, that nobody could come back from a tragedy of such epic proportions and here we are 10 years later still standing. [applause] week is designed to do a couple of things. one is to remember the tremendous lives that were lost. our brothers and sisters, answer and uncles. unbelievable stories of fathers losing their grip of their children sliding into the water come unimaginable pain revisited through these incredible pictures that i know take your soul and bring them down to the ground. but as soon as that flood came, another came. people from all over the world came to help us. people we didn't know came down to lift a set. germany comeanada,

all over the world -- germany, and all over the world. and guess who else, people from new orleans who had never traveled to another neighborhood . are you feeling me? people who were a mile away but and this storm helped us find each other again. the city of new orleans had lost its love for itself and thought the world had forgotten us until the world gasped at the possibility of them losing the soul of america and a beacon of hope for the world and they came to our aid and in that tragedy can triumph -- came triumph. out of that death came resurrection. we found each other, our value. because people loved us so quickly and fully, we found a way to love ourselves again and we found a way come hell or high

come and we have had both -- both, i asked the archbishop wanted locus were coming. here is the thing. the world, nation us up. this week, the second purpose is to the people of new orleans say thank you to everyone who helped us because this is a city with a grateful heart. so please give the people of the nation around of applause. [applause] give them a standing ovation because we are here because of them. thank you, america, people of the world, for lifting us up and helping us out and we will pay about to you tenfold. thank you. [applause] finally, people of new orleans, we know this and the

world knows now because president obama said it, we are not finished. we have more work to do. congressman richmond remembered robert frost the other day and said we have miles to go before we sleep. because we will not rest. you will not stop until every neighborhood is back. we won't rest or stop until justice is done in this city. we won't rest or stop until the city doesn't build back. this is a beautiful place. not many on this planet have what we had and we can be a beacon of hope for the u.s. below we act towards each other, the way we build back, we can help america find her greatness again and that will be the gift we give back to this nation because we will not move forward unless everyone comes along.

here is the message of the day -- we are unbowed, unbroken, still standing. and as the song said, there is no place like home. orleans, get up on your feet and give yourself a round of applause because the people of america are waiting on us to help america find herself again. god bless you all committee where so much, and let's keep going. [applause] >> one the multigenerational family owners reopened the itcery in january 2014, became in a clear iconic some bull of the city's rebirth. ere on behalf, please welcome

budrow. [applause] >> hello. my family and i are so happy to be part of this wonderful evening. the seventh ward has changed a lot. adoptso important that we to serve the needs of our customers, our neighbors. we are growing and getting busier all the time. i see new faces in the store every day. i hope that means we're doing something right. circle food stores is one of the only six black-owned grocery stores in the country. [applause] but i really don't think it will be as successful in any other

city like it is in new orleans. us, newans needed orleans supported us. we were born, bred here. the circle food store will be here as long as our city needs us to be, supporting our community right back. you have seen this next performer on the hit nbc series "the voice." she has made new orleans her home. cannonwelcome miss tanya with the delta funk. ♪

wake up everybody, no more sleeping no more backward thinkin' time for thinkin' ahead the world has changed so very much from what it used to be

so there is so much hatred war and poverty wake up all the teachers, time to teach a new way maybe then they'll listen to whatcha have to say they're the ones who's coming up and the world is in their hands when you teach the children, teach 'em the very best you can the world won't get no better if we just let it be the world won't get no better we gotta change it, yeah, just you and me wake up all the doctors, make the old people well they're the ones who suffer and who catch all the hell but they don't have so very long before the judgment day

so won'tcha make them happy before they pass away? wake up all the builders, time to build a new land i know we can do it if we all lend a hand the only thing we have to do is put it in our mind surely things will work out, they do it every time the world won't get no better if we just let it be the world won't get no better we gotta change it, yeah, just you and me come on we talk be the change

about today wake up everybody wake up everybody i said wake up everybody i see a need your help tonight i need your help tonight i need your help tonight i need your help let me hear you say wake up everybody one more time wake up can i do it no music i said wake up everybody come on i know your loving that wake up done survived,

baby wake up everybody wake up wake up everybody all over the world wake up bring love and joy to your heart wake up everybody wake up everybody wake up ♪ dumstafunk [applause] >> the first time since the flood of 1957 this money were dislocated and there is no way

they can now be taking care of. we need a fund to help people that will be overlooked. , the formerahead president's will ask the people to open their hearts to help those in need. of people thatt need help so we're trying to help in a way that members -- that preserves maximum impact. >> an amazing variety of circumstance. remember seeing president clinton when he touched the ground for the first time and both of these guys really have never seen anything like this. were awed by the damage but also of the tremendous spirit of the people. i think the fund was very key

in helping new orleans recovery because we were able to respond almost immediately. we were up and running within two months time. to raisewo presidents -- nearly$130 million $130 million, we were able to make commitments for people to make plans for their lives. >> the challenge was that we should give money to the ground. getting a great job of feet and eyes on the ground. and then actually being able to accumulate information and getting the resources and places. schools were really important to get moving in the right direction. >> today, we are giving $30 million to 34, which is -- to 34 colleges.

those funds were totally necessary. we would not have made it. if we had not come back, i am not so sure we would have gotten ere enrollment back whe we would have liked to. >> we are here to announce a sustainable rebuilding effort. we're calling it make it right. >> in addition to president clinton raising money, members of the clinton global initiative made 10 commitments to strengthen communities in new orleans and the gulf coast region. they are working to improve a post-disaster recovery, housing, education, and economic opportunity. these commitments will have an estimated total value of more than $10 million. >> we started building houses in

new orleans in july 2006. what we show is that new home design doesn't need to create a false battle between energy sufficiency and sustainability and affordability. >> new orleans has rebounded tremendously. you know there is still progress to be made. cgi members continue to work in the region on building and disaster preparedness. >> i think it is also important to a number of people to recognize their parts of new orleans that will never come back to their original state. there are people who left new orleans who will never be able to come back to those homes that were destroyed. is keephave to do building on the foundation that was left so that future generations will be able to say they were a part of this great

rebuilding process. ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our honored special guest, bill clinton. [applause] mr. clinton: thank you very much. i know you have been here a long time. i lostd news for you is my voice when i woke up this morning. [laughter]

mayor,ery honored, mr. that you invited me to come here and make the last talk i believe effort tognificent commemorate, honor, and celebrate the progress that has been made and rededicate ourselves to finish the job. the people ink ,orked with a decade ago including you and your role as lieutenant governor. senator., i think leader nancy pelosi. and all the others who are here

who were there in those dark days. one president obama was here, he spoke about going to houston to the astrodome to see all the people who were gathered there. i actually escorted him. he was a young senator from illinois and hillary wanted to go because he was a senator from new york. [applause] wait, this is important. i am tried to make it really important point here. it is important for you to love her but i want to tell you -- [applause] [laughter] hillary wanted to go because she had been a senator for new york

on 9/11 four years earlier and she never forgot what mary and other members of congress of both parties did to step up and try to help new york begin again after the awful tragedy of that day. and i couldwere then senatord obama was and i could tell how ierwhelmed hillary was and was thrilled when president bush asked his father and me to head the for you just read about. i was thrilled when the then republican leader of the senate awaythat nobody who lived from the gulf coast area had done as much for this area in

the u.s. senate as hillary had she loved it so much. i was thrilled when barack obama ran for president come the unity commitment to continue the assistance to new orleans and the gulf that ran to a total of $70 million and he kept his word and so did those who supported him. [applause] now, why am i telling you this? big advantagea over all of them. i didn't have any more choice about what i was trying to do down here than the man on the moon. when you saw in those pictures, i thought i was still a pretty young guy, 59 years old. [laughter] now, i am nearly 70. i first came to new orleans before most of you were born. old, iwas three years

came on the train, my first train trip, to see my widowed mother in a nursing school at charity hospital. [applause] and my grandmother brought me down and we stayed across canal street. one of the old hotels. the first time i had ever been in a building with more than two stories. the first time i had ever been in a city of this size. i was three. do the math, that was a long time ago. i remember that day as if our yesterday. when i was 15, i came back. jazz is issued. i came flowing on my clarinet and saxophone.

you never get over stuff like that. , lord onlyyears knows how many miles i was in the french quarter. when i was president i can hear 10 times. trying to help new orleans. i did not have any choice. did it out ofople conviction because they saw how much you are hurting and how brave you are. night in a this solemn way, those who lost their lives and those who love them. way the in a grateful people who often at great risk

to themselves, save lives over and over again. some going days without sleep or food. exposing themselves to disease. this is something that illustrated that when we forget about all the differences and concentrate on the task at hand, what we have in common in basic humanity is more important than our interests. new orleans is a place that has made its reputation on its interesting differences. louisiana is the only state with laws based on code napoleon. the only state with anything that looks remotely like the french quarter and nothing sounds like the french quarter. and the food doesn't taste this way anywhere else.

i know mardi gras is nowhere like it is on anywhere on earth like it is in new orleans. but what made this thing home, all of a sudden none of our differences matter. you had a republican saying something nice about a democratic senator. god forbid. you had people working in the mud side-by-side without regard to their race, religion, or policy. all of a sudden, we were reminded that wherever in the world people are together, especially if they are creative, good things happen. wherever in the world they spend all of their time writing, -- fighting, good things are not happening.

after all this time, it is tempting to say i am glad all of this good stuff happened. i'm glad we raised $130 million. nothing compared to the business you got over all the years but that when into expensive infrastructure like axing flood control. -- fixing flood control. tohad to get the money out the colleges and universities so they could reopen. [applause] there was no money for so many health care aides, especially mental health. there was no category and a lot of these federal aid programs so we put money there. you could have mental health services. [applause] but i watched on c-span two days ago that a community forum meant

for president obama spoke. there were people saying we are not done yet and we have to build up these community institutions of $130 million. we put $40 million of it back into community institutions in new orleans and throughout the gulf coast area to let people decide how best to rebuild and that shape their futures. if we could just talk about all that. what i want you to think about is what do we own the memory of those who didn't make it. what do we 02 the sacrifice and effort of those who risk their lives to save those who survived what do we do for those who did everything they possibly could to bring new orleans back, and give it a better future?

i have listened and read everything i can find in the last month. here's what i think. i think the people are pessimistic, understated, and underestimating the sheer magnitude of what this is going to accomplish against enormous odds. i think the people who underestimate the continuing disparities by race and by an calm and educate -- income and education, jobs, capital. i think they underestimate how important it is to keep living in the future and not in the past. [applause] i think we need a new unity here in new orleans tonight. all of us who showed up when you needed us, we did the best we could. those that are still doing that,

i saw one of the panels. you should say thanks, we have done a heck of a job. we moved mountains and made miracles. we are proud. i think the people who represent the neighborhood, where there are still too many houses that have not been fixed. who know all of those young people, almost 25,000 between 16 and 24. they still are not in school or at work. who understand that not everybody who wanted to come home could come home. because they thought they were would not be enough opportunity, can be elated by all the progress the schools have made. can be elated that a percentage

of high school graduates going to college, can be elated that the st. bernard project is building houses twice as fast as it was before thanks to adopting the same principles toyota uses to make cars. i visited one, we can be happy about this. there is difference between being happy and satisfied. a difference between being proud of having major very best efforts and being satisfied that that's all we can do now. because what your best efforts did should make you burst with pride and should make you grateful to all the people who pitched in to help. and grateful to the good lord for letting us all survive this last decade, but it should not stop you from trying to erase the last manifestation of the color line of the economic

differences, education differences. of the health care differences. you can be proud, new orleans. i don't want anybody who feels bad about what hasn't been done to minimize what has been done. i will guarantee you that if i had described 10 years ago on this day exactly what would occur in the next 10 years, that we could observe tonight. 90% of you and 90% of the people in new orleans would have taken the side unseen and said i don't know -- i did not know we could do that. you should celebrate and you should be happy. it is the nature of life, the nature of the way we feel, and the nature of the history of our country to realize that our job

is always to form a more perfect. union. that we can be glad. we can be glad for what has happened. but we always believe in the time of our founding that we can be better. the good news is, it is fixing up and rebuilding and imagining the future. like the house i saw today, that the americorps team was working on. [applause] they are going to pay about half the utility bill every month that they otherwise would've paid. they will be able to make their mortgage payments that has power bills will be lower. they can be able to take care of

their families and have people over on the weekends. all it means is that we can take the next step. you will not lose the history of jazz. you will not lose the flavor of your gumbo. you can still march her way down the street at the end of a burial. you will not lose who you are if all of a sudden, without regard to our race, we have the same chances of education, jobs, income, health care, and the future. [applause] 66 years ago, there was a three-year-old boy. he saw things in the city he had never before seen.

53 years ago, i walk into a club and was too young to get in. because of the kindness of a great musician who did not know whether i had musical talent or not decided to take a let me sit with my mother. 40 years ago, the same year hillary and i got married, we were just batched to new orleans for the university of arkansas to hire people into law school. and on and on and on, i have seen the city and every state -- in every state of repair and disrepair that has existed for more than 50 years. even when i was a kid, i was paying attention. i am just telling you, you have got a lot to celebrate tonight.

but the celebration must be leavened by rededication. people who died left behind memories and loved ones and legacies that deserve to be fully redeemed by erasing the lines that divide us. my take on this is to have a good time. give yourself a pat on the back. you have earned it. dance to the music. you earned it. tomorrow wake up and say, look at what we did. god bless you. [cheers and applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, mr. bill clinton.

♪ >> after katrina, the young boys in the city were just lost. i remember seeing how much crime was going on it it is a hot city. i knew some of the kids were looking for some sort of guidance. if they don't have someone to guide them, they may go down the wrong path. my sister and i were on a rooftop in downtown new orleans looking at the superdome. i wanted to give back. it was my job. i had some extra time. i wanted to have my own program. i wanted to do something my way.

we decided to start. we have been around since 2011. we are growing. their fathers have been murdered. or are in long-term incarceration. they quickly to have no connection to their father. their ages 10-13. a boy could be with us from five years to eight years. this organization and nurtures the boys we have now in the program. we talked to them all the time about education and job opportunities and what they do now in school to be a success. it will affect their happiness in the future. we talk about crime with them. if they get into the wrong now, it goes on the permanent record. we want to prevent them from having a long rap sheet.

folks who have been incarcerated -- we want to make sure they don't choose the wrong thing or hang around with the wrong crowd. a lot of people talk about the issue we have with our youth. if we don't do anything about it, it will only get worse. tenure so now, i feel -- 10 years from now, i feel the boys will be graduating. they could be doctors, engineers, business owners. it is one thing to be productive in a community. we want them to also give back. resilience is baking able to overcome -- is being able to overcome obstacles and to realize it it can get better. [applause] >> representing, please welcome

-- [applause] >> at its core, it is all about making the boys in our program feel like they are part of family. we want them to feel safe and cared for. it is why we open this house. we had 10 voice its year. 40 currently participating -- 10 boys each year. 40 currently participating. they can begin to develop the crucial skills needed to succeed in life and beyond that, college . they could create a brighter future for themselves. i'm proud to say that our oldest boy who has been with us for five years has entered xavier

university. [applause] under $20,000 scholarship this year. [applause] four others have earned scholarships to catholic high schools. our mission is simple -- we want to do our part to help these young men into leaders who will contribute to a better new orleans for the future. >> my brother, everybody. [applause] now please welcome back the amazing -- ♪ ♪

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>> available for just about every event, weddings, funerals. the block party will feature live music and new orleans food. have a great night, >> expected to vote on a resolution disapproving -- the senate would need 67 votes to override a veto for president obama. so, with senator merck fees announcement, only three votes needed for the iran nuclear

agreement to survive. senator merkley wrote on the website that the agreement is "the best available strategy to block iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. the house of representatives and the u.s. senate are in recessed -- recess this august. both the house and senate are expected to debate and vote on a resolution to disapprove of the nuclear agreement with iran. an exact schedule is set to death yet to be set. in houses back on tuesday, september 8, live coverage on c-span. and live on our companion network, c-span2. >> florence harding once said she had only one hobby. and that was warren harding. she was a significant force in her husband's presidency and

adept at handling the media. despite his death in office as well as her own poor health, she would help define the role of the mod and first lady. florence harding, tonight at 8:00 is to not c-span's original series, "first ladies" examining the public and private lives of first ladies and the influence on the presidency, from martha washington to michelle obama. tonight at 8:00 eastern on american history tv on c-span3. >> former president george w. bush and first lady laura bush on friday visited a new orleans 10thschool to mark the anniversary of hurricane katrina. the school of more than 100 that received money from the laura bush foundation's gulf all library initiative.

thank you, and wonderful example who come back and teaches here. that is so meaningful and i am i got to meet her here when i visited when she was a student and now get to come back while she is an english teacher. i also want to thank jared for leaving us in the pledge of allegiance. mayor, thank you for joining us today. thank you for the roundtable discussion we just had, which was really like a reunion. it is great to see so many people we have seen on other visits. thank you very much, dr. norman francis, senator landrieu, thank you. we have met here many times before and again today. thank you for all of the work each one of you have done to bring new orleans back. we really appreciate you. i met her in 2001 when she was teaching as a teach for america member in baton rouge. she is now the executive director of teach for america greater new orleans. she is also on the louisiana

board as a board member on the board of elementary and secondary education. she and thousands of other educators have committed their lives to improve and expand educational opportunities for students in new orleans. and for that, i am grateful. thank you. and a very special thanks to the principal. thank you very much for your leadership and for hosting us today. we are thrilled to be back here at warren easton charter high school. i am happy to be introducing someone who is traveling with us today, secret service agent tj mathews. [applause] tj is an alumna of warren easton high school. as a teacher and librarian, i care deeply about developing every student's love for reading and learning. this was important to me as first lady of texas and of the united states. in 2002, with the help of the ambassador, who is over here, i established the laura bush foundation for america's libraries to provide funds to update, expand, and diversify the print and book collections of america's libraries. in 2005, after hurricane katrina devastated the gulf coast, and many school libraries, we were having our final board meeting