Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Saturday January 9, 2016 8:30am-2:00pm

Presented by the Jack Kemp Foundation
Sponsored by Opportunity Lives, the American Enterprise Institute and Economic Innovation Group

Moderated by Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Tim Scott

Kemp Forum 2016 Agenda (subject to change)
8:30am-9:00 am: Welcoming Remarks
9:00am-10:10 am: Panel #1
  • Gov. Jeb Bush
  • Dr. Ben Carson
  • Gov. Chris Christie
10:20am-11:10 am: Panel #2
  • Ms. Carly Fiorina
  • Gov. Mike Huckabee
11:20am-11:26 am: Remarks by SC Gov. Nikki Haley and Sen. Lindsey Graham
11:30am-12:20 pm: Panel #3
  • Gov. John Kasich
  • Sen. Marco Rubio
12:25pm-12:45 pm: Break for Lunch
12:50pm-1:50 pm Panel #4 “What We Learned Today”
  • Moderators: Joe Scarborough & Mika Brzezinski
  • Speaker Paul Ryan
  • Senator Tim Scott
  • Mr. Bob Woodson
  • Others TBD
1:50pm-2:00 pm Concluding Remarks

December 1, 2015

Bush, Carson, Christie, Fiorina, Kasich, and Rubio confirmed for Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity

Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Tim Scott to Moderate

Sponsored by Opportunity Lives, the American Enterprise Institute and Economic Innovation Group

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the 60th anniversary of Rosa Parks refusing to sit in the back of the bus, The Jack Kemp Foundation today announced that Speaker Paul Ryan and U.S. Senator Tim Scott will discuss poverty solutions with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, business leader Carly Fiorina, Ohio Governor John Kasich and Florida Senator Marco Rubio who have confirmed their participation in the Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity in January. The forum, sponsored by Opportunity Lives and in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Economic Innovation Group (EIG), will convene these and other presidential candidates, scholars and community leaders to present and discuss their ideas for fighting poverty and expanding opportunity in America on the eve of an historic election. Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Tim Scott will moderate the half-day conference on January 9, 2016, at the Columbia (South Carolina) Convention Center.

"There are few challenges tougher than the fight against poverty, and we need all hands on deck," said Speaker Ryan. "I'm looking forward to exploring ideas about how we can expand opportunity in America."

"The Kemp Foundation, Speaker Ryan and I all share the same goal of helping those most in need, and the Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity will provide our candidates with a great forum to articulate their plans to help all Americans achieve their dreams,” said Senator Scott. “Our nation is one of endless opportunity, and I look forward to welcoming the 2016 presidential candidates to South Carolina for this important event."

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” said Jack Kemp Foundation President Jimmy Kemp.  “The Kemp Foundation is honored to provide this Forum for candidates to address issues that have too often been relegated to the ‘back of the bus.’”

“We are proud to sponsor a much-needed conversation in this primary season about policies that provide upward mobility and a path toward a comeback, for our nation as well as the millions who have been unable to escape poverty, addiction, and hopelessness. At Opportunity Lives, we highlight those solutions in our news coverage every day, which is why we are thrilled to see where the candidates stand at the Kemp Forum,” said John Hart, editor in chief of Opportunity Lives.

"We have a monumental opportunity in America to change our approach to poverty—to stop treating vulnerable people as liabilities to manage and start treating them like assets to develop. AEI is pleased to partner with moderators Speaker Ryan and Senator Scott and the Kemp Foundation to hear how the candidates plan to deploy conservative ideas in this great cause,” said Arthur Brooks, President of AEI.

"EIG is proud to partner with the Kemp Foundation in this important and timely candidate forum moderated by Speaker Ryan and Senator Scott. As a nation, our policies must do more to ensure all Americans - regardless of zip code - have access to economic opportunity," said Steve Glickman, co-founder and Executive Director for EIG.

The portion of the Kemp Forum featuring presidential candidates is designed to be a civil dialogue between the moderators and the candidates individually, and not designed for presidential candidate interaction with other presidential candidates.

The Jack Kemp Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt entity organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).  The Jack Kemp Foundation engages only in educational activities and does not engage in any lobbying or political activity as those terms are defined by the IRC. Contributions to the Jack Kemp Foundation are deductible to the donor to the extent allowed by law. 

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For Immediate Release
September 21, 2015

Presidential Candidates, Scholars, Community Leaders to Participate in Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity

Moderated by Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Paul Ryan

Jan. 9, 2016, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.  -  Columbia, S.C 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Jan. 9, 2016, the Jack Kemp Foundation will welcome presidential candidates, scholars and community leaders to the Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity to present and discuss their ideas for fighting poverty and expanding opportunity in America. U.S. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott will moderate the half-day conference on Jan. 9, 2016, at the Columbia (South Carolina) Convention Center. 
 
"There are few challenges tougher than the fight against poverty, and we need all hands on deck," said Rep. Ryan. "I'm looking forward to exploring ideas about how we can expand opportunity in America."
 
"The Kemp Foundation, Chairman Ryan and I all share the same goal of helping those most in need, and the Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity will provide our candidates with a great forum to articulate their plans to help all Americans achieve their dreams,” Sen. Scott said. “Our nation is one of endless opportunity, and I look forward to welcoming the 2016 presidential candidates to South Carolina for this important event."
 
Jack Kemp Foundation President Jimmy Kemp said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, and this Kemp Forum provides candidates a platform to express both their ideas and experiences which demonstrate their care for the well being of all Americans.”
 
The Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity promises to be a revealing encounter among talented men and women who would serve as President of the United States. All declared presidential candidates have been invited to participate in the educational event alongside policymakers, scholars and community leaders. A full roster of attendees will be announced at a later date.
 
“The American idea was never that everyone would be leveled to the same position in life. The American idea was that each individual should have the same opportunity to rise as high as his effort and initiative and God-given talent could carry him. If you were born to be a master carpenter, or a mezzo-soprano—or even a pro football player—here in America you could make it.”
 - Jack Kemp, GOP Convention, 1980
 
 
The Jack Kemp Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt entity organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC).  The Jack Kemp Foundation engages only in educational activities and does not engage in any lobbying or political activity as those terms are defined by the IRC. Contributions to the Jack Kemp Foundation are deductible to the donor to the extent allowed by law. 
 
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Bread for the World
January 8, 2016

Republican Candidates Urged to Boost Progress Against Hunger

Columbia, S.C.– On the eve of the Kemp Forum on Expanding Opportunity, Bread for the World is urging Republican presidential candidates to ensure that safety net programs and policies that promote opportunity are a part of their plans to address poverty. Bread for the World is a sponsor of the forum.

“We need the next president and Congress to make hunger, poverty, and opportunity a national priority,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “Economic growth and private charity are important to making progress against hunger and poverty. But we also need strong leadership from our national government, including safety net programs and policies that promote opportunity.”   

The forum will bring together seven Republican presidential candidates to articulate their plans to offer greater opportunity to those struggling to move out of poverty.  

In South Carolina, 1 out of every 7 households struggles to put food on the table. Approximately 845,000 people live in poverty – including nearly 1 in 4 children. Nationwide, more than 48 million Americans struggle to put food on the table.

Bread for the World, a bipartisan Christian organization, is working to elect leaders to office who will change U.S. national priorities so that the next president and Congress put the government on track to end hunger in our country and around the world by 2030. It is not endorsing any political candidates.

“It has been a long time since our country has made ending hunger and poverty a national priority,” added Beckmann. “If we want this to happen, then we must vote people in to office who will do something about it. The Kemp Forum provides voters with the opportunity to evaluate the candidates so they can vote for who they believe offers the best solution to ending hunger and poverty.”  

Resources on the 2016 elections for people of faith are available at www.bread.org/elections.