Transcripts For MSNBCW Andrea Mitchell Reports 20130314

Because your insides set the tone. Today is gonna be an important day for us. You ready . We wanna be our brothers keeper. Whats number two we wanna do . Bring it up to 90 decatherms. How bout ya, joe . Lets go ahead and bring it online. Attention on site, attention on site. Now starting unit nine. Some of the worlds cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of americas biggest cities. Siemens. Answers. Right now on Andrea Mitchell reports, gun fight. The assault weapons ban heads to a showdown on the senate floor out of committee now. But not before it got personal between freshman republican ted cruz and the bills veteran sponsor, democrat Dianne Feinstein. The question that i would pose to the senior senator from california is would she deem it consistent with the bill of rights, for congress to engage in the same endeavor that we are contemplating doing with the Second Amendment in the context of the first or fourth. Its fine you want to lecture me on the constitution, i appreciate it. Just know, ive been here for a long time, ive passed on a number of bills, ive studied the constitution myself. I am reasonably well educated. And i thank you for the lecture. Incidentally, this does not prohibit you use the word prohibit. It exempts 2,271 weapons. Isnt that enough for the people in the United States . Do they need a bazooka . Do they need other highpowered weapons that military people use to kill in close combat . I dont think so. President obama tries to lay on the Charm Offensive now with the Senate Republicans today. Thats a tough crowd. Be surprised to hear that my conference opposes this leftwing manifesto masquerading as a responsible budget. Plus, Chris Christie is out and the donald is in. What is cpac thinking. And women senators make a difference, for the first time in a decade. The Armed Services Committee Takes on the brass for not prosecuting Sexual Assaults in their ranks. If you think you are achieving discipline and order with your current convening authority framework, im sorry to say you are wrong. And every victim that has come in front of this committee and every store why very have heard over the weeks and months shows that we have not even begun to address this problem. Senator jill gillen brnd joins us. We cardinals noticed some things immediately that he was doing differently. He greeted each of us as brothers down just on literally on the same level we were you heard this story, when we left to go over to st. Martha where weve all been staying, where hes been staying with us, they had his limo ready. He got back on the bus with us, like he been doing for the whole conclave. A lot of humility in rome, but not on capitol hill, good day, im Andrea Mitchell live in washington, president obama is back at the capitol, meeting with Senate Republicans. And one of their freshman members, texas senator ted cruz was already dressed down today by Senate Democrats after he questioned the constitutionality of Dianne Feinsteins proposed assault weapons ban. Would she consider it constitutional for congress to specify that the First Amendment shall apply only to the following books . And shall not apply to the books that congress has deemed outside the protection of the bill of rights. One, im not a sixth grader. Senator, ive been on this committee for 20 years. I was a mayor for nine years. I walked in, i saw people shot. Ive looked at bodies that have been shot with these weapons. Ive seen the bullets that implode. In sandy hook, youngsters were dismembered. Look, there are other weapons. Ive been up, im not a lawyer, but after 20 years ive been up close and personal to the constitution. I have Great Respect for it. Joining me is connecticut senator chris murphy. I brought my handy constitution today, senator. Just to make the point. This was not a fair fight. Because ted cruz, somehow thought he was going to take on Dianne Feinstein, who began her career in politics facing the bloodshed in San Francisco when she was elevated to become the mayor after the assassinations there . The personal experience of Dianne Feinstein informs this. And the personal experience of being a senator from connecticut, and representing as a congressman, the newtown area certainly informs you on this issue. Well thats absolutely right. The fact is that when this tragedy hit newtown i was there at the firehouse that day as families watched and wait ford their kids to come back and they didnt show. When we realized what had happened, we had far too many colleagues i could call to ask for advice on how i could be relevant to the healing process, there are way too many cities, way too many schools and communities that have gone through this. This is not a fair fight for a number of reasons. Its not a fair fight because ted cruz is not going to beat deian feinstein on question of constitutionality. Theres no question about whether or not the assault weapons ban is constitutional. Why do we know that . We had it in place for ten years in this country and it was never declared unconstitutional. Just like with the First Amendment that senator cruz referenced, there are limitations on our rights, you cant stand up in a crowded theater and shout fire because thats dangerous, just like you shouldnt be able to own a militarystyle assault weapon or a magazine that holds 100 bullets, because thats too dangerous as well. Theres no constitutional argument here. And i think most people know that. Senator, the bottom line though, is that ted cruz has the politics on his side. Because even democrats tell us that Dianne Feinsteins bill will not get more than 50 votes on the senate floor. And she would need 6 to reinstate the assault weapons ban. She may have the law on her side, but shes got the nra and ted cruz against her. Theres two questions to explore here. One, i degree its going to be hard get the votes for the bill in full. There are pieces of it that are still really important. For instance, included in the assault weapons ban, that passed the Judiciary Committee today is this ban on magazines that are over 10 bullets. Frankly i think that would have a bigger effect on the mass tragedies than the overall bill would. I think we can preserve major pieces of the bill. Even if we cant preserve the entirety of it. The second question is this, ted cruz doesnt have the politics on his side. Because 90 of american citizens want full background checks bill passed. The vast majority want an assault weapons ban put into place. And the fact is, i think theres going to be real pushback at the polls in 2014, if republicans in this place and across the way and the house of representatives become the party of assault weapons, i think its a bad place for them to be politically and its certainly a bad place for them to be when comes to protecting our kids. Senator chris murphy from connecticut, thanks very much. And now for our daily fix. Chris solissa and amy Walter National editor for Cook Political Report and msnbc white house correspondent, kristen welker. Chris, weve rarely seen this kind of showdown on the hill and the interesting thing about ted cruz behind the scenes has offended john mccain, lindsay graham, over the filibuster against john brennan he has managed to ruffle a lot of feather in both political parties. Ted cruz has promised to shake things up in his own party. Remember during the confirmation hearing for chuck hagel, remember during the benghazi hearings with senator clinton. He was tonally the most aggressive. He is not playing by the traditional rules of the senate. And to be frank, the people who support ted cruz, many of the people who voted for him, thats exactly what they want. But amy walter, at some point the senate is senate. Hes going to need republican support and democratic support to get through something he needs. John mccain called him a whacko bird. The other day ted cruz said i take that as a badge of honor. To chriss point, you have to give ted cruz some credit. Which he came with this tea party fervor and it hasnt gone away. But the senate and the house are two very different places. Folks in the senate will tell you this is the place where decorum and rules and you know, the relationships matter much more than in the house. So hes never going to win mr. Congeniality with either party. The one thing i want to note when we look at those two, the backandforth between those two. The real problem for Dianne Feinstein, isnt necessarily ted cruz. Its democrats who sit in red states. Especially Democratic Senators in red states who are up in 2014. Theyre not going to get into a constitutional battle with Dianne Feinstein. They dont want it to be public. But theyre not going to be comfortable at all supporting Something Like this. And kristen welker, at the same time the president back on the hill today. What we have enter the reporting from mark murray and dominico and chuck todd, is that the Tea Party Republicans were dead set against the president , but there was a willingness by the legislative branch, if you will of the house republicans, those in the leadership who want to get something done. Who are willing to listen to the president , especially as he was putting entitlements right there on the table. And ive been talking to my sources who were a part of that meeting yesterday. Who say you could really feel the divide. That there was a sort of branch who thought that the president was willing to find some Common Ground with them. And of course, others more conservative who said theyre just not going to raise taxes. We saw that reflected to some extent in the oped that House Speaker john boehner wrote today, in which he really called on the president to come forward more with entitlements, to be willing to give up more on entitlements, that of course is the other big Sticking Point in these negotiations. I can tell you, andrea, that according to a Senior Administration official, the president is planning to have more of these meetings, once he returns from israel. Apparently during this socalled Charm Offensive, which really started last week and continued into this week. A number of republicans did express a desire to have more meetings. So in terms of what got accomplished, everyone agrees this was really a first step. And nothing major was accomplished, nothing tangible. However, there is a sense that there will be future conversations and that there is some potential room there for movement. Andrea . And chris icillizza, were told now that. Amy was right, supporting it and is one thing. Going out and saying to mark pryor from arkansas, mary la landrieu, i need to have you here on this, this is a vote i need you on. Hes probably going to have to say that. If they do have a grand bargain entitlement reform, hes going to have to say that anyway to a lot of these people. The question is what does he pick to ask them for. I cant imagine he picks on the assault weapons ban. Because i think their own internal state politics are such that even if the president said i need you, im not sure some of the people i just named would say yes. Aimy, were going to be talking about cpac in a few minutes. Notably, the donald has an audience, sarah palin has an audience there. Chris christie does not. Governor mcdonald, bob mcdonald, hardly a raging liberal from virginia is not invited. How do they make these decisions . Well why are they so relevant . And this is the question, which is what cpac was and what it is. Now certainly its a place where they get a lot of attention. Certainly from the press. So its a good place to try out your stump speech if youre an aspiring politician. Especially if youre looking to go into make the next tier of office. But we also know that time after time, the straw poll winners at cpac are people like ron paul, these arent exactly the kinds of folks who show up as the participants. Arent the kinds of people who are necessarily the establishment of the Republican Party. But i think the more important thing is you have a party right now that is really divided between a party that wants to go forward, talk about the fact that they have a demographic problem. And then parts of cpac which say, we need to be back to where Ronald Reagan was in 1980. In 1980, Ronald Reagan with as looking at an electorate that was 89 white. The next candidate who is going to be running in 2016, is looking at an electorate that is 70 white if they dont discuss that and bridge that, they have real problems. And Ronald Reagan, the pragmatist would be the first to acknowledge the demographic change and reshape the party in order to win. Thats right. Thank you very much amy walter and kristen and chris cillizza. Next, we head to rome, what are we learning about the newly elected pope . And actor and activist, Djimon Hounsou just back from japan. 50 more buckarooooooooos 50 more yeeeaaahhhh 50 more yeah yeah [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1 cash back on every purchase, plus a 50 annual bonus on the cash you earn. Its the card for people who like more cash. 50 more boogie whats in your wallet . Cashhhhh arrival. With hertz gold plus rewards, you skip the counters, the lines, and the paperwork. Zap. Its our fastest and easiest way to get you into your car. Its just another way youll be traveling at the speed of hertz. When her sister dumped me. Oh dad, you remember my friend alex . Yeah. The one that had the work done. [ male announcer ] sometimes being too transparent can be a bad thing. This looks good [ male announcer ] but not with the oscar mayer deli fresh clear pack. Its what you see is what you get food. The longest 4g lte battery in a razr thin profile. With 32 hours of battery life that turns an allnighter, into a twonighter. The droid razr maxx hd by motorola. Droidendurance. Droidpowerful. Because every flake is doubletoasted. Splashed with sweet honey. And covered in rich doubleroasted peanuts. Mmm. [ hero ] yummy. [ male announcer ] kelloggs crunchy nut. Its super delicious [ both laughing ] but our plants were starving. [ man ] we love to eat. We just didnt know that our plants did, too. Then we started using miraclegro liquafeed every two weeks. Now our plants get the food they need while we water. Dinners ready. Come and get it. No one goes hungry in this house. So theyre bigger, healthier, and more beautiful. Guaranteed. With miraclegro anyone can have a green thumb. And a second helping. [ both laughing ] when you feed your plants. Everyone grows with miraclegro. Surprising election of pope francis marks many firsts as crowds at the vatican cheered his first papal appearance, hispanic americans celebrated the first latin american pope. Jesuits welcomed the first jesuit pope. Very big departure and catholics around the world embraced the first noneuropean in more than a millennium. But no one was as thrilled as the people of argentina, who filled the streets outside of the popes cathedral in buenos aires last night. Nbcs Miguel Almaguer is in buenos aires for us. Andrea, good afternoon, a sense of normalcy has returned to the cathedral here, where the pope was the archdiocese for more than a decade. There was certainly an allnight party here last night, as hundreds poured into the street here, just a few miles away, about five miles away we spent part of our day in the slums of buenos aires, where we were told by many people that the pope was a man of the street. He often ate with the needy. Cooked for the needy and prayed for the needy on a daily basis. When we were there they held his picture up, they praised him and said, they couldnt have been happier that he would be the next pope. In latin america, 40 , four out of every ten catholics live in this region alone. So the pope is a big deal here. They are celebrating all across the region. Here in argentina, in brazil, and in the United States. Last night we saw celebrations in miami in los angeles, even in denver. Many looking forward to having a pope represent a latin american country. Tonight many eyes are back on rome, as many wonder when the pope will return back here to argentina. Andrea . Miguel almaguer, thank you so much from buenos aires. Joining us from the vatican, msnbcs chris jansing. Nbcs ann thompson and nbc news vatican analyst, George Weigel. Ann thompson, were talking about a very different different pope from anything weve ever experienced before. What is the significance of them choosing a latin american. Despite the fact that he is 76 years old or perhaps because he is 76 years old and satisfied the old guard as well as the aspirations of the diaspora. I was talking to Cardinal Timothy dolan, the archbishop of new york. I said why did you choose former bish Bishop Bergoglio to be the pope . They believe this man, given his track record in buenos aires can do this. He is an honest man, an outsider and that was also very important to them. Can he come in here, he understands it from their perspective. Being you know, being the leaders of dioceses around the world. They think hes the guy who can clean it up. Hes got a big job ahead of him. Talk about the significance of him being a jesuit. This is so special, to many of us so familiar with jesuit institutions, the jesuits by definition do not aspire to ascend to the heights of the papacy. Andrea, Jorge Maria Bergoglio is a pope of the old school. Hes something of a contradiction within his own religious community. A man of robust orthodoxy. Who was a reforming provincial of the jesuits in argentina. That didnt go over too well with some of his jesuit brethren. They exiled him at the end of that period to a high school in northern argentina. From which he was rescued by john paul ii. What it does mean is that this is a man of high intelligence. Deep spiritual life, and real personal discipline. Which weve seen in the simplicity of his presentation of himself to the church and the world since his election yesterday. And chris jansing, youve covered this so deeply. Theres a real disconnect between Many American catholics and the vatican on the subject of women. On the subject of what role the nuns should have. On social issues. But as George Weigel was just saying. This man while from a different part of the world and from a different part of catholicism is very orthodox in his ideology and that is not going to change. No, and i think if american catholics had an idea that any of the 115 cardinal who is might have been selected were going to come out of that conclave and suddenly allow priests to be married or women priests or was going to change Church Teachings on things like abortion and contracepti contraception, that was never going to happen. But when ive been talking to people, including as ann did Timothy Dolan today. They tried to emphasize on the work hes done. This is someone who has done extraordinary work with the poor. And who lives it in his daily life. Youve probably already heard the stories about how he doesnt live in a palace. He lives in a simple apartment and cooks for himself. I was just over at the vatican and talking to some of the folks there. The peep who prepared his rooms. They closed them down after Pope Benedict decided to step down. He sent all the cleaning people home except for all one person. This is someone who is used to riding a public bus, now the leader of 1. 2 billion people. Hell be at the highest reaches of religious power. But he is someone who deeply understands the suffering of the poor and is determined to do something about it and has a chance to influence, andrea, on a much wider stage. And ann, is there a potential for controversy in that argentina has such a troubled political past, what about the dirty war in his role in the church . Are some going to suggest that he did not stand up enough during that dark period in argentinas history . I think some people are already suggesting that, andrea. I think whats interesting, if you go back to the homily by cardinal soldano at the mass before the conclave, he urged the next pope to take up international issues. And i think that you know, by seeing, by choosing a pope from latin america. Youve now brought a different aspect to the papacy. And some criticism of benedict has been that he wasnt out there on the world stage advocating for the issues that are dear to catholics around the world. Social justice for example. And maybe pope francis will start to do that. And just one other point, andrea. I mean just in 24 hours, weve seen a dramatic difference. And chris and george alluded to this. Today, pope francis drove in a car, not in a limo, went to the house where the priest residence where he was staying, picked up his own bag, paid his own bill, said hello to some people and left. I mean its really sort of extraordinary. These signs that you see in the first 24 hours, how they can set a tone for papacy. I think thats what were seeing today. And if nothing else, that will spark the reforms, the muchneeded reforms youve all been reporting are desired for the kuriae there. Thank you very much. And up next, the conservative cattle call here at home, live at cpac as republicans look to rebrand and rebuild. [ male announcer ] what . investors could lose tens of thousands of dollars in hidden fees on their 401 k s . go to etrade and roll over your old 401 k s to a new etrade retirement account. None of them charge annual fees and all of them offer low cost investments. Etrade. Less for us. More for you. The middle of this special moment and i need to run off to the bathroom. Im fed up with always having to put my bladders needs ahead of my daughter. So today, im finally talking to my doctor about Overactive Bladder symptoms. [ female announcer ] know that gotta go feeling . Ask your doctor about prescription toviaz. One toviaz pill a day significantly reduces sudden urges and accidents, for 24 hours. If you have certain stomach problems or glaucoma, or can not empty your bladder, you should not take toviaz. Get emergency medical help right away if your face, lips, throat or tongue swells. Toviaz can cause blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness and decreased sweating. Do not drive, operate machinery or do unsafe tasks until you know how toviaz affects you. The most common side effects are dry mouth and constipation. Talk to your doctor about toviaz. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat . Campbells healthy request soup lets you hear it. In your heart. [ basketball bouncing ] heart healthy. Great taste. Mmm. [ male announcer ] sounds good. Its amazing what soup can do. [ magotta get that bacon good. Yummy, crunchy, bacon bacon bacon there in that bag who wants a beggin strip . Me id get it myself, but i dont have thumbs mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm its beggin mmm, i love you. announcer beggin strips. Theres no time like beggin time. Is it when youve when left work behind,ise . And only the waves remain . Is it when stress is replaced by serenity . Theres no one answer. But when the moment arrives. Everything will be perfectly clear. Behold. The islands of the bahamas. Its not for colds. Its not for pain. Its just for sleep. Because sleep is a beautiful thing™. Zzzquil™. The nonhabit forming sleepaid from the makers of nyquil®. She works as receptionist at a dental office i think, medical office. He loads boxes from trucks at warehouse. I dont have to tell you, theyre struggling. They live in a little small apartment, they share one car. They want, theyre not freeloaders, theyre not liberals. Florida senator marco rubio, speaking at the cpac convention. A gathering of the leading conservatives. Obviously rubio speaking to one of his big issues which is that the Republican Party needs to get right on the immigration issue. Nbcs kasie hunt joins me. Tell me about the meeting, its been very controversial, who is invited, whos not invited. This doesnt sound like the big tent. Well as you know, andrea, theres significant controversy over the folks who werent invited, namely new jersey governor Chris Christie and virginia governor, bob mcdonald. The chair of the conference was saying he doesnt actually think that they should change the way the tent is shaped, in order to accommodate people who dont really hold to conservative values, so youre already seeing the identity crisis to play out here. And marco rubio what is his role . Hes talking as we see him there, about immigration and how to frame an immigration compromise. Which clearly will take the party past where it was in the primary season. Which many team was a disastrous step backward. Settle thats his signature issue. Something hes stepped out in front of and something that Republican Leaders have wanted him to take the lead on. Because as the new face of the party hes in a unique position to be able to do it. In the speech, hes made a pitch that is a little bit more communal that other speakers, saying while the government may not be exactly what defines the country, we still have an obligation to those around us. That we still have an obligation based on our communities, which is a difference in tone from some of the others who stepped up and talked about strictly individual liberty. What is the buzz about mitt romney . His first postelection big speech tomorrow and hes not always been a favorite of cpac. But hes got a time slot tomorrow just about 1 00 . Hes won the straw poll that they hold at the end of this event, several times previously, the buzz here i would describe as muted. Folks are a little bit questioning what they might hear from him, not sure what to totally make of it. It was here last year that romney made the remark that he was quoteunquote severely conservative, something that trailed him throughout the election. Kasie hunt, thanks for being with us from cpac. Up next, combatting Sexual Assaults, senator Kirsten Gillenbrand. Eater. Well now im her dietitian and last year, she wasnt eating so well. So i recommended boost complete nutritional drink to help her get the nutrition she was missing. And now she drinks it every day. Well, it tastes great [ male announcer ] boost has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones, and 10 grams of protein to help maintain muscle. And our great taste is guaranteed or your money back. Learn more at boost. Com [ dietitian ] now, nothing keeps mom from doing what she loves. Being my mom. Woman what do you mean, Homeowners Insurance doesnt cover floods . [ heart rate increases ] man a few inches of water caused all this . [ heart rate increases ] woman 2 but i dont even live near the water. What you dont know about Flood Insurance may shock you including the fact that a preferred risk policy starts as low as 129 a year. For an agent, call the number that appears on your screen. Women senators are finally bringing the epidemic of Sexual Assaults in the military to light. A major issue at wednesdays hearing was the convening authority of power used by an air force commander to overturn the conviction in a Sexual Assault case brought against a fighter pilot. New york senator Kirsten Gillenbrand and pressed a judge advocate in the air force on the case. I think both the jury and the convening authority did their duty. Well as they reached the opposite decision, in one instance justice was not done. Which instance do you believe justice was not done . I cant say, im not going to conclude that justice was or was not done. What i will conclude is that all parties did their job from my review all parties did what they were asked to do by the law. Well one of the parties was wrong. And if you are the victim in that case, to have gone through eight months of testimony of providing evidence, i can assure you she does not believe justice was done. Senator kisten gillenbrand chair of that subcommittee on military personnel joins me now. Senator, it has not gone unnoticed that this is the first hearing in ten years on this subject. Its only when you became chairman, chair of the committee and we have, have 20 senators who are women. That this issue is getting focus. Coincidence . No. I dont think so and thats one of the reasons why ive been such a strong advocate of asking more women to participate in politics, to vote, to be heard, to run. Because when women are at the table, different issues are discussed, its a broader agenda and its an agenda that looks out for all americans, and oftentimes those who are voiceless. I think this is an instance where, this isnt anything new, theres been Sexual Assaults in the military for a very long time. In fact more Sexual Assaults against men and that women. It is such an issue that is crying out for unbelievable reform, oversight and accountability. And its heartbreaking, andrea, when you look at the numbers to have 19,000 Sexual Assaults a year and only 190 convictions. That means one out of 100, we have accountability. And as you pointed out yesterday, a huge percentage of those who are convicted return to their commands so what does that say to the victims . Its remarkable. Its part of a very serious problem. If you have 19,000 allegations, but only 2400 are even reported, that vast number arent reporting because they do not believe this is the testimony we heard yesterday. Theyre afraid, theyre afraid of retaliation. Theyre afraid of being held accountable for something theyve done. Theyre afraid of not being able to stay in the military and having no ability to be promoted and to do their service. So i can tell you theres something wrong with how the military is prosecuting these cases, reviewing these cases. If there is no justice, if justice is not served, there would be no reason why a victim would ever come out and make a formal allegation. I dont understand the military code of justice in that it was a reason for dismissal for expulsion from the military until last year, if you violated dont ask dont tell. Yet, if you were found guilty in a military court of a criminal assault, of rape, you could go back to your unit. How is that possible . Its outrageous and its something that should outrage every american. When we look at our best and bravest, our strongest, our most courageous. When you enter the military, you may expect to lose a limb. You may expect to lose your life. But no one should be expecting to be assaulted or raped by one of their colleagues. I want you to play the Staff Sergeant Rebecca Avila who testified yesterday was one of the witnesses, describing what happened to her. I cant tell you a single day that i was in my unit that didnt go by without some type of rape joke, sex joke. Sex play simulated sex play between men. I mean it was, we had a Sexual Assault and harassment training that we went through and one of our sergeants got up on the table and stripped completely naked and danced and laughed at it. Thats the kind of culture i lived in on a daily basis. And this was after the criminal assault on her. So this, this is only the environment that she returned to. Thats one of the problems, andrea. That this is a cultural problem that needs a full 360degree review. And thats why we focused a bit on this convening authority. Its the structure in the military where a general or someone if the chain of command has the authority to review whether a case even goes to trial. And if there is a convention, they get to review again and overit it if they see fit. If someone in your chain of command has that kind of authority, a lot of victims should feel they will not get justice in the system. Because if the culture is so sexist, inhospitable for the kind of respect that men and women should share in the military, it will undermine peoples confidence that they have a chance or hope of receiving justice. Thanks to you for convening this, for chairing it. From Claire Mccaskill to jean s shaheen. That hearing was compelling. We will change this, andrea, we will be writing electric legislation. We will make a difference on this issue. Thanks very much, senator. And coming up, in the headlines, also, on Andrea Mitchell reports, the tsa will face tough criticism this afternoon. Congress has a hearing on its decision to allow small knives on planes, despite objections from airlines, pilots and flight attendants, the tsa chief tried to explain his position this morning on the today show. The challenge becomes if we focus on something that will not cause catastrophic failure to an aircraft and miss something that could, then we havent done our job to the millions of people you know, 12. 5 Million People who travel every week. 630 people every year just in the u. S. I want our focus to be on the highest threat items. And here we go again. Carnival cruise ship has run into trouble. This time, the ship, the carnival dream suffered a generator failure while docked in the caribbean. Passengers stuck on board with overflowing toilets, reports of power outages. Some denied. The cruise line denies the ship lost power at any time. Carnival is trying to fix all of its, fix this and get its passengers back to florida from st. Maartemaartens. Targeting the global gun trade, well talk to oxfam global mans, Djimon Hounsou. Boom. Clothes look amazing, and daddys a hero. Daddy, can we play ponies . Right after we do foldies. Tide boost is my tide. Whats yours . announcer at scottrade, our clto make their money do more. Re ann to help me plan my next move, i take scottrades free, inbranch seminars. Plus, their live webinars. I use daily market commentary to improve my strategy. And my local scottrade Office Guides my learning every step of the way. Because they know i dont trade like everybody. I trade like me. Im with scottrade. announcer scottrade. Ranked highest in Customer Loyalty for brokerage and investment companies. Because every flake is doubletoasted. Splashed with sweet honey. And covered in rich doubleroasted peanuts. Mmm. [ hero ] yummy. [ male announcer ] kelloggs crunchy nut. Its super delicious the proliferation of guns in south sudan is a growing threat to the peace and stability of that new nation. After gaining independence two years ago, now activists are urging president obama to endorse the International Arms trade treaty to stem armed violence around the world. And Djimon Hounsou is an actor and oxfam global ambassador and just returning from the region last night. And raymond offenhauser is the president of oxfam america. Sorry for typos here. Thank you both for coming. What did you see in sudan that persuaded you again of the importance of controlling the weapons that are contributing to this continuing violence . Well what i saw in sudan in south sudan specifically was a almost i think out of a hollywood movie, where you have young boys with ak47 and girls of my own daughters age, nursing their babies with an ak47 on the side. That, the vision of that, it was extremely shocking and given the fact that i myself am from west africa, experience in my early days civil war in my country, its a vivid reminder of what i could, i could have become myself. And that experience, your own experience and your own family, inspires you to want to do something about this aspect of continuing violence. Absolutely. I mean we really need to you know, champion our president obama to really strongly you know, impose a treaty, an arms treaty here. And i would absolutely help, all of those developed countries in africa to you know, avoid conflict. Where are the weapons coming from, ray . Well interestingly enough, the United States exports 50 of the weapons in the world. The rest of them come from some Eastern European countries, russia and china predominantly and the variety of other smaller producers. And what is the diplomatic impediment to making this happen . Well, its been, this has been an issue thats been around for almost 100 years and this treaty is something thats been worked on over the last ten. And there are a vit of different views about what should be in the treaty. Should ammunition be included or not. Whats the scope of the type of weapons that should be included. Theres been a variety of debates about that issue. Although i should say i think there is, within europe and a variety of other countries around the world, pretty strong support for getting some kind of a treaty. I think the discussion and debate is about some of the elements within the treaty itself. Are we talking about the same actors here . Are we talking about armed exports, the gun manufacturers, the same people who are fighting so far successfully against Gun Legislation here at home . I think, i mean basically you know, theres going to always be weapons produced for the defense of nations and theres going to be import and export of weapons. I think the real issue here is what we dont have in the world right now is standards governing the import and em port of those weapons across international boundaries, only 52 countries in the world have provisions for monitoring the import and export of weapons this treaty would universalize the principle. What would be exactly the practices of monitoring the United States currently has in place. Thats really what were after at the core of the treaty. Djimon, from what you saw in south sudan, what is the progress of this Young Country . Wow. Well its a progress, the conditions are quite unfathomable in a sense i mean even witnessing the treatment of women, i mean the women come second to a cow. And. Cows are more valuable as a matter ever property. It is the main trading good basically. It is like you know, money in the bank for them. So and cows are yeah, more important than women for them. And what about the conditions that children are living in . Well theres no education. You know obviously strong lack of education. And children that you know, the ones that have the ability to receive a minimum education, the education is limited to three to four months a year. And food, supply of food and clean water and of course the lack of water leads to the diseases. Right. What more should the United States be doing to just in terms of humanitarian aid, at a time of budget crisis when the foreign aid budget is under huge pressure and usaid doesnt know where its next dollars will be coming from. Theres big debate about the whole foreign assistance act as you say, i think in the humanitarian aid, the United States has provided 50 of the humanitarian aid provided around the world and sudan has been a big recipient of it. At this point in time theres a good deal of continuing conflict on the border between sudan and south sudan. I think one of the points i would make thats in relation to what you were asking djimon about the situation in sudan and more broadly in africa is a consequence of weapons movements. Is that since 1990, until today, theres been some 280, estimated that 284 284 billion has been lost to african nations as a consequence of conflict. Thats money that to some degree almost equal whats we put out in foreign aid. So that money could be used for schools and Health Clinics and water and all the things needed on the humanitarian basis. In some sense, in the degree to which we get a treaty and we can eliminate the flow of arm and reduce the availability and ease of access, particularly to ammunition, i think it will help reduce Human Rights Violations and improve opportunities in many of these countries. He . Thank you. You just came from the hill. You talk with senator murphy. Youre bringing your experience and your celebrity and your roots to this whole issue. And we thank you for doing that. Thank you for having me. Thank you both. Coming up, what political story will make headlines in the next 24 hours . Thats next. Zap technology. Departure. Hertz gold plus rewards also offers ereturn our fastest way to return your car. Just note your mileage and zap youre outta there well email your receipt in a flash, too. Its just another way youll be traveling at the speed of hertz. Thats not much, you think. Except its 2 every year. Go to etrade and find out how much our advice and guidance costs. Spoiler alert its low. Its guidance on your terms, not ours. Etrade. Less for us. More for you. With google now, it automatically knows when you need to leave for the airport, how much traffic there is, and has your boarding pass ready. The droid razr maxx hd by motorola. Droidsmart. Droidpowerful. Your Childrens Health can affect their gpa. Yes, exercise and education go hand in hand. So make sure your kids are active 60 minutes every day. Youll help them feel good and even perform better in school. The more you know. I was told i got ten measly minutes. But just in case, i bought 13 hours worth of information. Which political story will make headlines in the next 24 hours . Chris list issa, i dont think theyll be fbling at cpac. It is an interesting show of where the party is moving at least. That wing of the party. Absolutely. I would say if you think, if you think that he thinks that is good politics, you can tell, bringing out those binders, he referenced it multiple time in the speech why he did the filibuster. What it stood for. And a fascinating juxtaposition. Marco rubio followed by rand paul. Two of the three or four or five most likely people to run for president and be in that top tier for president. Very different images of what the Republican Party should be and what it can be by the speeches they gave. They had binders but not binders for the women. But they will have mitt romney tomorrow so he emerges on the political front. Not that the party seems terribly embracing but he will have a shot. Remember, he dropped out of the 2008 president ial race at the 2008 cpac. Whether or not it is still powerful, well see. Thank you very much. Chris cillizza, thank you very much. That does it for this edition of Andrea Mitchell reports. In our next hour, smoozing for president obama, meeting with leaders on capitol hill. Two conservatives gathering for the annual conference. Well have the latest on efforts to reach the grand bargaining in what the First Read Team calls the identity crisis at cpac. Plus, the tsa union is now the latest group to come out against the agencys policy allowing knives on board planes. They said the decision is final. But with all the pressure, will the agency be forced to give in . Our news nation gut check. [ kate ] many women may not be absorbing the calcium they take as well as they could because they dont take it with food. Switch to citracal maximum plus d. Its the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. My doctor recommends citracal maximum. Its all about absorption. My doctor recommends citracal maximum. For over 75 years people. With geico. Ohhh. Sorry . Directors voice here we go. From the top. And action for over 75 years people have saved money with gecko so. Directors voice cut it . What. What did i say . Gecko . I said gecko . Aw. For over 75 year. laughs. But still trying to keep it contained directors voice keep it together. Im good. Im good. For over 75. uncontrollable lahtuger . What are you doing there . Stop making me laugh. Vo geico. Saving people money for over seventyfive years. Gecko dont look at me. Dont look at me. Tdd 18003452550 but there is one source with a wealth of etf knowledge tdd 18003452550 all in one place. Tdd 18003452550 introducing schwab etf onesource™. Tdd 18003452550 its one source with the most commissionfree etfs. Tdd 18003452550 tdd 18003452550 one source with etfs from leading providers tdd 18003452550 and extensive coverage of major asset classes. Tdd 18003452550 all brought to you by one firm tdd 18003452550 with comprehensive education, tools and personal guidance tdd 18003452550 to help you find etfs that may be right for you. Tdd 18003452550 schwab etf onesource tdd 18003452550 for the most tdd 18003452550 commissionfree etfs, tdd 18003452550 you only need one source and one place. Tdd 18003452550 start trading commissionfree with schwab etf onesource