court focused on the city's intent, it didn't intend -- it intended to avoid being susceptible to a lawsuit. she said that instead what the city needs to do is focus on the evidence about whether it could be sued successfully. but again, the bottom line was basically the same she said that the city's actions were justified. .

>> later in the program, dahlia , lithwiwc. later in the day, a look at iran's presidential election and what's ahead in tehran. live coverage from the woodrow wilson international center at 12:30 p.m. eastern. >> secretary of state hillary clinton addressed the situations in honduras, iran and iraq at the state department briefing. she spoke to reporters for about 15 minutes.

-hello. how are you all? i actually missed you. i wanted to thank you for the flowers. i appreciated those. they are adding to the healing process. but i wanted to come down because obviously there is a lot going on. there are a number of important issues to address today, but i want to start with yesterday's unfortunate events in honduras, which were a test of the interamerican system's ability to support and defend democracy and constitutional order in our hemisphere. the united states has been working with our partners in the o.a.s. to fashion a strong consensus condemning it is detention and expulsion of the

president and calling for the full restoration of democratic order in hurenls. our immediate priority is to restore full democratic and constitutional order in that country. today, foreign ministers of the rio group will be attending a previously scheduled meeting of central american leaders to address the issue of honduras, and tomorrow the o.a.s. will hold an extraordinary general assembly. as we move forward, all parties have a responsibility to address the underlying problems that led to yesterday's events in a way that enhances democracy and it is rule of law in honduras. to that end, we will continue working with the o.a.s. and other partners to construct a process of dialogue and engagement that will promote to the restoration of democratic order, address the serious problems of political polarization in honduras, restore confidence in their institutions of government, and

insure that honduras moves successfully towards its scheduled presidential elections in november of this year. at the o.a.s. general assembly earlier in the month, some of you were with me there, the united states insisted that the larger debate on cuba be framed within the o.a.s.'s commitment to democracy and human rights. along with key partners, we won a reaffirmation of the principles of democracy and constitutional order that define the organization of american states. now, it is wisdom of our approach i think was evident yesterday when the o.a.s. and the interamerican democratic charter were used as the basis for our response to the coup that occurred. let me also say a word about the detention of five british embassy staff in tehran. we are following this situation with great concern.

we have noted the statement from the europe union. we find that the harassment of embassy staff is deplorable and we will continue to support the united kingdom in calling for their release. finally on iraq, tomorrow, june 30, marks the end of u.s. troop presence in iraqi cities and localities. this is a significant milestone in the responsible withdrawal of our forces from iraq and in iraq's journey to become a stable, sovereign, self-reliant state. this morning i held a secure video conference with ambassador hill and some of his senior team in baghdad. he provided up to the minute dates on the political and economic situation in iraq, and we discussed a number of the challenges and opportunities that we are facing. as you remember, this withdrawal is occurring under the so-called sofa agreement,

the status of forces agreement, and it is occurring in concert with the iraqis. there is another document that we will now be turning our attention to with even greater concern. that is the strategic framework agreement, which sets forth the way forward for the relationship between the united states and iraq. so there is a lot going on, and i wanted to come down and talk about some of what we are doing, and i would be happy to take some of your questions. >> do you believe that a military coup de-tat has taken place in honduras, or are you studying a formal legal determination that a coup has taken place, and that would

trigger the aid appropriations cut-off that is required under u.s. law? >> well, we do think this has evolved into a coup. the. , as you know, has been expelled -- the president, as you know, has been expelled. another person has been substituted for the president. but we think that had is a fast-moving situation that requires constant attention, which we are certainly providing to it, along with our bilateral pat ners, and through the o.a.s. as our multilateral vehicle. we are en-- encouraging that there be a delegation going to honduras following the extraordinary general assembly tomorrow to begin working with the parties to try to restore constitutional order. so we are withholding any formal leg determination, but i

think the reality is that having scompold the president, we have a lot of >> expelled the president, we have a lot of work to do. >> are you now thinking about cutting off aid did not >> secretary clinton, isn't the united states in an uncomfortable position because you are invoking democratic new orleans to restore a president some would argue was taking illegal steps to remain in office? >> it is important that we stand for the rule of law and democracy and constitutional order. when i talk about supporting the work being done in the o.a.s., and certainly a distinguished delegation, i think all parties involved have to take a step back and look at

how the institutions within their democracy are supposed to be working. so there are certain concerns about orders by independent judicial officials that should be followed and the like. but the extraordinary step taken of arresting and expelling the president is our first and foremost concern right now. then we do want to work with the parties, as i said, to return to a rule of law, and that means for everybody. everybody needs to take a step back here, take a deep breath and say we have a lot at stake in maintaining our democracy and not going backwards, and we would expect all parties to play a responsible role in doing that. >> you mentioned iraq. i am wondering if there are ways in which you think the iraqis are still vulnerable to letting the security situation slip back to where it was, or

are you fully confident? >> well, bob, i spoke to ambassador hill today. i have spoken to him a number of times in the last couple of weeks, and both he and the general have reiterated their belief that the iraqi forces are up to the job that confronts them. now the united states is prepared to assist if necessary, but there is a great deal of confidence in the fundamental ability of the iraqis to begin to protect their citizens. having said that, we've seen what has happened in the last few weeks. we have had some horrific bombings and the loss of hundreds of lives. but our assessment is that the iraqis are ready, willing and able to step up to this. and as i said, we will continue our presence there. we are not pulling wholesale out. we will continue our presence

there as we fulfill our requirements under the sofa. >> madam secretary, i hope you are feeling well? >> thank you. i am engaged in a different form of arms control, quite challenging. [laughter] >> on iran, the sense we have been getting from your aids that we have been talking to is that the u.s. policy of engagement is somewhat in abeyance right now as we wait to see this fluid situation on the ground in tehran and throughout the country evolve. but i wonder what you would say to the argument that any prospect for meaningful engagement by the u.s. and the p-5 plus one are drastically set back by what we have send, that you have gotten your answer, that you have seen an theriot taryne regime unmask

itself, and that in essence they are never going to strike any grand bargain with you? >> well, there certainly is reason for us to be cautious in our dealings with iran. there is not yet a final outcome of the process that they are engaged in internally to demonstrate to their own people the credibility of the electoral process that has just been completed. i am well aware of the daunting challenges ahead of us or any group that tries to deep with the iranian regime. having said that, i think the president has made clear in several statements in the last week that we are going to watch

this unfold, and we are going to act in america's national interests. that is what this has always been about. it has never been about iran as much as it has been about the values, goals and interests of the united states of america. and we remain committed to doing all we can to try to prevent iran from becoming a nuclear weapons power. so we're going to watch this, and we are going to gauge our actions accordingly. >> in way that these events may have enhanced the process? >> i am not going to make a value judgment on what they may or may not have done. i am going to reiterate that everything we intend to do is in light of how we view america's long-term interests and security as well as those of friends and alleys -- allies, not just in the region but around the world. >> if i may return to honduras,

the u.s. provides aid both under the foreign assistance act and it is millennium challenge. even there are coups, you are not going to cut off that aid? >> we are assessing what the outcome of this will be. this has been a fast-moving set of circumstances over the last several days. much of our response is conditioned on the integrity of the democratic system. but if we were able to get to a status quo that returns to the rule of law and constitutional order within a relatively short period of time, i think that would be a good outcome. we are looking at all this, consideration the complications of it, but we are working with our partners in trying to restore the constitutional order in honduras.

>> would you insist on -- >> we are working with our partners. the o.a.s. will have this extraordinary general assembly tomorrow. we haven't laid out any demands that we are insisting on because we are working with others on behalf of our ultimate objectives which are shared broadly. we think that the arrest and expulsion of a president is certainly cause for concern that has to be addressed. it is not just with respect to whether our aid continues but whether democracy in honduras continues. >> madam second, back to iran, the council has announced that after a limited recount that they consider the vote valid. is this enough for the international community? do you plan on recognizing the government of president ahmadinejad? we have seen this crisis over it is last few weeks illustrate

a real division in the regime. do you think this is the beginning of the end of the iranian regime? >> well, you i am not going to speculate on what happens with their internal regime. obviously they have a huge credibility gap with their own people as to the election process, and i don't think that is going to disappear by any finding of a limited review of a relatively small number of ballots. clearly, these internal matters are for iranian people to address themselves. hopefully they will be given the right to do that. it has been my position and that of the administration that we support the fundamental values of people's voices being heard, their votes being counted, and we will have to see how this unfolds. this is an historic moment for iran and for the iranian

people, and i don't want to speculate on how it is going to turn out. >> well, will you recognize president ahmadinejad as the democratically elected president? >> we are taking this a day at a time. we are going to see how this turns out. thank you all very much. >> don't break your elbow. that is my last word of advice. every day it gets a little bit better. thanks all. >> president obama announced new efficiency standards for light bulbs which he says could save billions of dollars for consumers a year. this is about 10 minutes.

>> since taking office, my administration has mounted a sustained response to an historic economic crisis. but even as we take decisive action to repair the damage to our economy, we are also working to build a new foundation for sustained and lasting economic growth. we know this won't be easy, but this is a moment where we have been called upon to cast off the old ways of doing business and act boldly to reclaim america's future. nowhere is this more important than in building a new clean energy economy, ending our dependence on foreign oil and limiting the dangerous pollutants that threaten our health and the health of our planet. that is precisely what we have begun to do. thanks to broad coalitions ranging from business, to labor, investors to entrepreneurs, democrats and republicans, from coal states and coastal states, and all who

are willing to take on this challenge, we have come together to achieve more in the past few months to create a new clean energy economy than we have in decades. we began with historic investments in the recovery act, and the federal budget that will help create hundreds of thousands of jobs, doing it is work of doubling our country's supply of renewable energy. we are talking about jobs building wind turbines and solar panels, jobs developing next generation solutions for cars. jobs updating our power grids so it can carry clean renewable energy from the far-flunk areas that harness it to the big cities that use is. we have created incentives for companies to develop cleaner more efficient vehicles and for americans to drive them. we set a new policy aimed at

increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks sold in the united states. as a result, we will save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next five years, the projected equivalent of taking 58 mill cars off the road for an entire year. we know that even as we speak, solutions to our energy problems at home, the solution to global climate change requires american leadership abroad. that is why i have a.ed a global climate envoy to lead our engagement to the international communicates as we transition to a global economy. just last friday, the house of representatives came together to pass an extraordinary piece of legislation that will finally open the door to decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, preventing the worst cons ens conferences of climate change and making clean energy the profitable kind of

energy. thanks to members of congress who are willing to place america's progress before the usual washington politics, this bill will create new businesses, new industries and millions of new jobs, all without imposing untenable burdens on the american people or businesses. in the months to come, the senators will take up its verse of the bill, and i am confident they will choose to move this country forward. we haven a lot done over the last six months. we are also changing the ways we use energy. one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest ways to make our economy stronger and cleaner is to make our economy more energy efficient. that is something that secretary chu is working every single day to work through. we know the benefits. in the late 1970's the state of

california enacted tougher energy efficiency policies. over the next three tech aids, those policies helped create almost 1.5 million jobs. and today, californians consume 40% less energy per person than the national average, which over time has prevented the need to build at least 24 new power plants. think about that. california, producing jobs, their economy keeping pace with the rest of the country, and yet they have been able to maintain their energy yoong at a much lower level than the rest of the country. that is why we took significance steps in the recovery ack to invest in energy efficiency measures, for modernizing federal buildings, for helping american families make upgrades to their homes, steps that will safe money.

that is why i have asked the secretary to lead a new effort at the department of energy focusing on more efficiency standards for common household aappliances like refrigerators and yovens. which will spark innovation, save money and reduce energy demands. today we are promoting action that is will create jobs in the short run and save money and reduce dangerous emissions in the long run. the first step we are taking sets new efficiency standards on fluorescent and incandescent lighting. i know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7% of all the energy consumed in america is used to light our homes and businesses. between 2012 and 2042, these nu standards will save consumers up to $4 billion a year.

conserve enough electricity to power every home in america for 10 minutes, reduce emotions by the equivalent of 166 million cars a year and eliminate the need for as many as 14 coal-fired power plants. by the way, we are going to start here at the white house. secretary chu has already started to look at our light bulbs and replace them. if we want to make our economy run more efficiently, we also have to make our homes and businesses run more efficiently. that is it why we are also speeding up a $346 million investment under the recovery act to expand the accelerate the development, deployment and use of energy efficient technologies in residential and commercial buildings, which consume almost 40% of the energy we use and crints to almost 40% of the carbon pollution we produce. we are talking about

technologies that are available right now, or will soon be available, from lighting to windows, heating to cooling, smart sensors and controls. by adopting these technologies in our homes and businesses, we can make our buildings up to 80% more energy efficient. or with additions like solar panels on the roof, or geothermal power underground, turn them into buildings that produce as much energy as they consume. it may seem forefetched, but the idea is we are not lacking for ideas or innovation. all we lack is the politics and the will to put our ingenuity to work. when we put aside posturing and politics, and things based on evidence rather than ideology, then a simple choice emerges. we can remain the world's leading importer of oil, or we

can become the world's leading exportser of clean energy. we can allow climate change to wreak unnatural havoc or prevent its fact. we can embrace the reality that our competitors already have. the nation that leads the world in creating a new careen energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy. that is our choice, between a slow decline and renewed prosperity, between the past and the future. the american people have made their choice. they expect us to move forward right now in this moment of great challenge and stake our claim on the future. a stronger, cleaner and more prosperous future where we meet our obligations to our citizens, our children and to god's creation, and where the united states of america leads once again. that is the future we are aiming for.

i've got a great secretary of energy who is helping us achieve it. i want to thank again the house of representatives for doing the right thing on friday, and we are absolutely confident that we are going to be able to make more progress in the weeks and months to come. thanks, guys. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> tomorrow morning, a discussion on u.s. energy policy and the future of renewable energy. we will hear from the chairman of the federal energy regulatory commission. live coverage on c-span 2. later, a conversation on iran's

nuclear program and the political situation in tehran. live coverage from the heritage foundation begins at 10:00 eastern, also on c-span 2. up next, a number of federal judges talk about ways to improve the u.s. unusual system. from the american constitution society, this is 1:35. >> our first session of the morning. thank you all for coming. as you know, the title of this session is improving the court, the perspective from the bench.