john lewis who still has a pen that lbj used to sign the historic civil rights legislation into law in 1965. snowden standoff. russia today rejects the u.s. demand to turn over the nsa leaker, as vladimir putin confirms snowden is still at that moscow airport. side-stepping congress on climate change. the president is set to make a major policy speech within the next hour. announcing steps he plans to take by executive action to combat global warming. but will it be enough to satisfactory activist critics of his record? and, lost and found. rusty, the red panda, made his get-away from the national zoo here in washington. and as the search stretched out to nearby neighborhoods yesterday, theories popped up on twit ber this pter about this p run. "the panda reportedly booked a flight to havana with assistance from julian assange." after hours of eluding his keepers, rusty was finally

cornered. vladimir putin has not commented but the run-away panda is back at the zoo at his keepers investigate how did he escape in the first place? >> we'll look at every aspect of the exhibit and not let this happen again. >> you bet they won't. good day, i'm andrea mitchell in washington where the supreme court today stripped key provisions from the historic voting rights act. the five-bloc conservative majority said even though d discrimination during elections still exists, it is now up to congress to decide which districts warrant federal intervention and that would be an insurmountable task for a legislative body that's dysfunctional on its best day. nbc legal correspondent pete williams is at the court. the court hinted broadly in the oral arguments last october. >> reporter: four years ago in a similar case the supreme court came close to striking down the voting rights act and rattled

its saber and said to congress things have changed in the south, evasive discrimination that existed in 1965 is a relic of the past, congress has got to update this law. congress did nothing, so you it should surprise no one that the supreme court has done what it threatened to do four years ago and today blew a crippling and potentially fatal hole in the voting rights act. here is i think the best way to understand the court's logic. they say the voting rights act upsets the normal balance between the federal government and the states. the states normally, under our constitution, get to decide how elections are held. the federal government in the voting rights act presumes any change at all in elections in the state's covered by the law to be improper. the states are guilty until proven innocent. they have to get permission from the federal government in order to make changes. the supreme court says you know, when we have upheld the voting rights act in the past, we did so because discrimination was

such a huge problem that it justified that kind of upset in the normal balance between the federal government and the states. that no longer is the case, the majority said. they cite census bureau numbers from a recent election showing that the african-american voter turnout in 5 of the 6 states in the south covered by the law is higher than white voter turnout. so they say congress needs to adapt the law if it is going to continue to be constitutional and because it hasn't, it has to be struck down. so in theory the part of the law that says you have to get permission before you make changes, that's still good. it is the question of who's covered by the law that is now back up to congress. and in the meantime, that section, the most important part of the voting rights being a, is dead in the water. >> this is what the vice president had had to say about working with congress to make these changes. >> we're going to work with congress in this effort. administration is going to do everything in our power to ensure fair and equal voting

processes are maintained. so there is a lot of work that has to be done. nonetheless, it is disappointing that the court made the change. >> we know how dysfunctional congress has been in every aspect -- senate versus house and disagreements within parties as well. let's go over some of the states here that are involved in -- the states that are affected ghi bys decision. talking about the entire state of texas, south carolina, georgia, louisiana, mississippi, virginia, alaska, arizona, alabama and parts of these states -- florida, north carolina, new york, south dakota, michigan, new hampshire. so this is not only the deep south. these are areas that have been found in the past -- have been held by the federal government to discriminate or act in ways that disaffect minorities in their ability to register and vote. >> reporter: not just racial minorities because the law has been changed over the years since it was passed in 1965 to include, for example, language

minorities. so it captures native americans in the southwest, it captures parts of alaska. so, yes. but it is predominantly the south. that's where the problem was. if you think about the political climate in 1965 that led to this law, it's nothing like that now. now what the dissenters say today, this was a 5-4 decision along the usual lines, the majority written by the chief justice, ruth bader ginsburg writing for the minority says that it is still a pervasive problem. the supreme court it says is ignore is the fact that things have improved in the south because of the voting rights act and it has to be kept in order to basically keep things that are only vaguely underground to keep from bubbling up again. they cite continuing problems that make it harder for african-americans and other minorities to vote. >> thank you, pete williams, for that perspective.

it is the proper introduction for georgia congressman john lewis who has been a national leader in the civil rights movement of course from the beginning, for five decades. was there when president johnson signed the voting rights act into law in 1965. dr. martin luther king jr., of course, was there, who put his life on the line in selma to try to get that law passed. you join us now from capitol hill. congressman, your immediate reaction to gutting -- basically gutting the central enforcement mechanisms of the voting rights act? >> i must tell you, i was disappointed because i think what the court did today is stab the voting rights act of 1965 in its very heart. it is a major setback. we may not have people beaten today. maybe they're not being denied the right to participate, to register to vote, they're not being chased by police dogs or

trampled by horses, but in the 11 states that are old confederacy and even some states outside of the south, there's been a systematic, deliberate attempt to take us back to another period. these men that voted to strip the voting rights act of its power, they never stood in unmovable lines. they never had to pass a so-called literacy test. it took us almost 100 years to get where we are today. so will it take another 100 years to fix it, to change it? i call upon my colleagues in the congress to get it right, to fix it. we renewed the act in 2006, only 33 members in the house voted against it. not a single member of the united states senate in its base, on tomorrow, on resear-- testimony, on research, it is

what's taken place in the past, it is going on still today. >> you know there is a lot more disagreement in both houses an congress. what are the chances of mobil e mobilizing authorities to get this through, past the hastert rule in the house? >> it is going to be very difficult. but people said the same thing in 1965. because of what happened on bloody sunday, because of the murder of three civil rights workers that i knew, just 49 years ago this month. we must not forget our past. we must not forget our history. if we forget it, we will repeat it. >> this august is going to be a very important anniversary of the march on washington. when dr. martin luther king gave the great speech on the mall and

you were standing right at his side. will this mobilize even more people to come to washington, do you think? should this be the spark to re-ignite that? >> i think what happened today with the supreme court will motivate hundreds and thousands of people, african-american, latino, white, asian-american, native american, men, women, students, to come out. the vote is precious. it is sacred. when i spoke at the march on washington on august 28, 1963, 50 years ago, i was reading a copy of a newspaper and i saw a group of women in southern africa carrying signs saying "one man, one vote." and i said, one man, one vote is our cry, it is ours, too, and it must be ours. and it is more relevant today than back in 1963. >> what is your message to the supreme court?

>> my message to members of the united states supreme court is -- remember, don't forget, our recent history. walk in our shoes. come and walk in our shoes. come and walk in the shoes of those three young men that died in mississippi. come and walk in the shoes of those of us who walk across that bridge on bloody sunday, march 7, 1965. >> did you think on that day when lyndon johnson signed this in to law that five members of a supreme court, the majority, would some day gut it the way it has today? >> i didn't think that on that day when president johnson signed the voting rights act, that i would live to see five members of the united states supreme court undoing what president johnson did with those pens. and i have one of the pens that he used to sign that law at my

home in atlanta. and when i get home, i will pick up that pen. >> and perhaps could you write a note to one of the justices. mr. lewis. >> thank you. >> thank you very much, congressman. thanks for being with us. as you know, it is always a privilege to talk to you. >> well, thank you so much. and there are fewer than 100 days until the affordable care act takes effect. the obama administration has launched a new effort now to raise awareness about the online health insurance marketplace. it is known as exchanges. a key part of it. joining me now, health and human services secretary cat clean sebelius. madam secretary, thank you very much for being with us. >> great to be with you. >> first of all, how important is the communication now to try to get people comfortable with what is very, very new, these exchanges, but it is a critical economic component to make the

health care law -- to make it work? >> well, the new health marketplaces, which open on october 1st in ef state in the country, will for the first time offer a lot of people some opportunity for affordable, available health coverage. it is a one-stop shop. people can go online. health ca healthcare.gov is the information hub and figure out which plan works for themselves and their families. when open enrollment starts, be able to come online and sign up for coverage very easily an figure out what financial assistance they may be entitled to. so far 41 million americans who are el giigible for new coverag under the affordable care act, this is a brand-new day for them and their families. >> one of the challenges you face is that in our latest poll,

the you newest nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, the affordable care act is upside down in the polls. only 37% believe it is a good idea. 49% believe it is a bad idea. how do you turn that around? >> well, i think, andrea, your poll shows that far too many people still don't understand the law and so we have a big job to do. what we find in focus groups and conversations with americans at their kitchen tables is that once we people understand that for 85% of americans who have health care that they like, have plan through their worksite or medicare or are involved in a self-insurance program that works for hem and their families, nothing changes except that their policy gets stronger. we're talking about new markets for small business owners an for individuals who are underinsured or totally uninsured. that's who the marketplace is

aiming to have as their customers. and for them the opportunity for the first time ever to have some financial assistance, to get health care that works for them and their families is a brand-new day. so once people understand that's what the law is about, they are very enthusiastic about the benefits. so our job really is to make sure people understand medicare doesn't change, it just gets stronger. private health insurance offered through employer that works for folks doesn't change. this is really about a part of the market that hasn't work for years and too many people who don't have affordable health care through their job sites or who work on their own or who are trying to start up a new business and terrified to leave their job because they don't think they'll have affordable health care. that's what the new market is about. >> before i let you go, i wanted to ask you about some of the new state legislation -- lenl

legislative initiatives against women's reproductive options. they have now in the first three months of 2013 alone, we've got do data that state lawmakers have introduced 326 restrictions on access to reproductive options, according abortion. some of them, most recently in texas, call a rape kit the same as abortion. how do you deal with that at hhs? >> well, i think one of the things about, again, the affordable care act and the policies that will be available, not only in the new marketplaces but private policies throughout the insurance market is women's health services are really being paid attention to. a whole array of preventative care has been recommended, including the range of contraceptive coverage authorized by the fda.

that will be available to women free of charge with their health insurance, because we know that's good for women an we know it is good for their families to make their own decisions about health care. so i would say that we're moving in a very different direction. i'm alarmed about restrictions being passed by various legislators that take out of the control of women and their partners and their doctors and their priests their own decisions about their health care. i think women in america should make their own decisions and have a range of options available to them. >> thank you so much, secretary sebelius. thanks for joining us today. >> sure. great to be with you. and trouble in kabul. early this morning a brazen attack in what is considered one of afghanistan's safest areas surrounded by security checkpoints. the hotel, the headquarters for some u.s. agencies in kabul, was the target for a small group of men believed to be from haqqani

terrorist network which is based in afghanistan. they unleashed security forces as people were gathering for a news conference at the presidential palace gates. all the attackers were killed in the fight. four of five afghan security personnel were injured. there were some deaths as well. for more than 40 minutes journalists took cover. you thought this beach couldn't get any more tempting...

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let me be very clear. we will not hesitate to take swift enforcement action using every legal tool that remains to us against any jurisdiction that seeks to take advantage of the

supreme court's ruling by hindering eligible citizens' full and free exercise of the franchise. >> as we continue to gather reaction to the supreme court's decision overturning a major enforcement mechanism of the landmark 1965 voting rights act leaving action up to congress, we're joined by a veteran supreme court lawyer, tom goldstein, and cherilyn eiffel. i just was talking to congressman tom lewis who of course was with dr. martin luther king jr. and present when lbj signed the bill into law in 1965. still has one of the pens and he said that his message to the court would be come walk if our shoes. you know, you were not facing the dogs and you were not facing the water hoses and you don't know -- it took us 100 years to get that law passed. and he said that it was stabbing

the voting rights act in its very heart. your reaction today. >> well, first of all, that's a very eloquent statement by john lewis, to which we all have to really pay attention. i mean not only did the court not walk in the shoes that john lewis walk in 50 years ago, but, you know, the court also is not walking in the shoes of our clients. the naacp legal defense funds represents black voters in shelby county, alabama. we were parties in this case. we argued this case in the supreme court. and our clients can well attest to the ongoing issue of racial discrimination and voting in their jurisdiction. shelby county, alabama was found by a court to have engaged in voting discrimination just in 2008. so this is not just about history. this is about the reality of today. it is the reality in towns and villages and counties all across

the united states. what the supreme court did today i think was not only an act of judicial overreach, but it was a real betrayal of minority voters in this country and it was a slap in the face to congress because congress reauthorized the act in 2006. they amassed a 15,000-page record. they looked rigorously at not just what happened in 1965 or 1975, or 1982 when the voting rights act was reauthorized, but they looked at what had been happening in the covered jurisdictions under the voting rights act up until 2006 and they determined that the act had to be reauthorized and that the coverage formula was appropriate to protect minority voting. the supreme court today has essentially thrown out the 15,000-page record that congress amassed and has essentially said that 98 senators, and 390 representatives in the house, acted irrationally when they reauthorized the voting rights act in 2006.

it is a shocking decision, it is a disturbing decision and now congress has to act and frankly, we have to act all over america to press congress to return to the table and to restore the protections of section 5 of the voting rights act. >> tom goldstein, pete williams was saying earlier that four years ago the court basically warned congress, you better get your act together and act on this. there was plenty of lead-up to this, was there not? and that congress hadn't done anything, this very dysfunctional congress, in the last years and months in particular. so now what is the rationale in chief justice roberts' decision, and the counter argument by ruth bader ginsburg speaking for the minority. >> the supreme court did by a wide majority several years ago gave this a shot across the bow in congress. some would say that was somewhat fake. the law stood, it was broadly reauthorized. it is very hard for congress to

do anything at least until its feet are put to the fire. chief justice said we did warn you, we gave have you advanced warning about our serious concerns about the statute and we've just decided that the country has changed enough that this formula, the original list of jurisdictions that are covered, needs to be narrowed materially. dissenters were having none of that and explained that congress, just as my eiffel was explaining, took a very hard look at this question. they were the ones in the best position to make a judgment about where there is ongoing racial discrimination, but in the divide in the supreme court. those that are more suspicious of laws that are targeted at racial issues, more willing to give the states latitude versus a minority on the supreme court. >> we are understanding from our senate team that pat leahy, the chair of the judiciary committee, will hole hearings this coming month and try to get something going. that's the senate, of course, democratic controlled, very narrowly controlled, of course. and the house would be another

matter. what are your hopes of getting something through congress? >> i have very high hopes. this is a place in which congress really exercises the height of its power and the framers of the 15th amendment to the constitution could not have been more clear that it is congress and not the supreme court that has the authority to determine how best to enforce the ban against voting discrimination contained within the 515th amendment. supreme court overreached today. they put themselves in a position above congress by essentially saying yes, did you all that work, yes, you made a determination but we don't agree with you. tom said it, we think it's different. right? but the 15th amendment says that's not the supreme court's place but the supreme court speaks, it's the rule of law, that's what we follow in this congres country, and now congress has to do what they did in 1982 and 2006. congress was not a body all h hugging each other in those days as well.

there were many difficulties within congress. president reagan signed the reauthorization of the voting rights act. president bush signed the reauthorization of the voting rights act. this has always been a bipartisan piece of legislation and the reason it is, because it is embodies what we all aspire to in this country. it is a recognition of our highest democratic principles, the idea of equality, the idea of inclusion, the idea of ensuring that we don't make the victims of voting discrimination bear the burden of proving it. that's at the heart of what our country thinks about itself. we should remember that it was 49 years ago that goodman, cheney and schwerner disappeared when they went down to mississippi to address the issue of voting rights. we should remember it is the 50th anniversary in august of the march on washington. this is a moment not to simply look back and remember those historic days, but recognize

what it took to create america. it took hard work, it took americans of every race in every part of this country standing for the principle of equality and that's what we are expecting from americans and from congress this summer and into the fall. >> thank you so much, cherilyn. tom, quickly speaking of equal rights, and tomorrow we have two major cases to be heard from tomorrow. is tomorrow the last day of the term. so we will hear about gay marriage tomorrow. >> that's absolutely right. court closes the door on a historic term with rulings on california's proposition 8 and the defense of marriage act tomorrow morning. >> we will be there and we will talk to you again, tom. cherilyn eiffel, thanks so much today. phone calls made by george zimmerman before the night of 17-year-old trayvon martin's death were the major focus of arguments made by the defense team and florida prosecutors this morning. witnesses have taken the stand throughout the day. we may hear from witness number

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this is less a legal issue. we have charges against him. he no longer has a passport and this is now really a political issue. and it is an issue of political leverage. whether the u.s. actually has any leverage with russia at this point to get putin to actually arrest him and send him back is really open to question. especially because this relates to the intelligence community and spying, this is an area of particular tension between russia and the united states. as we saw just over a month ago, the expulsion of a cia officer in russia, in moscow. so this is not a place where the two countries have especially good relations. >> in fact, i was told by a top official that the foreign ministry, led by the foreign minister, lavrov, really has no control over this. that this, by implication, ispu.

>> i think putin has extensive though not complete control, and certainly over the fsb as a former kgb office person this will ultimately be a decision by putin whether or not he wants to use his authority to help the united states. there is no extradition treaty but that's not going to really matter. if putin wants to hand him over, he will and the question is, is it really in their interests. i think from vladimir putin's perspective, it may not be. >> do you have any doubt that russia has seen whatever secrets are left on those laptops? >> i think officials in the u.s. are very, very worried that both the chinese and the russians have seen it. the assumption is that they've seen it, but i would also add that i'm not sure that there is yet evidence that they've seen it. the fact is that in hong kong for several weeks, in russia now for a day, two-plus days, it is certainly possible. but i think there is also an expect ace that no matter who's seen this, almost all, if not all of it, will eventually get out because even if he's

ultimately arrested, other people clearly have this information already, whether it is wikileaks or someone else. i don't think anyone thinks that this information is not going to see public bias. >> what is the nsa or other agencies doing now after the barn door was open? what are they doing now to change the systems so that an independent single player, a lone wolf analyst or system administrator, can't have so much access, can't roam so broadly. can't bring in a thumb drive, for crying outloud, and walk out with all of this stuff. more than 1 million documents that i've been told out. and is there a buddy system or what sort of protections are being put in. >> i think there are basically three thrusts right now being pursued by general keith alexander at the nsa. he faces a really tough task at hand right now. the first is to figure out what he actually stole, to know what is out there and know how it could damage our sources or

methods in the future. he was the equivalent of a world war ii code clerk. he had system administrator privileges which gave him access to lots of different information on almost every topic. tightening that up so it does have to be more than one person, not just one individual, can get this information. third, which i think is incredibly important in the long run, continuing to make the case as a matter of counterterrorism national security that these programs can be preserved and they can preserve civil liberties. those are really the three thrusts. >> a hong kong paper that's quoting snowden is saying that he went in to this booz allen contracting job for a month. we know he was dealing with glen greenwald in february before he was hired but that he went in with this purpose. is that credible? >> i think it is credible. i think all of this has -- if we look at what he's done, the

movement to hong kong, taking the four laptops, this has been a pretty methodical approach by snowden so it certainly wouldn't shock me that he had planned this going in. and what clearly the entire u.s. intelligence community, director of national intelligence, cia, nsa are going to have to look at is how does someone with what seems to be a pretty well thought-out plan get through the many security clearance checks, the polygraphs and the like and how can you spot people like this more effectively in the future. that's a big task. >> thank you so much. michael leiter. today nelson mandela's family met for a family meeting at his hopt home me as he remai hospitalized. president zuma says they're doing their best to make sure the comfort and well being of the 94-year-old icon continues. mandela's daughter spoke to nbc news this morning after visiting her father. she said he opened his eyes and

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the senate took another major step towards passing comprehensive immigration reform bill monday with 67 senators voting to allow debate on an amendment designed to pick up conservative support by adding billions of dollars to border control. north dakota senator john hoeven is a co-author of the border surge amendment and joins me now from capitol hill. senator, thanks for being with us. >> you bet. >> do you think that this now, having at least gotten past cloture and past phil bufilibus does this now make the immigration reform palatable to you? will you support it? >> we made major improvements to it but continue to work for more amendments both to continue to improve it and to get more bipartisan support.

i think that's the right approach because we want a product that the american people support with as much bipartisan support in congress as possible. as we work on it in the senate and get it over to the house. >> this is expensive and john mccain, among others -- but john mccain said it is not necessary, that it is overkill, that it is spending too much. he said, okay, he would support it, but he thought that immigration reform, in and of itself, was obviously an important goal but that it was not necessary to do this much on the border side. >> we're taking a secure the border first approach to xr comprehensive immigration reform. i think that's what the american people want so we put a lot of resources on the border to secure it. that means $4.5 billion technology plan that includes sensors, radars, all those things so we can know who's coming across the border illegally and stop them. 700 miles of fence.

the other thing, we require a mandatory e-verify system nationally so you take away the incentive to come across the border because you won't be able to get a job in this country illegally, as well as electronic entry and exit at all airports and seaports that have international customs offices. this is about building bipartisan support and people want to know that we aren't going to be back in this problem in the future and that means securing the border. >> there is also another issue as to a trigger. some arguing that border has to be "90% secure" before immigration reform, other provisions can go georgia into effe -- >> we've changed that to ensure five triggers be met, as well as internal enforcement with e-verify and the entry/exit systems at airports and seaports, as well as enforcing overstays, which is about 40%

right now. and it is about having the illegals here today go to the back of the line. these triggers have to be met an then it is ten years before they are able to apply for a green card status. then they'd still have to go through naturalization after that in order to become a citizen. so it is truly about going to the back of the line but this is what the american people have said they need in order to support comprehensive immigration reform. >> the president is about to make a big announcement on climate change and part of it, according to sam stein of "huff post," is that the keystone pipeline should not be approved unless it can be stebd that it will not have a net increase in greenhouse gases. coming from north dakota, which is the center of the energy burst right now with all the natural gas up there, how do you feel about that proposal? >> i believe myself it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. right now that oil is being transported by train, truck and tanker. that's going to continue to happen. so the pipeline, with the

pipeline it will be safer with reduced emissions. we produce the lightest, sweetest crude anywhere, the pipeline reduces emissions. i saw other reporting there would actually be an increase because of some of the heavy equipment that's required for at least getting the natural gas in your state out. >> andrea, they are making the assumption that that oil is not going to be produced if the keystone pipeline is not built. that's just not true. what it probably means is instead of coming to the united states so we don't have to get oil from the middle east, the oil will go to china. >> thank you very much, senator hoeven. the president is coming out and we'll be right back and pick it up.

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is laying out his most sweeping climate change proposals to date. let's hear just a bit. >> droughts and fires and floods, they go back to ancient times. but we also know that in a world that's warmer than it used to be, all weather events are affected by a warming planet. the fact that sea level in new york, in new york harbor, are now a foot higher than a century ago, that didn't cause hurricane sandy, but it certainly contributed to the destruction that left large parts of our mightiest city dark and underwater. >> joining me now, nbc news white house correspondent peter alexander, and nbc news capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell. as the president is still warming up to outline his proposals, peter, there's been a lot of criticism among many of

his strongest supporters that he has really done very little, starting with copenhagen and his early meetings on climate change overseas, that he has done. so now there isn't legislation. he's been blocked by congress. what is he planning to do on his own by executive action? >> andrea, it's worth noting that he's making this speech on climate change, and the fact is the white house indicates 12 of the hottest years on record have been in the last 15 years. it's more than 90 degrees outside right now. he's supposed to talk for 30 minutes. people are going to experience that heat today. he's really trying to restart this conversation. everything that he's going to be proposing in these remarks we're watching right now is stuff that can be done unilaterally, that can be done without congress' action. the president is going to be announcing some executive actions in the course of this conversation. one of the most important ones specifically is for the first time proposing limits on the

carbon pollution allotments, the carbon pollution produced by existing power plants right now. according to statistic, about 40% of the emissions produced in the u.s. right now come federal existing power plants. the president, the white house expected to announce as a course of this speech, an effort to try to set new standards in that regard that would go into effect within one year from now. obviously, major opposition to that from republicans who say that's a job-killing measure. >> and what do you expect on capitol hill, kelly? because one of the things that we're expected to hear according to sam stein's reporting is that the keystone pipeline would only be approved if it can be proved that it would not have a net increase in greenhouse gases. >> the keystone pipeline has been such a critical issue on capitol hill for a long time, and they've tried to pass it themselves without the president's approval, haven't gotten quite there yet. there is some expectation

talking with senators here that the president's outline today gives him a bit of room, if you will, to go ahead and pass, approve the keystone pipeline, which would soften some of the concerns on the right, but it does raise some issues. one of the things we've heard from progressives on capitol hill is they've had to wait in line when it comes to climate change behind some other important issues the president has devoted his time to. "don't ask, don't tell," immigration health cai immigrati immigration, health care, and tomorrow's supreme court ruling, not defending doma. the president has had a lot of critics on capitol hill within his party who've wanted this day to come. you have democrats in both the house and senate who are championing the kinds of issues the president's putting forward today. so this has been something people have waited for on both sides, and they're going to be digesting it for sure. >> and we're about to join the president and hear his specific proposals. thanks for joining us today.

here's the president. [ applause ] >> i refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that's beyond fixing. and that's why today i'm announcing a new national climate action plan, and i'm here to enlist your generation's help in keeping the united states of america a leader, a global leader in the fight against climate change. this plan builds on progress that we've already made. last year i took office -- or the year that i took office, my administration pledged to reduce america's greenhouse gas emissions by about 17% from their 2005 levels by the end of this decade. and we roll up our sleeves and got to work.

we doubled the electricity we generate from wind and the sun. we doubled the mileage our cars will get on a gallon of gas by the middle of the next decade. [ applause ] here at georgetown, i unveiled my strategy for a secure energy future. thanks to the ingenuity of our businesses, we're starting to produce much more of our own energy. we're building the first nuclear power plants in more than three decades in georgia and south carolina. for the first time in 18 years, america's poised to produce more of our own oil than we buy from other nations. today we produce more natural gas than anybody else. so we're producing energy, and these advances have grown our economy, they've created new jobs, they can't be shipped overseas, and by the way,

they've also helped drive our carbon pollution to its lowest levels in nearly 20 years. since 2006, no country on earth has reduced its total carbon pollution by as much as the united states of america. [ applause ] so it's a good start. but the reason we're all here in the heat today is because we know we've got more to do. in my state of the union address, i urged congress to come up with a bipartisan solution to climate change, like the one that republican and democratic senators worked on a few years ago. i still want to see that happen. i'm willing to work with anyone to make that happen. but this is a challenge that does not pause for partisan

gridlock. it demands our attention now. >> and that does it for edition of "andrea mitchell reports." tamron hall has a look at what's next. >> we continue to follow reaction to the supreme court's decision to void a key part of the voting rights action. the congressional black caucus and hispanic caucus will hold a news conference in about 30 minutes. and president obama has said he's, quote, deeply disappointed in that ruling. and today's ruling actually somewhat overshadowed what was supposed to be this major speech by the president on climate change. the speech is already happening. it's been criticized for not

going far enough. we'll take a look at the president east speech. plus, the woman who oversaw the neighborhood watch program george zimmerman was part of takes the stand in his trial. hey mom, is there a dressing room around here? no. mom, check it out! energy drinks. no. hey mom! dare me to do a back-flip? no. 1, 2, 3, 4! no! it's rated for class five white water. no! whooooooo! no, no! no, huh? yes! [ male announcer ] in a world filled with "no", it's nice to finally say "yes". oscar mayer selects hot dogs, no artificial preservatives and gluten free. it's yes food. it's oscar mayer.

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everyone, i'm tamron hall. the news nation is following heated and impassioned reaction to the landmark decision by the supreme court to strike down a key part of the 1965 voting rights act. within the hour, the congressional black caucus and hispanic caucus will address the ruling. right now we are watching as president obama delivers a major policy speech on climate change, which has been overshadowed by today's ruling. earlier, the president released a statement saying, quote, i am deeply disappointed with the supreme court's decision today. for nearly 50 years the voting rights act enacted and repeatedly renewed by wide bipartisan majors in congress has helped to secure the right to vote for millions of americans. today's decision invalidating one of its core provisions upsets decades of well-established practices that help make sure voting is fair, especially in places where voting discrimination has been historically prevalent. the law signed by