making a fist something we do to show resolve. to defend ourselves. to declare victory. so cvs health provides expert support and vital medicines. make a fist for me. at our infusion centers or in patients homes. we help them fight the good fight. cvs health, because health is everything. welcome to "taking the hill," i'm patrick murphy. today the signature weapon on the war on terror is drone scares. killed, hundreds from pakistan to yemen. we learned the toll included two western hostages. american warren weinstein and

italian giovanni lo porto. is it time to revise the controversial drone program? i'm going to speak to homeland security secretary jay johnson and house intelligence committee member congressman tomb rooney. later, an elite army ranger has returned to the field in afghanistan with a unique business plan. flip-flops in aid for the communities he fought to protect. president obama's announcement this week that a sigh drone strike accident -- cia drone strike accidentally killed two hostages has reignited debate. the white house will review its drone policy and find out how the precision strike went so wrong. after the president's announcement, i sat down with homeland security secretary jay johnson to discuss whether the drones are helping or hurting our national security. >> i think that our targeted use of lethal force when circumstances warrant has very definitely contributed to our

nurt and homeland security -- national security and homeland security regrettably in armed conflict nshs the use conflict, in the use of lethal force. we hit unintended we hit unintended objects, human beings. that's unfortunate. we're doing a much better job of minimizing collateral damage than we did just a generation or two ago with the evolutions in technology. you look back as recently as world war ii. a lawful military objective could include an entire city block. we do a much better job, we're much more targeted now. but are there unintended consequences that are -- that are human life tragedies, yes, unfortunately. i give the president a lot of credit for getting out there on

his own and taking responsibility for what happened and expressing regret. he's the commander in chief, leader of the nation. and he took on the responsibility for getting out there himself and acknowledging what happened. i give him a lot of credit for that. >> it was clear he was saying the buck stops here. mr. secretary, how about the reaction to those, though, the drone strikes and continuing drone strikes within the islamic community, within america, when you're going around and talking to folk? >> well it was a four-star general who reminded me once when i was preparing for a speech on the subject that in our counterterrorism and national security efforts, we have to always be mindful that we need to take people off the battlefield faster than the enemy can recruit people for the

battlefield. if in our efforts we do more to engender hostility or make it easier for the other guys to recruit, we have to be -- we have to be sensitive to that. i think our use of lethal force, our other methods of armed conflict have been targeted so that we're mindful of that. i believe that many people in this country support what we're doing. but we have to be sensitive to that. we have to be sensitive to what the consequences of our actions are. i like to say that whether we make a decision about our military objectives to support national security today, we have to be mindful of how that's going to be judged 10, 20, 30 years from now so we have a

sustainable national security policy that will stand the test of time. >> this past monday in minnesota, six americans were arrested suspected to join isis trying to recruit to go over to the middle east, to join isis against our country. have the numbers of american joining isis increased or decreased lately? >> we know that about 180 to 200 individuals have left this country or attempted to leave to go to the iraq/syria region to join up with terrorist organizations there. we know a handful have come back. this is an indication of how i believe the global terrorist threat has evolved. it's no longer one centralized organization, al qaeda training people giving orders and sending people overseas. we're now in a different phase where the global terrorist threat is more decentralized, more complicated, more diffuse.

we see this phenomenon of individuals traveling from their home countries, going to iraq and syria, linking up for the fight this and leaving and coming back to their home countries. that creates a very serious potential homeland security concern which we're very focused on in this department, plus you have the effective use now of the internet, social media by terrorist organizations where they make public calls for attacks on the west. which leads to the threat of the ypt actor, the so-called lone wolf. the fbi, the department of homeland security do an excellent job in my judgment to try to track these individuals, and the fbi in particular has done an excellent job in the law enforcement world of interdicting and apprehending people and prosecuting them for material support to terrorism. it is a more complicated world.

so in homeland security we've got to work more effectively with state and local law enforcement so that they know what's going on and we help them with information about what may be happening in their own communities. >> yeah. how about -- how do you judge that line -- when is that line crossed? someone who is on social media fantasize being joining isis first has clearly gone over that line and path to commit terror? >> it's more a law enforcement question. but there is definitely a bright line from simply aspiration to taking overt acts in furtherance of what prosecutors call material support to terrorism. and we see individuals more and more crossing that line who want to link up with terrorist organizations overseas and so the fbi in my judgment is doing an excellent job of trying to track these individuals and arresting them where appropriate. it's a new world, a new world

where we have to be focused more on what's happening in the homeland with the potential actor and lone wolf. homeland security is becoming a matter of hometown security, as well. >> how about -- talk about hometown security. we talk about isis, specifically. there's about 20 million sunnis between damascus and baghdad. that's where isis is trying to recruit from most leely how about isis as it relates to hometown security? would isis be an imminent, direct threat toward hometown security? >> i said over a year ago if february 2014, that syria has become a matter of homeland security. and what i was referring to is the potential for the foreign fighter to go to syria iraq come back, and possibly come to the united states. plus, the advent of the use of

the internet. so we in homeland security have to be focused on and be cognizant of what is happening overseas. it's one of the reason i've decided personally to take up in this country what we call cbe engagements -- countering violent extremism engagements. we go out into the community to say, an islamic cultural center or community leadership group. with law enforcement with the local scluf -- local sheriff, police chief, to talk about informing us if they see somebody headed in the wrong direction. it's an exercise in building trust, in building pape and it's, frankly,a i two-way street hief-- building partnership, and it's frankly a two-way street. i ask the community when i go to these places to say help us with

our homeland security mission. it's your homeland too your homeland security, your public safety. and so we have that dialogue. and it is very definitely chipping away at levels of suspicion that have built up in certain community, but we've got to do it in my judgment. >> we'll take a break right there. in a moment, jay johnson talks about the boston bombing case and the courage of those who survived that dark day. and make sure you let your voice be heard using the hash tag #takingthehill. thank you for being a sailor, and my daddy. thank you mom, for protecting my future. thank you for being my hero and my dad. military families are thankful for many things. the legacy of usaa auto insurance could be one of them. our world-class service earned usaa the top spot in a study of the most recommended large companies in america. if you're current or former military or their family, see if you're eligible to get an auto insurance quote.

people ship all kinds of things. but what if that thing is a few hundred thousand doses of flu vaccine. that need to be kept at 41 degrees. while being shipped to a country where it's 90 degrees. in the shade. sound hard? yeah. does that mean people in laos shouldn't get their vaccine? we didn't think so. from figuring it out to getting it done, we're here to help.

♪ ♪ ♪ you're only young once. unless you have a subaru. (announcer) the subaru xv crosstrek. symmetrical all-wheel drive plus 34 mpg. love. it's what makes a subaru a subaru.

tomorrow defense attorneys for the boston marathon bomber will begin presenting their case

as a jury weighs whether to sentence him to death or life in prison. when i sat down with security secretary jay johnson this week, we discussed the case as well as the inspiring way americans prevail in the wake of devastating terror attacks. this past week we had the boston marathon -- this past monday, patriots day in massachusetts. we're two years after obviously the boston bombing, no in the sentencing phase of that federal trial. what are the -- the trial. what would you say are the lessons learn theed as you see it from what happened two years ago? >> i think there are huge lessons learned. first of all, from the pure law enforcement homeland security perspective, we had some lessons learned about connecting the, doing a more effective job of connecting the dots. but when i think about the boston marathon, the first thing i think of is the response to the bombing reflected what is in my judgment the real character

of this country. i was in oklahoma city last weekend for the 20th anniversary of the bombing, just like i was at the boston marathon last year for the one-year anniversary of the bombing. it's no accident that in 2013 there are 27,000 runners in the boston marathon. in 2014 there were 26,000. in oklahoma they call it the oklahoma standard. our communities when tragedy strikes, comes back even stronger than it was before. what i like it tell audiences is that terrorism in any form cannot prevail if the people refuse to be terrorized. we see that again and again, where it's okoh city,-- it's oklahoma city boston the u.s. military new york, that's the character of our country. i think that is just as

important to homeland security as basic security. >> let's switch to cybersecurity if it's okay. general alexander said it's the largest transfer of wealth in history. it's about $4 billion a year just in cyber-crime. you had an announce thmt weekend in san francisco, what is the department of homeland security doing to combat cybersecurity, what needs to be done across the country? >> the essential mission of the department of homeland security is to work with the private sector, share information with the private sector to promote the cybersecurity in the private sector. we also are responsible for the cybersecurity of the federal civilian dot-gov world. so i was in san francisco earlier it week to give a talk to the rsa conference the largest cybersecurity conference out there. something like 20,000 people. it was a great opportunity for me to talk about our cybersecurity mission. i announced a couple of things

including the opening of an office of the department in silicon valley so that we can better build our partnerships out there. i'm pleased that congress is moving on cybersecurity legislation. we need cybersecurity legislation to promote information sharing with the private sector. we've decided that in certain circumstances it's appropriate to offer people in the private sector immunity from the risk of civil prosecution if they share what are called cyber-threat indicators with the department of homeland security. we support that. as an inducive as an incentive. we think that's critical. we think information sharing and a partnership with the private sector is critical to cybersecurity. >> you lead the third largest federal agency the department of homeland security. you have 2 hurt federal employees -- >> 225,000, but who's counting? >> you've already done two stints in the pentagon.

how were those two stints at the pentagon how did they help you to prepare to lead the organization? >> that's a good question. i'm going to begin the answer to that this way -- i left the pentagon at the end of 2012 and went back to the private sector. actually thought i was done in public service at that point. but probably the thing that i missed most about public service in the department of defense was, frankly, the character of the military personnel that i work with day to day, whether it's a member of the joint staff, a member of the joint chiefs, or a senior enlisted. and so i really miss those men and women in uniform. and when the president offered me the opportunity to come back to national security to be the secretary of homeland security i said yes in part because simply i missed the people. i enjoyed working day to day with the military with our

civilian public servants. and now that i'm in the department of homeland security we work with an extraordinary number of men and women, including a lot of vets and a lot of men and women in uniform particularly the coast guard. >> you've made it a priority to hire veterans in your role. >> we have a large number of veterans in the department of homeland security. it's an exceptionally high percentage. we make affirmative efforts to hire vets. and there are a number around even here at headquarters that i personally brought in because i know their work ethic, i know their character and i know their integrity. >> i met some of your senior staff here. good to see a lot of army folks, former army folks here. general patton one said that a gallon of sweat will save a pint of blood. what do you have to do as far as the leader of the homeland security every day being business mist looking at the -- pessimist, looking at the worst

kaye case case scenario. how do you remain optimist pick our country and national security? >> my assessment is no news in homeland security is good news. and no news very often reflects the hard work of a lot of men and women in this department and all across the national security homeland security community of our government to intradict, to arrest someone, to investigate an individual of suspicion, to deny boarding on an airplane to an individual -- you don't read about that every day. you don't hear about it every day. but every day somebody in this department is doing something to promote homeland security. and part of my mission, frankly, is to remind american public of the good news. the press likes to focus on the bad news. part of my mission that i've undertake send to point out all -- undertaken is to point out

all of the good works the men and women of this department are doing on a daily, hourly basis to promote homeland security. it does happen virtually every single day. >> i'd like to thank the secretary for joining us. no news is good news for the men and women in homeland security. when we come back, a salute to my fellow veterans on capitol hill.

73% of americans try... ...to cook healthy meals. yet up to 90% fall short in getting key nutrients from food alone. let's do more... ...add one a day 50+. complete with key nutrients we may need. plus it supports physical energy with b vitamins. one a day 50+ ♪ ♪ when you're living with diabetes steady is exciting. only glucerna has carbsteady clinically proven to help minimize blood sugar spikes. i'm a bull rider make it part of your daily diabetes plan. so you stay steady ahead. ♪ turn around ♪ ♪ every now and then i get a little bit tired ♪ ♪ of craving something that i can't have ♪ ♪ turn around barbara ♪ ♪ i finally

found the right snack ♪ ♪ ♪ i knew instantly that this was...wow! it's crest hd. it's amazing. new crest hd gives you a 6x healthier mouth and 6x whiter teeth in just one week. it gets practically every detail. that's why it's called hd. try new crest pro-health hd.

welcome back to "taking the hill." we're filming here in d.c. because the white house correspondents dinner. the "atlantic" magazine yesterday had a great panel on post post-9/11 leadership attended by great americans like tulsi gabert joining forces leaders, justice for vets director melissa fitzgerald and iraq vet chris marvin. talking about bridging the civilian military divide is the purpose of "taking the hill."

to let americans know the consequences of asking less than 1% of america to go and fight our nation's longest war. it was great to hear senator tom cotton talk about things like post traumatic growth and how our veterans are civic assets. thank you to the "atlantic" for shutdown shining a light on such an important topic. we appreciate you shining a light on our warriors. for this we salute you. up next look at how much oversight congress actually has in drone strikes. make sure you let your voice be heard using #takingthehill. guys, it's just the two of you. the setting is just right. but here's the thing, about half of men over 40 have some degree of erectile dysfunction. well, viagra helps guys with ed get and keep an erection. and you only take it when you need it. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure.

side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. ask your doctor about viagra. jeff... hey, scott! this is no time for lollygaggin', lad. the chickweed and the dandelions are reekin' mad havoc! now's the time to send in the scotts turf builder weed and feed, man! it kills weeds while it feeds and strengthens your grass. feed your lawn. feed it!

- it's no secret our computers won't live forever. when they die-- and they will-- the last thing you want to do is just bury them in some landfill. believe it or not, they've got a lot more to give. do the environment a favor and recycle them. their parts can be reused to make some new devices which means your trash really could become someone else's treasure. the more you know.

introducing the citi ® double cash card. it earns you cash back now and cash back later. with 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay with two ways to earn on puchases, it makes a lot of other cards seem one-sided. welcome back to "taking the hill" on msnbc. i'm patrick murphy. the obama administration's drone program is under fire today following the president's admission that two western hostages including an american were accidentally killed in a strike this winter. the program has taken hundreds

of militants out over the years, but its civilian toll is not fully known. now "the new york times" is reporting that despite the controversy, congress has remained near the unwaiver -- remained nearly unwavering in the drone program, demanding more strikes. joining me, my army buddy, tom rooney, member of the house intelligence committee, appropriations committee. you did our inaugural show out of new york for "taking the hill" and now in d.c. great to have you back. >> thanks. thanks for having me back. >> tom, walk me clue what do you think the greatest threat it to homeland security? >> obviously as you know, action secretary johnson was talking about, we have to be wary of isis and home-grown threats here. i think those guys are doing a good job. we actually on the intelligence committee, which you used to be a member of with me had the under secretary tailor for experience on homeland security there. we were talking about what the levels of state and local to the federal government and how homeland security was trying to stop those threats and give a heads up to the federal agencies

when they -- when they see things. and they do a really good job, things that we never hear about. but with regard to you know the civilians and -- in faraway countries, you talk about drones you know director brennan told us that that happens, but a lot of times that's propaganda by the enemy that's inflated just for, you know, shock effect. so i mean, i do think it's a good program. i do think that it would be nice to have a little bit more intelligence on the ground so we know exactly, you know, who we're hitting versus just these signature strikes that everybody is talking about today. but by and large i think it's a good program. >> yeah. and people don't understand the whole spectrum. you have the drone program but if you didn't have that you have tomahawk missiles that are not as accurate, you have boots on the ground which would cause more soldiers being, casualties unfortunately, but what was your reaction when you heard, you know, unfortunately there was

two hostage? >> my reaction was it was an accident. i mean clearly we had hundred of hours of surveillance on these guys just like we did before we went in and took osama bin laden. we were looking at these guys for a long time and didn't have any evidence that there was two people below. so it was a judgment call they made. and i think that reasonably they took the shot, and then we came to find out that these two westerners were in there. and so it's unfortunate, but at the same time, these -- these actors that we're looking at, both americans actually were participating in thing that a lot of really smart people in the intelligence community and the department of defense thought were bad guys and could, you know potentially do us harm. they made a judgment call, and i don't fault them for that. >> including that al qaeda spokesman, an american from california.

>> right. how about -- i wary in a sense the drone program which has been successful in a sense taking out targets. do you think because they use it as propaganda they don't try and put civilians, even if they weren't part of the explosion, ones that had recently passed away -- do you worry that sometimes this could breed more terrorists or more of the local population overseas against the united states? >> look our approval rating in those areas of the world is horrible. we know that especially in pakistan. we use that program there. so you know we're definitely not building allies by utilizing this. at the same time we have to look out for our own national security interests. we have to look at those elements which have attacked us here before and that are pledging to do it again should they get the opportunity. so you know, we got to take care of business for ourselves. and yeah, it's probably not winning us any favoritism in that part of the world but i think that -- and you know this being a former soldier, we go

through painstaking efforts to try to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to do this the right way. and so like i said i wish we had more intelligence on the ground with actually human intelligence being like, hey, by the way, there might be two guys in the basement here. but -- but that's a hard -- waziristan is where these guys were. it's very difficult. so -- i do think that we have some very good people trying to do it the right way. >> people don't know -- we have sig net, and signals operations, and some of the human, we don't have enough boots on the ground -- i won't say boot but people on the ground. >> they try and turn some of the people we're looking at -- you think about what americans think about what spies do in the russian days and stuff like. that you go and turn people. and then they help you get intelligence, too.

you know, we need to have a lot more capabilities in that area, i believe. >> yeah. let's talk about strategy whether it comes to isis and al qaeda. do you see al qaeda still as an imminent threat to the united states? >> i do. and i mean they're not as much in the news as much as isis has been because of the beheadings and jordanian pilot getting burned alive on tv. certainly they're getting all the attention. but al qaeda's not disappeared. but we've done a good job in dismantling a lot of the leadership like we've seen recently. i mean those were two very high-value targets. now, the white house says that they don't know who -- they didn't know that they were americans when they hit them. they were going on a signature behavioral type strike. but in the end, that is going wreak havoc in al qaeda's hierarchy that those two guys are no longer part of the game. but isis definitely is -- is growing. they've gotten -- they've gotten a lot of people that know how to

use social media much more than al qaeda did. and they are definitely trying to recruit in the united states. whether to come there or to do something here. >> you're one of the few post-9/11 veterans serving in congress. you serve in the appropriations committee, a $3.4 trillion budget. you are on the subcommittee for varnz. what does that -- veterans affairs. what does that budget look like? and is it enough? >> it's an increase. so it's fine e better than last year. and it aeps's -- look, as somebody who served not only in the military but congress, these things are difficult with the gridlock in washington. but one of the things that being a veteran and serving in the military, we have a unique perspective of knowing guys, whether the 82nd airborne or first cavalry division these are our friends, these are people we served with.

and they might not be in the military anymore. so when you talk about helping them and doing the right things it's not just some you know pipe dream or trying to figure out what soldiers are thinking or wanting. you actually know because you talk to them. and -- and you actually 3/5 a little bit a small way yourself. so you know, that's what i think about when we go through the process of doing appropriations for the v.a. for veterans across this country. are these programs really helping, what's going to be more useful. and so we have an increase sghoit language in this year's -- i got some language in this year's appropriation for post traumatic stress disorder which you and i worked on when you were in congress and for suicide prevention and mental health. >> yeah. >> hopefully that will get through. >> let me -- we have about 30 seconds. this is tough tv. but we talk about budgets and moral documents, it's easy to give money to certain things like veterans. you've been a champion on fiscal discipline. you know the joint strike

fighter 33 there was an alternate engine the pentagon said we don't want. you supported the pentagon and said we don't need in. i know special interests were after you. >> big time. >> tell us real quick what that was about. >> well, we -- there was an earmark which built a second engine for the same plane, the f35. and it was made by a company which i don't need to pile on the rabbit, but -- it was made in a district which, you know houses are speaker. so i had to fight a huge battle. and -- it was a waste of money. and you know, we talk about cutting defense money which i am totally against psychiatristtration. i think it's a -- sequestration. i think it's a mistake, it will do us harm. there are things in the pentagon that were wasteful. there were earmarks used to help people in the re-elections or whatever, and that was one of them. it was just literally building two engines for the same plane. and it didn't need to happen. we got rid of it. >> the pentagon said we don't need it. >> yeah. >> i remember we fought together on this one. >> right. >> listen congressman, i almost called you tom for a second

thanks for joining us again on "taking the hill." thanks for your voice in congress. it's much needed. as a veteran. thank you. >> thanks for doing the show. thanks patty. up next, a former army ranger's new mission in afghanistan that puts women on the road to economic prosperity. we all enter this world with a shout and we see no reason to stop. so cvs health is creating industry-leading programs and tools that help people stay on medicines as their doctors prescribed. it could help save tens of thousands of lives every year. and that w ould be something worth shouting about. cvs health, because health is everything.

the largest enterprises in the world, are the largest targets in the world, for every hacker, crook and nuisance in the world. but systems policed by hp's cyber security team are constantly monitored for threats. outside and in. that's why hp reports and helps neutralize more intrusions than anyone. in the world. if hp security solutions can help keep the world's largest organizations safe they can keep yours safe, too. make it matter.

bring us your baffling. bring us your audacious. we want your sticky notes, sketchbooks, and scribbles. let's pin 'em to the wall. kick 'em around. kick 'em around, see what happens. because we're in the how-do-i-get-this-startup- off-the-ground business. the taking-your-business- global-business. we're in the problem-solving business. 400,000 people - ready to help you solve problems while they're still called opportunities. from figuring it out to getting it done we're here to help. [ male announcer ] legalzoom has helped start over 1 million businesses. if you have a business idea, we have a personalized legal solution that's right for you. with easy step-by-step guidance, we're here to help you turn your dream into a reality. start your business today with legalzoom. thank you for being a sailor, and my daddy. thank you mom, for protecting my future. thank you for being my hero and my dad. military families are thankful for many things. the legacy of usaa auto insurance

could be one of them. our world-class service earned usaa the top spot in a study of the most recommended large companies in america. if you're current or former military or their family, see if you're eligible to get an auto insurance quote. the men and women who join our nation's all-volunteer military dedicate their thrives serving their country for a lifetime. the military asks for a few years. many continue serving long after they've returned home. our next guests turned their experiences in iraq and afghanistan into thriving businesses that give back to their fellow veterans and civilians in the war zones where they fought. joining me is mark rockefeller, a retired military officer and iraq war veteran who is now the co-founder and ceo street

sharers, a marketplace for lending. and matthew griffin, former army ranger to served in afghanistan and iraq and provides jobs in conflict zones around the world. gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us. appreciate it. >> great to be here. >> mark, let me turn to you. big news you guys just got named one of -- from harvard business school, one of the best venture backed companies. tell us about that. >> the hrveard business school, new -- harvard business school named the number-one best investment globally for a startup that is run by an hes alumni. my co-poundser erfounder went to -- co-founder went there. the street shares is an onloon marketplace in which veteran-owned company pitch for a loan. we're all iraq and afghanistan veterans here. our generation came back from that war to find a capital landscape here that's as barren as the afghan countryside.

prior generations came back when there was prior, our generation that's not the case. we set up the platform where veteran-owned companies come in and pitch for a loan. then our network of investors compete to lend to that veteran. it's in essence "shaker tank" meets ebay for veterans. >> how about historically, mark when the world war ii came back, greatest generation, came back, the economy was booming in america. our generation, we came back, and it was the great recession frankly. you know, it's getting better been getting better but still. you know has that made street shares even more important when you talk about veteran businesses? >> yeah, absolutely. there's a tradition of veterans' entrepreneurship in america. that greatest generation, when they came back, part of what made them so great wasn't just what they did on the battlefield but what they did when they came back. a study out of syracuse found that 49% of our grandparents' fengz generation went on to own or operate a business. many in our generation want the same thing, we just don't have the access to capital. >> let me turn to you, buddy.

tell us about combat flip-flops and how did you link up with mark? >> our basic thing is we make cool stuff in dangerous places. we traveled around the world all these conflict areas. we saw small businesses where the things that were creating a sustainable change. we left the military and started a business that tried to promote that. because we make things in dangerous areas we have a hard time getting insurance. because get insurance, you can't get financing. we had to operate on a cash basis for nearly three years. and the street shares saw the opportunity, they saw what we were doing and how many people we were helping. they came to the table, it was awe. some they funded us last year. because what they did, we'll do more this quarter than we did all of last year. thanks to charitable donations. we're stoked. thank you, mark. >> how do you get combat flip-flops? >> it to the website com-- combatflipflops.com. we make jewelry out of land

mines, make stuff in u.s. and kosovo. we continue to grow. >> i'll be at the jersey shore this summer with combat live in flops. >> i hope so. >> how about, griff, your experience as an army ranger serving overseas deployments. how did that experience help you with the civilian transition to become a ceo? >> any veteran are forced to up come one creative solutions for a complex and i would have to say difficult problem that's have been plaguing our country or our -- a country or society for a long period of time under very ambiguous rules of engagement. and they always are mission successful. and you just -- years of repetitive forced maturity under that and leading people through the challenges. that's what you do as a ceo or as a business owner. you lead people through complex problems daily to arkschieve your objective. >> yeah. mark, how about you? how about your experience in the air force? you know, you're an army -- air force jag, you served the nine

years active duty i think it was. you know you came come back and you're now the ceo of street shares. what was the lesson learned that you brought with you in this new position? >> i think our generation of veterans is probably the most tech lodgejdgegically aexecute sophisticated and -- technologically acute, sophisticated and used to working in confusing environments. as a jag lawyer, i was trying to establish rule of law in iraq. that's a difficult job in a difficult environment. you know it, as well. you were there, as well. that's what business is right. it's operating at a complex environment on limited information, and to lead a team toward a common objective. i think veterans make outstanding ants. >> and the success as you -- you studied at the university veteran-owned small businesses do better than civilian counterpart. how much funding has street shares gotten so far? >> yes we've done a couple

million worth of loans to great companies like griff's. and we're a venture-backed company ourselves. we're a high growth startup. the goal is in about three to five years to be basically the ebay of small business loans. communities of individuals can lend to each other on the street shares platform. >> yeah. and griff, how about you? you know when you look at combat flip-flops, where do you see it going in five, ten years? >> oh, i see it going everywhere. we're really just trying to show people that you can get a long way with persistence creativity, and respect. i think the things we see on the news, the challenges we're facing, we can do a lot as a community to overcome those problems if we make cool products, help people and tell a cool story along the way. >> you're a -- in your website, the mission statement says it's not about fighting. you know, i -- when i read that i was like wow this guy's an army ranger. this isn't about fighting, it's about basically helping people employing them, the economy. is that what you're seeing overseas when these people are working in the factories on your behalf? >> yeah. definitely. it's a very simple solution.

either somebody can get paid $50 to plant a bomb or land mine on the side of the road or can guarantee $400 or $500 a month making a cool product. they'll take that larger pay rate and reliable safe job every day of the week. >> yeah. >> they'll do that. that's what we do we work to create opportunities. and we believe that's in the best interests of their country and our country. >> yeah. all right. "shark tank" meets ebay. gentlemen, thank you very much for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank. >> best of luck with the company. and i'll be rolling in the jersey shore with your flip-flops on this summer. >> instagram it. >> okay. i will. the supreme court is taking up the issue of same-sex marriage this week. in a moment we'll look at how the military has led the charge for marriage equality. you're watching "taking the hill."

ortho bug b gon gives you season-long control of all these types of bugs. spectracide gives you season-long control... of just ants. their label says so. bugged by more than ants? get ortho bug b gon. the label tells the story. ortho home defense gives you year long control of all these household bugs - roaches, ants, and spiders. spectracide gives you year long control... of just roaches. their label says so. got more than roaches moving in? get home defense. the label tells the story.

does all greek yogurt have to be thick? does it all have to be the same? not with new light and fluffy yoplait greek 100 whips! let's whip up the rules of greek! why do we do it? why do we spend every waking moment, thinking about people? why are we so committed to keeping you connected? why combine performance with a conscience? why innovate for a future without accidents? why do any of it? why do all of it? because if it matters to you it's everything to us. the xc60 crossover. from volvo. lease the well equiped volvo xc60 today. visit your local volvo showroom for details. [♪] there is an ancient rhythm... [♪] that flows through all things...

[♪] through rocky spires... [♪] and ocean's swell... [♪] the endless... stillness of green... [♪] [♪] and in the restless depths of human hearts... [♪] the voice of the wild within. [♪]

this tuesday, supreme court arguments in the highly anticipated same-sex marriage cases. after several years of state by state reforms and decisions by the supreme court, this is the year a federal decision could be reached. the federal government has always taken the stance on same-sex marriage. in 2013 the pentagon announced family benefits for all married service members, gay or straight. he previously served as secretary of defense for public affairs and played a role in don't ask, don't tell. and emily, campaigns director for the center of american pro progress progress. also a senior fellow at the center for american progress. thank you for joining us on "taking the hill." mr. secretary, ash carter talks about the future force. he's secretary of defense.

china recruit me lennialillenials. how is recruiting millenials important? >> it's key to recruit new men and women in uniform. the service is not what it used to be. battlefield tenure is long. there's no clear start or stop to war now. people are finding that the tole on themselves and on their families is tremendous because tours get to be two, three, four, five five or more during a career. to attract millenials, i think the secretary is doing the right kind of outreach. he's basically saying we need to recognize the stress on the family, the need for young men and women to be able to pursue additional things other than just the military, and give them the time to do so. so the on and off ramps, the assistance with education, these are the outreach initiatives that i think are going to be able to bring more millenials

into the military. >> you were one of the supporters. you did a brief for the supreme court that's hearing it this week. they'll make a decision probably june. why did you sign with other military leaders? >> i was honored to sign with two formers secretary deputies of defense and distinguished former senators who also served on the battlefield. this is an issue like don't ask, don't tell was, of equal rights under the law. this is also a family issue. if you are a family in one state, and your rights are not recognized when you're transferred as military often is to other states, survivorship, health benefits how can you poss gi possibly contribute to the cohesion that military leaders say the essential to activity on the battlefield? i'm proud to be part of an amicus brief that says marriage in one state needs to be recognized marriage everywhere. >> yeah.

turning to you, how about millenials? is this important to them? >> i think this is a good step. if we look at all things considered about the millennial generation the military is a good fit. millenials want to live their values. they don't want big distinction between work and their life. to go into an institution that is saying we understand that you are participating in same-sex marriages, this is your family, and even if you aren't it's a value you strongly support. it's the same with transgender service, which we're moving closer toward. it's the same with opening combat roles to women. it makes the force more attract attractive to millenials. it's something that should be there that would be attractive. this generation has grown up in primarily wartime, in primarily post 9/11. so it's a constant wartime. many of the stories we hear coming out especially in the early years, were a lot about ptsd traumatic brain injury. not a lot of stories have been

coming out about how strong the military is for leadership and leadership development. it could be there. we need to keep looking at how to keep reforming the programs so the people actually know about it. a lot of people just don't know somebody who serves. >> yeah. how about as far as -- it's not just about marriage equality but anti-discrimination. when you can get marryied in one state and do discriminated against in another, tell us about it. >> most states don't have comprehensive, non-discrimination protections for lgbt people. this is going to be the next fight. >> you know i live in pennsylvania. we had a high schoolteacher fired because he was gay. it's wrong. >> yes. >> secretary, emily, thank you both for joining us and taking the hill. we have to wrap it up. we look forward to having you on again soon. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thanks to my guests and thank

you for joining me. i'm patrick murphy. "meet the press" is next. i've been the same shade of red for many years. i think it's time to change it up! goodbye, red. hello, golden blonde. shifting to a new shade is sort of a new beginning but i knew it was going to be natural because it's nice'n easy. clairol's #1 for natural looking color

i don't know if blonde has more fun, but i plan to find out. now you can earn free color with clairol platinum rewards [ male announcer ] we know they're out there. you can't always see them. but it's our job to find them. the answers. the solutions. the innovations. all waiting to help us build something better. something more amazing. a safer, cleaner brighter future. at boeing, that's what building something better is all about. ♪ ♪ it's more than a network. it's how

you stay connected. with centurylink as your trusted technology partner you get an industry leading broadband network and cloud and hosting services. centurylink. your link to what's next. [meow mix jingle slowly and quietly plucks.] right on cue. [cat meows] [laughs] ♪meow, meow, meow, meow...♪ ♪meow, meow, meow, meow...♪ it's more than just a meal it's meow mix mealtime. with 100% complete and balanced nutrition and the taste, textures and variety cats love, it's the only one cats ask for by name. hello! this little beauty here is top-of-the-line. see, you just pull like this to go left. and like so to go right. where are the brakes? uh, just grab ahold of both and pull straight back. and the "whoa!" is optional.

you wouldn't buy a motorcycle without handlebars. no thanks. and you shouldn't ride a motorcycle without geico insurance. roadside assistance, 24 hour service, great rates. geico motorcycle. see how much you could save. >> this sunday, a devastating earthquake in nepal leaves at least 2,000 dead. we'll have the latest. also, the drone war. >> we all bleed when we lose an american life. >> an american accidentally killed. is our drone war immoral or the only effective way to take out terrorists without endangering american lives. plus, same sex marriage reaches the supreme court, again, and perhaps for the final time. i'll be joined by two former bush-gore foes who joined forces to fight for marriage equality. and hillary