representative bob gibbs calls the name a constitutional overreach. there is opposition to the move >> president obama will be the first sitting president to visit the alaskan arctic. it is an area that is dealing with the effects of clim climate change. but a the president is in a tricky situation because petroleum is the main driver of that state's economy. >> president obama will see for himself the glorious landscape of the alaska. and how it's being devastated by climate change. glaciers, perma frost aren' are erod eroding. >> we do everything in our power to protect ourselves. climate change poses the same threat right now. >> environmentalists agree, but they don't like his administration's decision to approve off-shore oil drilling by shell oh in alaska's north slope. as the drill rig left seattle earlier this year. protesters, some in kaybac kay in kayaks tried to make them opinions known. >> the oil must stay in the ground if we're going to stop the worst impact to climate change. >> yet hydrocarbons dry alaska's economy, creating lucrative

representative bob gibbs called it overreach. >> well, republican presidential frontrunner donald trump has made a push for aggressive immigration policy. he wants to build a wall, and scott walker, also a presidential candidate is talking about a border wall. he's considering one at the canadian border. >> when people asked us about that in new hampshire. they have legitimate concerns including law enforcement and brought that up in one of our town hall meetings. that is a legitimate issue for us to look at. >> the u.s.-canadian border stretches more than 5,000 miles the world's longest international border. >>> berni sanders has cut hillary clinton's lead for the democratic nomination to just 7 points in iowa. 37% to 30%. the senator is striking a cord with domestic issues. yesterday he was asked about international affairs and military force. >> war is the last resort, not the first resort you are looking at a guide. yes, there are times you have to use force, no question about it. >> sanders voted against going to the war in iraq in 1991 and in 2003. he voted yes to sending troops t

bob gibbs said this political stunt is insulting to all ohioans and i'll be working with the house committee determine what can be done to prevent this action. ohio governor john kasich who is running for president tweeted quote, as potus once again over steps bounds, ohio knows every carnation is a monument to william mckinley. the naming is part of president obama's trip this week to alaska to highlight climate change. as you see the president just arrived in anchorage moments ago. he's expected to make an official announcement of the renaming later tonight. for more on this, let me bring in mr. ross and perry bacon, nbc news senior political reporter. how big a deal is this for native americans in alaska? >> thank you for having me. you know, it's cool. it's a big deal, but it's a big symbolic gesture and it absolutely acknowledges the humanity of native people and says that yes, indeed, native people did have agency voice and self-determination and were not butt naked indians running around in the forecast but that we recognized the sacred sites and that is cool. for native people, we ta

bob gibbs calls the name change constitutional overreach. president brm obama is the first sitting president in history to visit the alaskan arctic. it's an area where many deal with the devastating effects of climate change, melting glaciers and crumbling permafrost and rising sea levels. no one knows more than a crew that studied sea ice. we recently joined them. >> reporter: it's summer high up in the arctic circle, and this is what you expect to see. ice as far as the horizon. the only way through it is on this ship, the coast guard cutter healey. it's one of only two icebreakers in the united states built to handle polar ice. the ride can get a little rough. that noise there? that's the sound of being in the bow of an icebreaker. but there's trouble in this frozen paradise. the arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe, and that's causing a sea change in this frontier. summer sea ice has receded close to 25% since 1980. on land we saw it. birch degrees are sprouting on the tundra and melting permafrost causes land and str