nbc's brian mooar reports. >> reporter: passengers flying into the united states from other countries will face tougher random screenings, including full body scans. travelers from seven high-risk countries, including nigeria and yemen, will be getting full body patdowns and hands-on luggage inspections. it's the latest fall out from northwest flight 253, a plot allegedly hatched by al qaeda. >> part of something larger from al qaeda. >> reporter: on the sunday talk shows, white house counterterrrorism adviser, john brennan committed the nation's intelligence agencies had but failed to connect a series of dots. still, he insists the system wasn't broken. >> there was no smoking gun. we might have had a partial name but there was nothing that brought it altogether. >> reporter: that echo tom contain, who argues the obama administration has been distracted by heating care and other challenges. >> it's understandable but not acceptable. >> reporter: former cia and hsa chief michael hayden said it's time for ordinary americans to make some tough choices. >> what's the balance the american

brian mooar with that story tonight from capitol hill. >> reporter: beginning at midnight, passengers threeing into the united states from other -- flying into the united states from other country also face tougher random screenings incling fum body scans. travelers from seven high-risk countries including nigeria and yemen, will get full-body pat downs and hands on luggage inspection, the latest fallout from the christmas day bombing a tempt on northwest flight 253, a plot allegedly hatched by al qaeda. >> part of something larger from al qaeda. >> on the sunday talk shows, white house counterterrorism adviser, john brennan add knitted the nation's intelligence agency had but failed to connect the series of dots and insists that the system isn't broken. >> there was no smoking gun or piece of intelligence that said this guy is a terrorist. >> we might have had a partial name or an indication of a nigeria but nothing that brought it all together. >> and tom cain argues that the obama administration has been distracted by health care and other challenges. >> it's understandable but not

brian mooar reports from capitol hill. >> reporter: a day after getting more bad news on jobs and the economy, president obama is touting health care reform as a way to help struggling americans. >> we're fixing our broken health insurance system that's crushing families, eating away at workers' take-home pay, and nailing small businesses with double digit premium increases. >> reporter: he's hoping to sign a bill in a few weeks before his state of the union address, but house democrats say they won't just rubber stamp the bill passed by the senate. if they demand too many changes, health care reform could be in trouble. the president is trying to ramp up the war in afghanistan, wind down the fighting in iraq, and close guantanamo bay. >> we can't gather the inteigence we need to foil future attacks if we are blindly granting terrorists the right to remain silent. >> reporter: this new year has highlighted threat of terror and vulnerabilities in airport security and intelligence. all in an election year that's looking tough for the president and his party. brian mooar, nbc news, washi