and senator jon tester is here later this hour.railed by the controversial keystone pipeline. we're going to get senator rob portman's thoughts on that and much more. you're watching "morning joe." be right back. 0 second his room is ready. you know what he brings? any questions? can i get an a, steve? yes! three a's! he brings his a-game! the ready for you alert, only at laquinta.com! you always get the lowest price book any flight or hotel and if you find it for less we'll match it and give you fifty dollars back that's the expedia guarantee >>> unfortunately, many americans live on the outskirts of hope. some because of their poverty. and some because of their color. and all too many because of both. our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity. and this administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in america. >> that's lyndon johnson 50 years ago, declaring a war on poverty. now with the republican senator from ohio, rob portman who has revealed his ideas for a conservative plan to tak

jon tester is a member of the veteran affairs committee. >> great to be on with you, chr chris. >> and you have been hesitant to call for director shinseki to resign and if the buck does not stop there, where? >> well, that is the problem, chris. we have to find out who is responsible for it, and hold them responsible, but if the problem is in shinseki's lap, we will will hold him responsible and no ifs, ands or buts about it, but the bottom line is that we have to get the facts. if you heard the allegations like out of the phoenix system, that is totally not acceptable, and when a veteran says we were promised health care and we should get it, and that is what should be happening and we should be working to get it done. if you have folks with two sets of books, we have to know why that occurred and who did it and heads are going to roll. and on the other sidef of the coin if the i.g. investigation shows up something else, we will deal with that issue. >> and there is a report with the inspector general about the problems at the v.a. and some of the colleagues have said that they are g

. >> senator jon tester, a democrat, also joining the obama administrationefending general s shinseki's record saying the v.a. is doing a pretty darn good, end quote. my next guest is a member of the house committee investigating the v.a. scandal. joining us now, member of both the house veterans affairs and arms services committees, also served as a combat surgeon in iraq, reserve officer. good to have with us, congressman. your reaction first to the fact that the attorney general said there wouldn't be an investigation. >> very disappointed in that. i would think that there would be an interest here with a federal agency involved with so much malfeasance being accused. i would think that he would want to get involved. certainly i understand that he wants the in-speaking tore general to do his part. i do, too. but at the same time, i certainly would position that he would want to be involved on behalf of our veterans and take part in this whole process. >> you and i the last time we talked, which was last week, you expressed the interest and the necessity to move ahead with oversight i

my second amendment, 2992, which i teamed up with my friend from montana, senator jon tester to craft this piece of, this legislation, it's an initiative we've been working on for many years. the public lands renewable energy development act is a strong bipartisan proposal that helps create jobs, progress towards energy independence and preserves our nation's natural wonders by spurring renewable energy development on public lands. in nevada, we need jobs. not policies that make job creation more difficult. energy is one of our state's greatest assets, and i believe that continuing to develop renewable and alternative resources are important for nevada's economic future. geothermal and solar production in my state is an integral part of the united states all-of-the-above energy strategy. in fact, my home state of nevada is often called the saudi arabia of geothermal. our nation's public lands can play a critical role in that mission but uncertainty in the process impedes or delays our ability to harness their renewable energy potential. under current law, permits for wind and solar de