starting right now on abc's "this week" -- desperate search. the clock is ticking in the frantic hunt for hundreds of kidnapped schoolgirls. did the nigerian government ignore the warnings? this morning, brand-new details. including the latest from the secretary of defense. rocky week. the benghazi fire storm reignites. and monica lewinsky reappears. will it take a toll on hillary's plans for 2016? plus, senator marco rubio. can the one-time tea party star still win over the gop? we're on the trail in new hampshire. >> do you think you're ready to be president? >> i do. from abc news, "this week" with george stephanopoulos begins now. good morning. i'm martha raddatz.

happy mother's day. so much to cover including michael sam's emotional and historymaking moment at the nfl draft. but first, dramatic developments in nigeria, where we have learned u.s. surveillance aircraft are on the way to held inspect the urgent search for hundreds of kidnapped schoolgirls. and there are new questions about whether warnings before the kidnapping were ignored. abc's hamish macdonald has the very latest. >> reporter: this morning, the fwochlt is facing damning allegations that boko haram was coming four hours in advance. >> this is shocking. embarrassing. a lack of political will. >> reporter: the claims are made in an amnesty international investigation. the defense ministry says the report is unfortunate and untrue. we do know nigeria's government took time before accepting international help. there are now two dozen u.s. personnel on the ground,

including the military in a support role only. the surveillance and reconnaissance assets heading to nigeria could help immensely. in the search. it may include aircraft, capable not only of visual surveillance but those that could pick up cell phone conversations in real time. the cia director indicated on our sister network, fusion, there is scope to do more. >> we have officers on the ground in many parts of the world. we're able to bring to bear the capabilities that we need. the people that we need. >> reporter: support is spreading globally. from the pope on twitter to the first lady. >> in these girls, barack and i see our own daughters. >> reporter: the question is whether all this support will make it easier or harder for the families to get their girls back safely. there is a perceived risk here that pressure from outside could force nigeria's president to take a more hard-line approach. that could endanger the girls.

for "this week," hamish macdonald. >> our thanks to hamish. now to new developments in ukraine. voters in eastern ukraine deciding right now if they want to split off and become an independent state. a move that could push the country even closer to civil war. alex marquardt and terry moran are tracking it for us. we start with alex. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, martha. people have been streaming all day into polling stations like this one to cast their votes in this hastily arranged referendum. the ballot asks the ambiguous question about more independence. every voter we have seen says yes. this vote will pass overwhelmingly. there are no official monitors. they don't have the latest voter registration rolls and no way to make sure voters don't vote more than once. and it's hard to say in concrete

terms what this vote will mean beyond deepening divisions in the country. anger is on the rise. following violent and deadly incidents in which pro-russian protesters were killed. today's referendum is happening despite calls from president putin to delay it. and for more from the russian side, we go to my colleague, terry moran, in moscow. >> reporter: thank you, alex. we have seen a dramatic change in tone. president putin is keeping them at arm's length and calling for dialogue among all ukrainians. he said he's pulling back the troops on the border. but u.s. and nato officials are saying they're not seeing it. right now, spiten is riding sky high politically. the defiant victory lap in crimea on friday. last night, he hit the ice in an exhibition hockey game and scored six goals. he's kept everyone guessing, including the russian people. applying pressure, backing off as needed. one thing is certain.

he's determined to maintain maximum russian influence in ukraine and block it from joining the west. and he'll use those's referendum as he sees fit to achieve that goal. >> thanks, terry. now to a football first. an nfl team drafted an openly gay player. michael sam had to wait until the seventh round last night. check out his emotional reaction when he finally got the historymaking phone call from the coach of the st. louis rams. a lot of tears and a kiss for his boyfriend. "usa today's" christine brennan joins me now. historymaking indeed. what does this mean for the nfl culture and the fans? >> well, you just mentioned the culture. the nfl is by far the most popular league in the country, martha. if he had not been drafted, can you imagine the questions, what's wrong? why, nfl?

why, in 2014? >> and there was a while we thought he wouldn't be drafted. >> it went forever. only seven players drafted after him. there were questions about his skill based on the combine and the way he worked out. but it was just, i think, the right moment. the nfl needed this. i think the country needed this. >> a lot of social media comment last night. one from the dolphins second year defensive back don jones who tweeted out, omg right after the video of the kiss aired. when somebody asked if he was referring to the embrace, he responded horrible. they've since taken the tweet down. >> the dolphins were the ones with the bullying story. that continues. the nfl has been the last bastion of male supremacy. and yes, there were gay players, who were, of course, not out, even in the '60s and '70s. i think it's about time. >> going forward. if he doesn't do well. all eyes will be on michael sam. >> and now the question becomes, does he make the team?

jason collins is playing in the playoffs in the nba. the first openly gay man in the nba. now the question will be, can michael sam make the rams? i think he'll be able to do it. he's a very, very good player. the co-defensive player of the year in the southeastern conference. >> and a new generation of fans coming up. >> 40% of the fans in the nfl are female. and all these young -- >> young, young, young. >> the 80-year-old fan won't be around 20 years from now but the 20-year-old will. they have a very different view of this. >> thank you, christine. now to the scandal at in the nation's v.a. hospitals. outrage growing this weekend over the way men and women who serve our country are treated when they return home. now both families and congress are demanding answers from the obama administration official in charge. abc's jim avila has the latest. >> reporter: it started here, the phoenix v.a., where 40 veterans died while waiting for a doctor's appointment. an inside whistleblower doctor telling congress delays of up to 21 months were hidden from

washington bosses so his immediate spear yors could earn bonuses. >> patients were dying because of it. that's the point where we said, we can't take this any more. >> reporter: like phoenix vet and purple heart winner ralph mccastro. he died after waiting months for a specialist's visit to diagnose the lump on his neck after a routine checkup. he kept this journal documenting the calls he made for 15 months trying to schedule a v.a. visit that never came. >> still making calls to the phoenix v.a. why the hell can't our federal government and the v.a. do this for our fighting soldiers that have given their arms, their sight, their legs, and their life for this country? >> reporter: the v.a. says it's investigating the charges and is conducting a nationwide audit. and there's pressure for the v.a. secretary, eric shinseki,

to resign. >> there's universal outrage. our members are disappointed and betrayed. they've been at war for over a decade. our members did their part. the v.a. is not doing theirs. >> reporter: this week, shinisei is scheduled to testify before congress. >> our thanks, jim. we went straight to chuck hagel in our exclusive interview yesterday. it's a scandal that's shaken military families across the country. should it cost veteran affairs secretary eric shinseki his job? already, the american legion has called on the retired four-star general and vietnam vet to step aside. should general shinseki be accountable? >> there is no one who understands accountability more than general shinseki. >> does he have your support you? >> i do support general shinseki. but there's no margin here. if this, in fact, or any

variation of this occurred, all the way along the chain accountability is going to have to be upheld here. because, we can never let this kind of outrage, if all of this is true, stand in this country. >> the average wait is five months. is that taking care of our veterans? >> no, it's not good enough. obviously. it has to be better. >> shouldn't we have predicted that there would be a backlog? we were in the middle of two wars. we had tens of thousands, millions deployed in this period. and no one predicted that, including general shinseki. >> i don't think it just started with his term at the v.a. this is something that should have been looked at years and years ago. so yes, we missed it. >> reporter: meanwhile, he has the other crisis to deal with. the urgent search to find the kidnapped schoolgirls in nigeria. the u.s. already has support teams on the ground. give us a reality check.

how hard is it going to be to find these girls? >> it will be very difficult. it's a vast country. this is is not going to be an easy task. we're going to bring to bear every asset we can possibly use to help the nigerian government. >> i know one of the things people keep saying is why wouldn't u.s. special operators go in and try to find the girls? >> well, i think you look at everything. but there's no intention, at this point, to be putting american boots on the ground. >> reporter: hagel is also keeping a close eye on new developments in ukraine, where satellite images show vladimir putin's troops are not going anywhere. still massed along the ukrainian border. what are they doing? why aren't they leaving? >> they're not leaving as far as we can tell. you would have to ask president putin as to why he says they're leaving when, in fact, they're not. >> should russia be considered an enemy? >> it's easy to categorize an

enemy. we're not at war with russia. do you define whether you're at war or not? >> adversary? >> adversary in ukraine, sure. but i think that is simplistic. to get into either enemy, friend, partner. so on. russia continues to isolate itself for a short-term gain. they, the russians, may feel that somehow they're winning. but, the world is not about just short term. >> reporter: one of the long-term issues hagel has been focusing on, cybersecurity. and the growing threat from cyberattacks. especially since the pentagon relies more on advanced technology, like drones. do you feel confident that our drones, guided weapons, will not be hacked? >> i'm not confident of anything in this business. you can't be. but the fact is, martha, it's as

dangerous a threat that we're dealing with, the world deals with, especially the united states, as any one threat. it's quiet. it's insidious. it's deadly. >> people are not paying enough attention to this? >> i do fear that's true. we are. i'll tell you, we are. >> reporter: one year into his tenure, he's facing a new issue. while the end of don't ask, don't tell means gays and lesbians with now serve openly. transgender service members can still be dismissed without question. is that something that should be looked at again? >> the issue of transgender is a bit more complicated. it has a medical component to it. these issues require medical attention. um, austere locations where we put our men and women in many cases don't always provide that kind of opportunity. i do think it continually should

be reviewed. i'm open to that. by the way. i'm open to those assessments. again, i go back to the bottom line. every qualified american who wants to serve our country should have the opportunity, if they fit the qualifications and can do it. this is an area we have not defined enough. >> later in the show, we'll ask the secretary about those who say america's lost its status as the world's lone superpower. up next, senator marco rubio talking 2016 and taking aim at hillary clinton. plus, monica lewinsky back in the spotlight. and later, is edward snowden a spy? the former head of the nsa reveals his stunning suspicions. back in just two minutes.

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now our closer look at florida senator marco rubio. this week, the gop star making what could be his biggest move yet toward a run for the white house, including a key stop in new hampshire. jon karl was there with him. >> what is going on, senator? good to see you. welcome to new hampshire. we caught up with marco rub ceo in manchester, new hampshire. his first foray to the first in the nation primary state since the presidential election. likely to be the first of many. rubio is doing everything he needs to do to prepare for a presidential run. campaigning for republicans across the country. hiring national staff. raising lots of money. and writing a book on his vision for america. it seems obvious. you're moving closer to running for president? >> i have openly said in the past it is something i'll consider at the end of this year. i'll look at a number of

factors. personal factors. but also, whether i could best promote this message and actually put in place these ideas that i want to see put in place, whether i could best do that from the presidency or the senate. >> reporter: if he decides to run, there is no backup plan. the day he announces he's running, he would announce he's not seeking re-election to the senate. >> if i decide to run for president, i will not have an exit strategy to run for president. you want to be the president of the united states, you run with everything. you don't run with an eject button in the cockpit that allows you to go on an exit ramp if it doesn't work out. >> reporter: do you think you're ready to be president? >> i do. but i think that's true for multiple other people that want to run. i'll be 43 this month. i have served now in public office for the better part of 14 years. most importantly, i think a president has to have a clear vision of where the country needs to go and clear ideas about how the get it there. i think we're very blessed in

our party to have a number of people that fit that criteria. >> reporter: but you think you're ready? you think you're qualified, have the experience, if you make that decision? >> i do. i think our party is blessed to have a number of people in that position. whose vision is the one that our party wants to follow? >> senator marco rubio! >> reporter: just over a year ago, an early front-runner. young, hispanic, a tea partier. who could appeal to moderates. the republican savior, on the cover of "time." but his star has faded some. in a poll he led last year, he's now tenth. behind even donald trump. what's happened to marco rubio? >> it's probably the "time" cover jinx. just like the "spots illustrated" jinx. i don't know. polls are everywhere. you decide to run for president, there will be a campaign. in that campaign, you'll interact with voters. explain where you stand. those numbers can change. one way or the other. the miracle of america is still alive. >> reporter: he took a beating for conservatives over immigration, working with

democrats like chuck schumer to pass a bill last year in the senate that beefed up border security but also provided a path to citizenship to many of the 12 million illegal immigrants now here in the u.s. you gave a big speech in the republican spring meeting. you didn't talk about immigration reform. didn't come up in your speech. have you given up? >> no, i didn't talk about libya. ukraine. i didn't talk about other elements that are important. there's a lot of issues going on in the country. immigration is not at the forefront. i remain convinced we can do something serious about the imfwrags probli immigration problem in this country. >> and the party? >> we're not going to grant blanket amnesty to 12 million people. we're also not going to round up and deport 12 million people. >> reporter: lately, he spends more time talking about the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. there have already been 13

congressional hearings on the attack. this week, house republicans launched a new special committee to investigate further. you have had several investigations in the congress. the administration has its investigations. do we need another committee investigating? >> no one's been held accountable. who has been held accountable for what happened in benghazi? this administration doesn't worry as much about what to do as what to say. they decided to mislead the american public and the families of the victims. as to exactly what happened. >> you have the republican party raising money off this investigation. is that appropriate? >> i would prefer we focus not on the fund-raising or in the political elements. i think it takes away from the reality of how serious this is. >> how big a problem is this for hillary clinton? >> i'm sure she'll brag about her time in the state department. she'll have to be held accountable for the failure. whether it's the failed reset

with russia or the failure in benghazi that actually cost lives. >> what grade you to give her as a secretary of state? >> i don't think she has a passing grade. >> you think she has an "f"? >> if you look at the diplomacy pursued during her time in the state department, it's failed everywhere. if she's going to run on her record of secretary of state, she's going to have to answer for its failure. >> reporter: this week, the white house issued a report on the dangers of climate change. >> climate change is affecting americans, all across the country. >> miami, tampa, most affected by climate change. so putting aside your disagreement with what to do about it, do you agree on the science on this? how big a threat is climate change? >> i don't agree with the notion that some are putting out there including scientists, that somehow, there are actions that we can take today that would have an impact. our climate is always changing. they've chosen to take a handful of decades of research and say it is now evidence of a longer term trend that is directly and

almost solely attributable to m manmade activity. >> let me get this straight. you do not think that human activity, the production of co 2 has caused warming to our planet? >> i do not believe that human activity is causing dramatic change to our climate the way the scientists are portraying it. i don't think the laws they propose we pass will do anything about it, but destroy our economy. >> reporter: it's talk like that he hopes will appeal to the conservatives. for "this week," jonathan karl, manchester, new hampshire. >> our thanks to jon. coming up, monica lewinsky takes center stage again. will it affect hillary's 2016 plans? but first, the powerhouse "roundtable's" big winners of the week.

so who's martha's big winner? back with that in 30 seconds. and now, martha's pick.

nba all-star kevin durant is martha's big winner of the week. hillary clinton speaking to "gma's" robin roberts on wednesday. but is she prepped for a possible 2016 run? two issues she would like to avoid shot right back into the spotlight this week. the "round table" ready to take that on after jeff zeleny. >> reporter: hillary clinton's looking ahead. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: she won't yet say whether now is her time. even when our robin roberts asked about cracking the glass ceiling. >> i think we should crack it also. i'm 100% in favor of that. but, i -- i have nothing further to say about -- >> reporter: but as she gets closer to a decision, it's the past that just won't go away. monica lewinsky back in the spotlight.

in a "vanity fair" essay, she says she stayed quiet in hillary clinton's 2008 presidential bid. i wish them no ill will she says. but also adds, should i put my life on hold for another eight to ten years? she's 40 now. images of her as a young intern are seared in our memory, like when she spoke to barbara walters in one of the most watched interviews of all time. >> did you ever think about what hillary clinton might be feeling or would feel if she knew? did you ever think about hillary clinton? >> i did. i think i thought about her a lot. i never thought she would find out. i was never going to talk about this publicly. >> reporter: the timing of lewinsky's return has spawned new conspiracy theories. >> would "vanity fair" publish anything about monica lewinsky that hillary clinton didn't want in "vanity fair "? >> reporter: another situation she hoped was behind her was benghazi. >> what difference, at this

point, does it make? >> reporter: house republicans have launched a special committee to investigate the attack on the u.s. consulate in libya, where four americans died. >> our focus is to give answers to those who lost loved ones, period. >> reporter: congressman james clyburn and other democrats say it's driven by politics. >> i hope she would not be frightened by that foolishness. i don't think anything will frighten her out of this race. nothing. >> reporter: until she decides her future, this much is clear. the clinton past will be there to fill the void. for "this week." jeff zeleny, abc news, washington. >> thanks to jeff. the "roundtable" now, bill kristol, editor of the weekly standard, democratic strategist donna brazile, adam kinzinger and talk radio host michael smerconish. author of the new novel, "talk." bill, i want to start with you. your magazine said, we're guessing that lewinsky's reemergence months before

hillary clinton's likely announcement of her candidacy is probably staged by the vast pro-hillary conspiracy whether lewinsky knows she's a pawn or not. do you stand with that? >> i stand with that guess. >> it's a guess? >> it's a little ironic. a little light heartedness about monica lewinsky and hillary clinton. >> how would that work? this conspiracy? do you sit down with the "vanity fair" editors? >> yeah, well, you could. i believe hillary clinton knows the editors and the publishers of "vanity fair." i don't think monica lewinsky will be an issue. benghazi is a serious issue. boko haram is a serious issue. monica lewinsky is not. >> i don't think her coming out, telling in the american people her story. having her story out there once again. if it didn't damage a sitting president 18 years ago, i don't believe it will hurt a

presidential candidate 18 years later. monica lewinsky deserves every opportunity to tell the american people her story if that's what she wants to do. i don't think it will have anything to do with secretary clinton's ability to run a good presidential campaign and win if she decides to do it. >> michael smerconish? >> the net net is a zero or a slight plus for secretary clinton. >> i was going to ask that. is there a plus in this? >> it portrays her as a sympathetic figure. i can't imagine someone would say, i was going to cast a ballot for secretary clinton in 2016 but now i'm not because her husband cheated on her. i think it's also a sign of her resilience. i read that portrayal. it reminded me, my god, like her or dislike her, she's been through a heck of a lot and she's still standing. >> congressman. you're the youngest person here, maybe by far. so, you're younger than monica

lewinsky. isn't that terrifying to thing that? does this pass your generation? do people care? >> i don't think the lewinsky thing is going to matter. it's an intriguing story. i feel bad, a little bit, for her. she was young when this happened. everybody knows her name. not for something she necessarily wants to be known for. the bigger issue on the hillary question, i don't think it will affect her. the thing that's going to be bad is, i can't throw a dart at a world map now and hit within 100 miles of where there's a war or an ally that no longer trusts us. that is a much bigger issue. >> her history as secretary of state and benghazi came up this weekend. and they'll have the committee investigating that. >> i think those are bigger issues than monica lewinsky. >> i think it depends on what develops. i think up until this point, nothing from benghazi has received traction apart from the gop base. it's the abortion of the 2014 cycle.

get out the vote. but to get out what vote in the gop base. the hearing i would like to hear, the hearing i would like to hear is the hearing that says what became of those individuals that were responsible for the deaths of four americans and why haven't we brought them to justice? not a hearing about e-mails and ben rhodes and what did he know and when did he know it? >> i agree. there were 29 recommendations from the accountability relief board -- review board. those are the -- we should be talking about what have we done since benghazi? what have we done to make americans safer in the embassies? in these dangerous places across the globe. there were 13 attacks. >> i want to stay with hillary. for a moment. she was secretary of state at the time. >> and she took responsibility. >> but as you said, no one has really been held accountable in a larger way. is this an issue going forward? >> absolutely. i mean, when -- when we discussed hillary clinton at the beginning of the panel, donna carefully said secretary clinton. i think that's right.

let's have the debate of o on secretary of state of the united states hillary clinton. we intervened. what happened in libya over the next year that benghazi got to where it was at? why did hillary clinton say the video caused the attack when she must have known it didn't? >> haven't we gone over and over. there have been investigations. what is the -- >> what were the investigations, there have been investigations and just last week we got the e-mail that said, let's blame it on the video. blame it on the video. >> nothing in the e-mail should have prompted the republicans to call for another investigation. the reason you're doing it, congressman, is republicans have no other issue to discuss. health care is not an issue anymore. and because the chair of the armed services committee basically said there's no more there there. now mr. boehner has to give the republicans something to do. >> when i went through survival

training, i was told your country will never leave you behind. it will move heaven and earth to come get you. if you find yourselves behind enemy lines, don't worry. there will be an f-16 and guys coming to get you. at some point. that didn't happen. the youtube video to me is beyond the politics of it. there was an attempt by the administration to cheapen the death of four americans, not give them their due rights of having died on the war on terror. >> that is not true. that is not true. >> initially, they said it was because of a youtube video, not because of the war on terror. >> that is not true. that is not true. the president said that the day after this was an act of terrorism. and the administration has expressed regret for the lives of those americans lost. but if you look at all the reports that have come out about benghazi. there is nothing in the reports that say the administration tried to -- to -- to keep the defense department from doing their jobs. they wanted to get to those people. they wanted to help the secretary. >> they had seven hours between the first and second attack. >> this discussion shows there's

a lot more to be discussed. and a lot more to look at in this. before we go the break, here's this week's mother's day inspired powerhouse puzzler. from our own cokie roberts. author of the book "founding mothers." >> who was the first woman to give birth at the white house? >> that's a tough one. back in two minutes to see if "the roundtable" and you can guess the answer. (mother vo) when i was pregnant... i got more advice than i knew what to do with. what i needed was information i could trust on how to take care of me and my baby. luckily, unitedhealthcare has a simple program that helps moms stay on track with their doctors and get the right care and guidance-before and after the baby is born. simple is good right now. (anncr vo) innovations that work for you. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.

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>> you seem depressed. >> i am. >> i wagered nothing. i wagered nothing. mrs. lincoln. >> someone during lincoln. i also said happy mother's day to my mom. >> oh, nice save. very, very nice save. okay. let's go to cokie with the answer. >> the answer is martha jefferson randolph. daughter of thomas jefferson, our third president. january 17, 1806. she gave birth to james madison randolph, and the woman who attended her said she couldn't find any food, she couldn't find any help. she called it bachelor hall. >> okay. nobody got it. but big thanks to cokie. we're right back with the big critique of the white house that has everyone talking. out there here are ms about a reverse mortgage, so i want you to know the facts. there are currently no credit score or income requirements to qualify.

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if you're not happy with one of our participating investment advisory services, we'll refund your program fee from the previous quarter. it's no guarantee against loss and other fees and expenses may still apply. chuck vo: standing by your word, that's what matters the most. so barbara, you're stepping down after over 50 years as a tv journalist. do you have any tips on how to achieve that success? >> i do. develop a signature voice that no one will forget. >> wait, is that not your real voice? >> no. this is my real voice. hello, i'm baba wawa. >> our friend, barbara walters having some fun on "snl" last night. now more of my exclusive interview with defense secretary chuck hagel and the reaction to the heat president obama has

been taking over his foreign policy choices. even this from the usually friendly "new york times" editorial page. the perception of weakness, dithering, inaction, there are many names for it, has indisputably had a negative effect on mr. obama's global standing. i asked secretary hagel about that. >> i don't subscribe to "the new york times'" analysis. because -- it is not an easy matter of just what your perception is in the world. i don't think you can run foreign policy, lead a nation, be president of the united states based on what other people think of you. >> when i travel overseas, people say different things about america. they say it's not as forceful. have you not seen that? >> i have seen some of it. yes. yes. i think that's a reality that is out there. we're still the dominant power. no one is in our universe whether you apply a metric of

measurement of economic power, or military power. that doesn't mean we can solve every problem alone. no nation can do that. i do think there is a smens out there that you have correctly identified by some that somehow america's power is eroding or we're not going to use our power or we're too timid about our power. i don't believe that. i think we have been wise on how we use our power. >> back now with the "roundtable." so secretary hagel says he has heard people say that america looks a little weaker. though he doesn't agree with them. bill kristol? >> that's stunning. the secretary of defense of the united states to say, yes, there's a perception object america out there. that's appalling. it has consequences in the real world. i'm afraid it's eroding. our power. we seem to be withdrawing because we are. president obama said it's time that the international community

finally does something about boko haram, this terrible group in nigeria. his own state department refused to put them on the terror list for over two years. the perception is that we're not serious about exercising power. >> donna brazile, we all know that president obama came out of the war in iraq. he didn't want another war. didn't want to go into these places. did he learn the wrong lesson? >> i don't think so. he is strategic about foreign policy. this is a different country after 9/11. the american people are war-weary. they want us to use the power strategically. effectively. not every time the wind blows. we know how to get it done and get it done right. i don't buy the notion that the united states is a weakened country. >> how about the red line in syria? >> that red line in syria was a

dumb comment to make at a time when he should have shown more bold action. given the crisis, the humanitarian crisis. the death toll. going to bill's point about boko haram. the state department got a lot of flack. including by john campbell who wrote a book, dancing, something dancing. nigeria is the second -- now the biggest country in africa in term of its economy. there were real reasons why they waited or hesitated to put this organization as a terrorist group. but the truth is, the united states can marshall the resources and the power to get things done in the world. >> congressman, i want to move to the v.a., which is such an important topic. you heard the piece. veterans are outraged. i have talked to so many and families who are outraged by this. it's different. there's been a backlog. but this is different. people are dying because they're waiting. should shinseki resign?

>> well, i'm not going to go as far as to say that he should resign yet. as a veteran, myself, this is especially offensive. i think let's see what he does right now. does he get on this and make changes? >> one of the things he's saying is we have made vast improvements. 40%, 50 pokt%, how do we know? >> they're faking numbers. drawing fake waiting lists and trying to -- this is the problem of bureaucracy. and huge government. sometimes the stuff falls by the wayside. the people that deserve this, those that put their life on the line for our country are the ones on the short end of this. this is something that in congress, we have to be right on top of. i hope the president can be right on top of as well. >> michael, does this have legs? as we say in the business. will this really finally make changes? >> it does. absolutely. i think they have taken a page, the v.a., out of the gm playbook for crisis management. they should be telling it all, telling it themselves.

>> no press conference. >> nothing forthcoming. i'm concerned this is the tip of the iceberg. there are other lurking issues. one that has my focus is that 1 of 6 iraq and afghanistan veterans have substance abuse issues. i think it's because of the overprescription of pain meds that in many cases leads to a heroin addiction and a life of crime. so i think much is yet to come. >> and we'll have a whole lot more veterans coming home by the end of the year. thank you, all of you. coming up, is edward snowden a spy? one year after the nsa leaker dropped those bombshells about secret surveillance, the former chief of the nsa is speaking out. back in 60 seconds.

eand a congress standing in the country ready way.ove forward... their budgets are late; jobs bills are stalled... and special interests run rampant. as an economics teacher at stanford, i know education means good jobs. so here's my plan: i'd start teaching computer coding in public schools right away. open doors for women in science and technology. and prepare young people for middle class manufacturing jobs. i'm ro khanna and i approve this message, because change starts with us. i'm not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker. >> that was president obama during edward snowden's global odyssey after he revealed the

surveillance secrets. a year later, snowden still sparks a raging debate. here's abc's pierre thomas. >> reporter: edward snowden is a traitor and could be a spy, recruited by russia to target the u.s. that's the suspicion of the man running the nsa when this happened last year. >> why would you take hundreds of thousands or million plus documents. >> reporter: and snowden acknowledged the extraordinary scale of what he could have taken. >> i had access to the full rosters of everyone working at the nsa. the entire intelligence community. and undercover assets all around the world. >> reporter: is he a spy? >> i don't know the answer to that. i'm concerned that where he is now, he's at least influenced by russia. the real question is, how far back did that go? >> we have learned that the obama administration quietly accessed the phone records of millions of americans. >> reporter: roughly a year ago,

snowden stole some of the nation's most sensitive secrets and gave them to the media. the first stunning revelation? verizon was providing the national security agency with phone numbers of millions of customers. now, nations have our surveillance playbook and terrorists have changed how they operate. >> we're losing capabilities to track terrorists. this is a huge impact. >> reporter: but snowden defended his actions. >> i don't want to live in a world where everything i say, everything i do, everyone i talk to, every expression of creativity or love or friendship is recorded. >> reporter: for his supporters, the revelations changed the world as we know it. they say for the better. >> we have the courts engaging the legality and the wisdom of these programs. the debate would not have happened if not for the actions of edward snowden. >> reporter: we pressed on why

congress, who was supposed to be overseeing his agency, did not know everything that the nsa was doing. was this case of the nsa withholding information or congress not doing their job? it can't be both. >> we deal to the intel communities. we put all the documents on the table and say, here's what we're going to do with this. i can tell you this. we provided those materials. now, truth in lending, some of this is technical. >> reporter: the debate is over the details. was the nsa revealing too few or snowden too many? for "this week" pierre thomas, abc news, washington. >> thank you, pierre. let's bring in abc news contributor richard clarke, form white house terror adviser and author of the new book, "sting of the drone." thanks for being with us, dick. i want to ask you, you heard what general alexander said. to you think that edward snowden damaged national security? >> i know he did.

president obama apointed me to the five-person review group to look into what happened. we had complete access to nsa. i know that he hurt our counterterrorism effort and various other efforts. >> give us an example of how he did that or the effect. >> he may or may not have intended. we don't know. he revealed ways that nsa collects information. and, the terrorists, and others, criminals and others around the world, have stopped using those methods of communications since he revealed them. so we no longer have the heads-up that an attack is coming on our embassy in fill in the blank because of what he did. sure, he revealed a program, the telephony program, the 215 program, that was a stupid program. that we might not have known about otherwise. so i'm glad we know abit. >> if there's a silver lining, that's it. >> it's very small. we're killing the program. it was unnecessary and overly intrusive. it didn't have enough oversight

by the courts. so the president is killing the program. that's what we recommended. >> i want to turn to your book. which sounds pretty phenomenal. it's called "the sting of the drone." one reviewer had high praise writing that what tom clancy did for submarines, richard a. clarke does for the drones. what's the picture you're trying to paint here with the drones? i'm sure you didn't reveal any secrets. >> i couldn't. they reviewed it and took out the secrets. they left a lot in that is very informative. the goal was to write a thriller that you would enjoy laying on the beach. and at the same time, bring people behind the curtain to see how the drone program works now and how potentially it will work this the future. >> you go to where the drones are flying. you go overseas. you do all of that. >> i ask the question what happens if the people we're attacking with the drones start attacking us with drones? because it's easy to have drones in the united states.

in fact, they're beginning to be everywhere. pretty soon, everybody will have one. they're flying for all sorts of purposes. sheriffs have them. farmers are them. >> some are running into planes. obviouslily close. it sounds like a great book. dick clarke, i'll look forward to some day being on the beach with it. next, one of the world's most famous landmarks like you have never seen it before.

now our "sunday spotlight" shining on one of the most famous landmarks in the world. check out this incredible time-lapsed video capturing the washington monument during 13 months of repairs. and starting tomorrow, it is finally back open. abc's john donvan shows us what we have been missing. >> reporter: ever notice how nobody calls it a tower?

but it towers. and has for 130 years. washington's midpoint opinion and its highest point. 555 feet. which actually has just come out of its bandages. it looked like this for much of the past three years. remember this. >> the earthquake centered in virginia has been felt all up and down the eastern corridor. >> reporter: it was magnitude 5.8. it wounded the washington monument. 150 cracks found. it had to be closed. it's usual 700,000 visitors a year, told sorry. flashback. the monument has faced difficulty before. most famously getting stuck at the halfway point in construction for 20 years when the money, entirely private donations, ran out. it finally got finished 130 years ago with slightly different colored stone where the work started again when congress chipped in money. and despite its demise in many

movies -- "mars attacks." "independence day." "olympus has fallen." it's stood rock solid. or actually, not so rock solid. take a ride upstairs. yes, there's an elevator in there. meet john jarvis and find out that -- >> it is a dry stack stone structure. i mean, there's no real mortar between the stones. >> reporter: right. that's right. the stones just rest on top of each other. no glue holding them together. which might have been a good thing when the quake hit because it -- >> actually allowed it to absorb the energy of the earthquake. >> reporter: still, 150 cracks at this height. historic structure. a $15 million repair bill. half of which came from david rubenstein. >> i just think i got very lucky in my life and i want to give back. >> reporter: thanks to that impulse, the public gets to go back inside tomorrow. >> we announced we were going to open in a week.

we opened up for tickets. we did 16,000 tickets in the first 15 minutes. >> reporter: wow, the monument sold out. all for a pile of stones not even stuck together. they stack up beautifully. they do tower. for "this week" john donvan, abc news, washington. >> can't wait to get back in there. thanks, john. now we honor our fellow americans who serve and sacrifice. this week, the pentagon announced the death of one soldier supporting operations in afghanistan. that's all for us today. thanks for sharing part of your sunday with us. check out "world news" with david muir tonight. to all the moms out there, happy, happy mother's day.

>> in the news, authorities say why a police officer was force today open fire on a suspect. and making history. the emotional reaction as michael sam becomes the first openly-gay man draft into the nfl. >> good morning. for mother's day we are warming up as much as 10 degrees today. north winds already up to 18 miles an hour. so we will keep the breeze, but the heat is on. your forecast is coming up. [doorbell rings] hey. hey. what's this? it's u-verse live tv. with at&t u-verse... you can watch live tv from your device. hey. hey. anywhere in your home. [doorbell rings] hey. hey. so you won't miss a minute of the game.

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