▶ 0:03:25Ashamed.and please exit the building. Thank you. Is it time? Well, we're actually two minutes late, Mr. secretary. Well, you know, Mr. secretary, you're a young guy. I'm an old guy. On homeland security.
▶ 0:03:42Is, uh, is now called to order. Uh, welcome back to the house, Mr. secretary. It has been our, uh.
▶ 0:04:06It's been our tradition to have the secretary of homeland security appear before the committee once, uh, about once a year, on average. And so since it's been, I think, uh, a year ago, last may, since your predecessor was in front of the committee.
▶ 0:04:21Um, and we're, and we're right in the middle of the fiscal year, uh, um, uh, process for, for 2026, we are going to, uh, to have a, uh, we're going to have a little visit with you as is the tradition. Um, and so I would like to start out by recognizing members for opening statements. I'm going to waive my opening statement.
▶ 0:04:47Uh, I reserve the right to do a, a closing statement if I see fit. But with that and moving right along to the gentleman from laredo, the floor is yours for your opening statement, Mr. chairman. >> thank you so much. And again, we want to thank you for your leadership. As you know, you'll be leavingcongress at the end of the year. And I just have to say, it's been a pleasure working with you and your staff along with our staff. So thank you again for the many years of experience. Uh, I'd like to welcome the secretary again.
▶ 0:05:16It was a pleasure talking to you yesterday. And the deputy secretary also, Mr. edgar also. And we look forward for your testimony and the dialog as we start here this morning. You know, there's many issues that we want to talk about. But before I get started, I, I like to take this time to border patrol agent, uh, alex medellin, who while he was off duty, he responded to a fatal plane crash in laredo, texas, uh, on june 16th.
▶ 0:05:45Uh, he joined first responders and good samaritans, uh, to rescue people from the flames of, uh, of a airplane that crashed there in laredo. I understand that his bravery is a reflection of the courage and the commitment of those that serve not only laredo, but all across the nation. But I just wanted to say thank you, uh, for that individual, that border patrol agent.
▶ 0:06:10As I move forward, uh, you know, we certainly want to look at hearings that we've had in the past. And I think it's, uh, we know the work that homeland does. It's critical to the national, uh, economic security. Uh, safeguarding physical and technological infrastructure and networks and courage in making sure that we counter the foreign threats.
▶ 0:06:33Uh, and again, I appreciate all the work and we understand the way threats have been evolving and the way this committee has been working with your department. Uh, let me start off with the, uh, $260 billion from reconciliation. Uh, despite the efforts of the chairman myself, we try to finalize the funding for all of dhs in fiscal year 2026. Uh, we tried, uh, didn't get to that.
▶ 0:07:03Uh, but we do know that, uh, there was a reconciliation that added $260 billion, uh, to the department. I'm a big supporter of the department, but I'm a big supporter of article one of the constitution. Uh, and that $260 billion is for its more than four times that congress usually allocates to the department.
▶ 0:07:28And one fiscal year, uh, including, uh, not including the disaster relief fund. Uh, this funds never were never themembers of this subcommittee, nor did the reconciliation include a, a single safeguard to keep the funding accountable to the taxpayer. Uh, that should concern every member of this appropriations panel.
▶ 0:07:50The power of the purse and the duty of oversight, uh, are inseparable, not because congress is entitled to this authority, but because the people, uh, deserve accountability. Uh, we attempted during the markup to add additional oversight to the reconciliation through various amendments, but we were not able to, to do that.
▶ 0:08:14Uh, we did have a few of those, uh, amendments that were put in the chairman's mark. And I certainly want to thank the chairman for adding, uh, some of that, uh, a lot of the language that we were trying to add have been there for many, many, many years, but were lost when the border patrol and the ice removal, uh, were removed from the fy 26.
▶ 0:08:41And I'm a big supporter of ice of border patrol, but I want to see those safeguards. And they've been common sense measures like reporting deaths in federal custody, minimum standards for detention contracts, agreements, and certainly, uh, protections, as we talked yesterday about the riverland in my district, I do want to say that I am thankful to the chairman
▶ 0:09:12Because he did reserve some, uh, some of that, uh, some of those protections in the chairman's mark. And I certainly want to say thank you for that. Uh, I believe in strong border security, but it's got to be more fiscal barriers, uh, especially to the border communities where we've had historical lows. I think the numbers have gone down by 96%. And I congratulate all of y'all.
▶ 0:09:40I did not support open borders and I do not support open borders. But again, we got to have the right measures at the border. And keep in mind the numbers went down without a single foot of border wall being constructed, without a single foot of border wall constructed. Opinion. It's something that I've advocated for many years. You got to have repercussions at the border. You can't slap people on their hands and say, you know, come into bienvenidos a los estados unidos.
▶ 0:10:07You gotta have repercussions at the border. And then at the same time, you got to work with our neighbors, mexico and other countries. And again, numbers went down. I believe your numbers are 96% without a single foot of, of border wall. Uh, but again, uh, we got to look at what's important and technology intelligence, well trained personnel.
▶ 0:10:31I think we have reached 21,000, almost 21,500 border patrol agents, which I support. And I supported funding for border patrol. But we got to include, uh, our communities when we talk about border security, uh, the right policies matter.
▶ 0:10:49And as I mentioned, repercussions at the border for anybody that enters the border, uh, the united states illegally, we hav, the, you know, the reality is that $260 billion that we added, it's going to run out, it's going to run out in three years.
▶ 0:11:10And, and, uh, and when we talk about, uh, hiring, you know, the 21,500 border patrol agents and as you know, uh, the reconciliation added 3000 agents, uh, to, to, uh, to this. But at the end of this, we got to their salary. So again, we got a lot of issues that we certainly want to look at. And I look forward to asking some of the questions. Mr. secretary, it's always a pleasure seeing you again.
▶ 0:11:37Uh, and the assistant secretary look forward to working with both of y'all. With that, I yield back the balance of my time. >> thank you. Thank you, Mr. cuellar. Um, so I'm going to go to you now for questions. So I deduct a minute 44 from your questioning. >> uh, no sir, you should add an additional minute and a half to. >> thank you for your advice. Um, I want to let the committee members know that, uh, we had a couple of ways to go with this.
▶ 0:12:04Um, and so I thought it would be, especially with what's going on or not going on on the floor or that we don't know for sure what's going on on the floor. We're not going to do two rounds of questioning. But Mr. guest, would you like to come grab your seat or are you sitting by the door for reasons the rest of us should know about? If there's a problem we'd like to go to.
▶ 0:12:25But anyhow, so we're going to do one round of eight minutes per person to to allow you, since it's been over a year to allow everybody to, to have a good shot at having a discussion with, with the secretary. But that's it. One of. Eight and so, uh, and, and I am going to attempt to be fairly disciplined about the eight minutes. Um, but with that said, we're going to turn right around. Mr.
▶ 0:12:52Oh yeah, that's right. Mr. secretary, would you like to do an opening statement? >> well, for the sake of time, and I think quick to get in and. I will do what you did and waive. Opening statement. I thank the ranking member is going to ask me the questions that he talked about. So I'd be happy to address all those. I wrote them down here and discuss them, and I can discuss them to the open market or opening.
▶ 0:13:19Or if part of your questions, I'll just defer to you when you ask the questions, because there's several of them here. I want I want. >> to address, as you can see, the secretary's training as a member of the house of representatives is still strong in his ethos. >> well, I think it's part of the senate that taught me best. But I'm not kidding. >> well, okay, those those eight minute questions first. >> that's right. >> uh, so with that, we're going to start with questions. I don't see miss delauro here yet for her opening statement. So, Mr. cuellar, the floor is yours for eight minutes for questions of the secretary. >> yeah, yeah.
▶ 0:13:49>> thank you sir. Uh, again, on the oversight provisions that we've had, the tension, uh, all, all that that we had. Look, right now we know we look next year there might be a differente certainly going to put it in the chairman's mark on this. But you voted on this, I assume.
▶ 0:14:08But when you were in the house and the senate, uh, because we've had a lot of those provisions, you know, standards and detentions, uh, the protections that we talked about yesterday, you know, we added under what I call the trump one administration, uh, six protections space, uh, the chapel and all those, uh, protections that we have down there,uh, in the valley. They've been there since trump won.
▶ 0:14:34We negotiated with, uh, under the trump one, uh, the secretary that was there in your place, uh, and we added those protections. But then when the reconciliation came in, some folks were saying, well, you know, those dollars are outside congress, so we're going to go ahead and do that in the chairman's mark.
▶ 0:14:50The way I understand it, we did put language there, uh, in the chairman's mark, saying that those areas will be the texas has 1200 miles of border, and we just want those one mile here, one mile here, one mile here, be protected. I'm hoping you can work with us, uh, dealing with those reconciliation dollars.
▶ 0:15:15>> so thankyou, ranking member ranking the reconciliation dollars and appropriation dollars are, by statutetwo separate funding and has two separate regulations. Same thing with detention centers. And, uh, and, and reporting language. Um, we know the difference. And honestly, it's, it's kind of a quagmire because we have to deal with so many different statutory, it would be easy if we just had one and, uh, and just move forward. I would prefer that because it'd be an easier way for us to report.
▶ 0:15:44But bureaucracy gets in its way. We understand that, um, the wall, my number one job is to protect the homeland. And I'm telling you, ranking member, I, I love my job. I love that president trump gave me this opportunity. I wake up every single day and I get to protect my yard, just like I protect your backyard. People in california, people in new york, people in oklahoma, I look at all the same. It's part of homeland. And we strive every dy edgar, um, who's who is truly, uh, invaluable to me.
▶ 0:16:13We talk on a daily basis on the best way to deliver this. Rodney scott, the head of cbp, um, we're meeting, um, almost daily on the wall. Our, our thing that we're seeing with the walls. The cartels are always changing and they're a threat. There's not one inch of mexico's northern border that isn't covered by a plaza. Plaza is cartels, nine cartels that control it. They have plaza centers, they call it plazas that they have plaza bosses.
▶ 0:16:44And they're always looking for vulnerabilities to push human trafficking and drug trafficking across our border. And they're getting very good at it. They're even using now, um, that we just discovered our first tunnel in years because our wall is being affected. We are pushing them and to, to what we consider choke points. So the more walls we put, the more we can focus on trafficked areas. And we take a hard look at this.
▶ 0:17:08And there's members on this committee that has called me about it, and there's committee and other people throughout the house and the senate that when you call, I answer the phone. If we got to go out there and take a look at the specific areas, we will do that. I've been on a helo's travel on those borders. We've been on on in vehicles, traveling those borders to see where are the most sensitive areas because we want to be cognitive of the surrounding areas. But we also got to take in, first and foremost, the safety of the homeland.
▶ 0:17:35And those are always something that we take into consideration when we're looking for any type of corridor. >> yes,sir. >> and I'm with you, I there. I don't just go visit the border. Yes, sir. And, and I, I, I would love to have you go down to laredo. And if you would allow me, we'll find a time to go visit. And mexican food is pretty good down there. >> I, I agree, but I just found out that queso is like maybe like an oklahoma thing. White queso. >> hey, we'll, we'll take any import from the.
▶ 0:18:02But, uh, but I'd love to, uh, have you down there. If, if, if, if you make the time and we invite the chairman. >> down, sir, I'll do it. We can do it as a committee with the chair with however we want to do it. I absolutely do that. >> yeah. And look, and let me just talk about a couple of things, uh, on the border. And and again, I'm I'm with you on security, on the border. Problem is the river goes this way. This is a border wall. What happens is imagine if you were in oklahoma, had property here and they would take all this away.
▶ 0:18:32The middle of the river is, is actually the boundary. We're not going to put a fence in the middle of the river. We're not going to put it at the riverbanks because it will get washed off. The thing is, this is the, uh, the, where they put the actual fence at. If you look at it, uh, and I've taken planes just following down here with michael mccaul, this is the way the river is.
▶ 0:19:01And when you put a fence over here, you're just taking things away from property that's been there. Laredo, for example, was built in 1755, uh, little older than our our country. And all we want is go down there. Let's look at the best way to provide security, uh, down there. And that's all we're asking. When you go down there is just down with the folks there.
▶ 0:19:29Uh, you know, we, we, you know, we're patriots down there. You know, we've been around for a long time. We live there. We just want you to come down and sit and spend a little bit of time with us there. >> thank you. Remember actually the deputy just got back from there yesterday. He spent a day and a half down there. Um the issue that we run that we run into is the, the people look at the river as being the exact location of the border. It's not the river is moved.
▶ 0:19:56And when we're talking about putting a barrier, we fought this and trump 45 when we first started looking at surveying this. And do we. And the question was, is do we follow what we consider the natural barrier?
▶ 0:20:09Is the river or what actually the lines were when we draw you know, back 200 years ago, um, it was because of some of the court rulings it came to that we, we have to look at where our actual border is and that goes back to the roosevelt line. So when we start looking at the roosevelt line is where we try to put it at. Um, and there's some circumstances where we can't always run the roosevelt line, uh, but where we can, we do.
▶ 0:20:38But that's the, that's where we try to run as our true, our true border line, right? >> and we have fences down there in the valley, with the exceptions of those six exemptions that I talked about, there's are numbers from border patrol, even with the fences. Look at the heat maps. Uh, you still have people, uh, addressing.
▶ 0:21:00And if you ask any border patrol chief, I haven't asked this border patrol, but I've asked border patrol chiefs from, uh, from, uh, bush one, uh, all the way up to, um, to, to, except for this current one. Uh, and I've asked them how long does a border fence, uh, slow down somebody? And they have always said from, uh, from, uh, a few seconds or a few minutes. So again, I'm for border security.
▶ 0:21:26I got about 20s left because I'm going to make sure we follow this. But, uh, look, we can talk about it. I'm for border security. You're for borders. All I ask you is go down there. I understand tom homan was down there also in laredo. Appreciate notifications before instead of hearing that from my mayor and other folks. But I ask you to go down there and spend a little bit of time with our community. >> we will do that. And we are addressing the primary wall.
▶ 0:21:54That's why we're putting in the wall system now which is called the secondary wall, too, because the cartels have been exposing it. We're putting in smart fences, which allows us to respond when they're tampering with the wall. The second wall, which is the primary wall, which will still be within our footprint, we are constructing it sometimes at thesame time. Partially, we're going to have to come back and do it, but we'll all have it done. Before trump, president trump was out of office. We have the complete primary and secondary wall done, and that gives us time.
▶ 0:22:19When they cut the fence, we can react because they're doing it in very rural areas, and we can react before they can get past the secondary wall, and we know how many we're dealing with. Plus, we're using uas now to put up with heat sensors to be able to track them and see what we're dealing with. So we you're absolutely correct. The cartels have got really good, but that's what they do. They're criminals. And so every time you do something, they try to figure out a way to get around it. And we're going to defeat them at every turn. Yeah. >> uh, my time is up. Thank you.
▶ 0:22:48By the way, according to fbi statistics, laredo is the safest city in texas. Thank you. Look forward to seeing laredo. >> thank you, Mr. ranking member. Next, we're going to go to the gentleman from florida. Mr. rutherford, the floor is yours for eight minutes. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. Mr. secretary, it's great to see you, particularly in this position. As a former law enforcement officer myself, um, it's great to have somebody in there that understands law and order. Um, we wouldn't need the wall.
▶ 0:23:17Like you said, if every administration would enforce the current law as it is. Uh, but they won't. And so we need this wall. Uh, it is the first one is an impediment. The second one gives you time to get there. And, and great, great plan. Uh, I want to speak a little bit about organized retail crime and cargo theft, because they are no longer isolated property crimes.
▶ 0:23:45Uh, they are sophisticated, they are interstate, and they are often transnational criminal enterprises that threaten the integrity of the U.S. supply chain. They impose higher costs on consumers and generate illicit proceeds to support these cartels who are running these things, and other criminal enterprises.
▶ 0:24:08I would also mention that these are the non-domicile cdl drivers that are killing our american public out on our roadways because they don't know how to drive. Um, last month, the house overwhelmingly passed the combating organized retail crime act. Cauca.
▶ 0:24:28Uh, this committee also passed the fy 27 homeland security appropriations bill, which we included language in that bill for the $4 million to establish the organized retail and supply chain crime center that would be created through cauca. So we're we're funding it in advance, hoping that, uh, you know, the senate will do the right thing.
▶ 0:24:54We have to start fighting these cartels who are absolutely taking over our trucking industry. Um, first, I'd like to know, uh, would you agree that combating cargo theft in this organized crime is imperative to our national security?
▶ 0:25:13And from a homeland security perspective, how important is it that congress provides dhs with the tools and statutory direction that cauca gives, uh, to treat organized retail crime and supply chain crime truly is a is a national security threat? >> uh, thank you, sheriff, for carson, for the, um. I've called you sheriff, please. Yes. Uh, sheriff, thank you for that question.
▶ 0:25:41It is something that we're seeing organized crime, uh, expanding into, unfortunately, under the biden administration, had four years to build a network because there was just no enforcement on this. Uh, the trump administration has had a zero policy. And we're, we're kicking all the networks. We're going from the cities on down to the borders. Uh, that's part of the president's enforcement and going by city by city because they do have networks there.
▶ 0:26:05And what we're seeing is cartels and, and, and, and other organizations that are because of the drugs that we are having a strong effect on because of the human trafficking that we have taken away from the borders, from the mill to traffic humans and, uh, across, they're moving towards more the retail theft. Um, there's beena kind of a hands off off policy. We're seeing this really bad in sanctuary cities.
▶ 0:26:30We're seeing a cdl drivers that they're not required to have the same amount of training, uh, or hours in a truck or, or months or years of service. They can just simply switch their, their, their dot number out and move right on. And we're seeing that they're directly tied to it. And we're seeing cdls come out where it just simply says no name. Oklahoma.
▶ 0:26:51I would say we're one of the strongest to enforce this, but the more cooperation we have with the 287 g program, we can combat ich people consider them just rounding up illegals. Ice is immigration, customs enforcement. See who falls underneath. Ice is also part of that. They combat human trafficking, retail theft all the time for congress to to convey their interest in this.
▶ 0:27:17We have the authorities already to do it, but to convey it helps us get more cooperation from sanctuary states and sanctuary cities, saying that this is different because when you have these sanctuary governors, uh, and sanctuary mayors that go out and say, you cannot at all with ice, right? What they're doing is the same time saying you can't cooperate not just with immigration, but with other investigations that ice does, which is much more than that. And so it really handcuffs us from being able to do it.
▶ 0:27:42So what we're doing is we're playing, we're hitting all the red states, we're hitting the blue states will cooperate with us, but we're just pushing them then into these high sanctuary cities, which is why you're seeing retail leave on a constant basis, which is not good for the economy. It's not good for anybody to do that. So the more you guys can help us and convey, um, your interest, especially this should be a bipartisan issue. This be something that no one is looking at this as a blue or red issue.
▶ 0:28:06This is across the state because when we lose a pharmacy or you lose a grocery store, or you lose a mom and pop shop, or you lose a jewelry store because they're getting robbed to death, literally, and no one's enforcing it. That's not good for anybody. That affects all of our all your constituents. I almost said all of ours, but I guess are all your guys's constituents now. And we just simply want to enforce laws. What what what we don't do at dhs is pick and choose which law to enforce. We enforce the laws that congress passed. >> right.
▶ 0:28:35And I think it's important that dhs and dot that we come together on this, uh, because part of part of the enforcement, I can tell you, if you want to end this, let's start seizing some of those trucks instead of giving the, you know, passing the cargo on. And when we stop these. >> we have. >> the drivers who are violating cabotage. Let's, let's start some seizures and forfeitures on these vehicles. And that'll stop. >> we actually have that authority through the 287 g program.
▶ 0:29:04And when I go back to oklahoma, oklahoma, we have 4.3 million people in the state, we have more arrests in the 287 g program. And we've revoked and confiscated more illegal cdl drivers than any other state. The only one that has more arrests is florida. Their population is quite different. Oklahoma has, has, has stopped, uh, revoked the license and arrested and confiscated vehicles more than any other state because we have complete cooperation with the 287 g program.
▶ 0:29:32>> you know, I'm glad you brought up 287 g, leads right into my next issue, because when I was sheriff, we I started the 287 program within my within my jail. >> I didn't know it was that old. >> we said, oh yeah. >> I'm kidding, sir. >> thank you. Um, but but here's the thing, uh, we've, we've made significant investments in the program and I want to say thank you.
▶ 0:29:55You all have done so much in, in expanding the 287 program, um, across the country. Uh, I think there's now over 2000, uh, state and local agencies involved in the program. That's phenomenal that. So can you talk a little bit about that and, and how important that is?
▶ 0:30:19I can tell you that the former, uh, ice chief who retired told me in a hearing, it's the best thing since sliced bread and we can't get these darn, uh, sanctuary cities and states to, to participate in this program. And and I like your idea, Mr. secretary. We need to find a way to hold themaccountable. >> yeah. So the 287 g has been super successful for us.
▶ 0:30:42One of the things that I want to kind of tie back to, because again, that's allowing us to have the partnerships with all the sheriff organizations, the secretary has been very focused on recovering uiuc's, uh, children that made it across the border, 450, 000, uh, through the secretary's leadership and working with the white house, we've been able to use the 287 program.
▶ 0:31:00We've been using big, beautiful bill money to actually work and fund that, basically helping the sheriff's department and going out and working with us help us locate these kids we've located over about, what is it, 180. 147,000 147,000 and again, it really, thanks to you guys funding the big beautiful bill and being able to give us the money. And really what the partnerships with the sheriffs is also helps build your local communities. This money goes directly to them.
▶ 0:31:29That helps them build up their facilities, their capital, their cars, all of that stuff. So thank you. >> thank you very much. And Mr. chairman, I see my time is up and I yield back. >> thank you to the thank you to the gentleman from florida. You are now tied with the gentleman from laredo for best time keeping skills. Um, it is my understanding that the distinguished ranking member of the full committee wants unanimous consent to enter her opening statement in the record.
▶ 0:31:59So if that's true, without objection. So ordered. And the floor is yours for eight minutes for questions. >> okay, well, I was just going to my I was late and my colleagues have been sitting here as I would of I do want to put my statement into the record, but let me just have my colleagues go first and then I'll come back. Okay. Thank you. Thanks, Mr. chairman. >> yes, ma'am. Your statement will be entered in the record, and we now recognize the gentlelady from illinois for eight minutes for her questions. >> secretary mullin, I want to discuss fema's denial.
▶ 0:32:26Disastern illinois. You and I both come from communities that deal with tornadoes. Just last week, northern illinois was under a tornado watch as severe storms swept through the region, downing trees, disrupting flights in and out of chicago and leaving thousands without power. And between august 16th and 19th of last year, severe thunderstorms, extreme rainfall, flooding and damaging winds coms north illinois.
▶ 0:32:50Homes were damaged, roads were flooded, power lines were downed and families suffered significant losses. Illinois requested a major disaster declaration that included individual assistance, which helps affected families pay for home repairs, property losses, child care, temporary housing, moving assistance, moving expenses and recovery costs. Fema denied illinois's request in october. Illinois appealed in november.
▶ 0:33:15Then, on february 7th, 2026, fema denied the appeal and reaffirmed his decision. Unfortunately, illinois is not alone. Since president trump took office, the number of disaster declarations approved has been 30% lower than the historical average, and there's reason to be concerned that they're being politicized. An analysis from march of this year found that fema approved just 23% of disaster requests from democratic led states, compared to from republican led states.
▶ 0:33:44Don't get me wrong, concerns about fema's response are coming from both sides of the aisle, including from your former republican colleagues in the senate. This should not be a partizan issue. Americans expect timely disaster assistance decisions that follow the law and not politics. What makes this even harder to understand is that republicans have provided dhs with tens of billions of dollars through reconciliation funding, twice on top of annual appropriations.
▶ 0:34:12Your department has repeatedly stated that this funding could support operations for years. Yet families in my district were told there was no assistance or funds available to help them recover. On top of that, this committee does not have a comprehensive spend plan explaining how these funds are being used. Despite my repeated requests over the last several months. Secretary mullen, will you commit to a member level meeting with my colleagues and I to discuss why illinois's disaster declaration was denied, and to see how we can support my constituents?
▶ 0:34:44>> ma'am, we haven't denied anybody a meeting with us. If you reach out, we'll meet with you. Uh, just as long as, I mean. And we'll do it in a timely fashion. Maybe not the next day, but we'll get to it as soon as possible. But I do want to address what, if you don't mind, what you talked about here on politicizing it? Because I, I don't. >> I actually don't want to talk about politicizing, but if you want, I want to meet with you. >> but I mean, but you made some accusations here about president trump. That's actually not accurate. Because. >> chairman.
▶ 0:35:11>> if you're going to make accusations, though, you have to let us respond back. >> reclaiming my time. Mr. Mr. chairman. >> okay, so you're lying about. >> Mr. chairman. >> because you don't want to hear the truth. >> Mr. chairman, this week, president trump nominated. >> the record will reflect that you have agreed to meet with with the lady and her folks. And since I'm trying to keep people in eight. >> minutes. >> please proceed. >> thank you.
▶ 0:35:31This week, president trump's nominee to head fema, cameron hamilton, appeared before the senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee and pledged that fema would be fair and reasonable when evaluating requests for disaster aid. Um, secretary mullen, will you make the same commitment as Mr. hamilton to evaluate disaster requests fairly, reasonably, and with out regard to politics? Yes or no? >> it's interesting that you won't allow me to answer those questions. I can explain it to you, because I don't look at states different between blue or red.
▶ 0:36:01I look at them across the across the country as a whole. If you actually want to know what we're doing, I'll be happy to. So you're not worried about this? I, I don't I don't look at this any different, ma'am. And I'm not here to argue with you. I'm not here to fight with you. I like facts, great accusations. Doesn't help anybody. I appreciate more you're informed the better, you know, because you're saying some stuff that's not true. >> and I hope that illinois receives the same fair consideration as any other state. Now, I'd also like to address another deeply concerning matter. Detainees who died while in your custody.
▶ 0:36:30Secretary mullins, since donald trump took office, dhs immigration detention center system has been plagued by medical neglect, abuse, overcrowding, and a historically high death rate. I saw these dangerous conditions with my own eyes when I visited the miami correctional facility in bunker hill, indiana, where I met with individuals who told me that it takes months to receive medication refills, including for life threatening illnesses like diabetes. Others reported being left unattended with infected boils and other serious conditions.
▶ 0:36:58So it's no surprise that a detainee at that facility died shortly after my visit, or that more detainees died in ice custody in 2025 than ever before. Secretary mullen, does dhs have any official specific internal goals or policies to reduce deaths in custody? >> ma'am, your numbers just aren't accurate. We've had 0.009%. >> Mr. secretary.
▶ 0:37:22>> you're asking about this is 0.009% of deaths, and we've had 54 total in the president's presence time. Those are dangerous accusations you're making. >> which secretary? >> those are dangerous accusations that she's making. Because in the state of illinois, they're twice as high, doing twice as high to die in a state penitentiary in illinois than they are. >> you are invited to this committee. This is my time. >> you need to be informed by what you're saying. >> I am informed. >> no you're not, ma'am. >> Mr. secretary, does dhs have. >> you realize that?
▶ 0:37:50Do you realize that we have one doctor per 10in detention centers in, in, in for our federal detention centers in the state of illinois, they have one per 1800. But yet she wants to focus on our detention centers. >> you'll get your time. Thank you. You're welcome. So so I guess this is a good place to stop. We are trying to keep members to eight minutes, Mr. secretary. You know that too. That's fine. So we all know how the clock runs here. The idea is to get together to forward questions. I'm going to have you repeat your question when we start up again. Thank you.
▶ 0:38:21But I can tell you this if this format won't work, then we'll reschedule the meeting for later when we can keep it to all all the issues accordingly. So this is the efficient way to do it. But if we can't do it the efficient way, then we'll go to plan b, which will not be today. Um, and I don't mean that as a threat to anybody. I'm just saying this is not meet the press or fox news or whatever foranybody involved.
▶ 0:38:52It's question? What's the answer? Mr. secretary, if you need more time to respond to that, the committee will make any of your comments part of the record, and we will endeavor to make sure that you get to meet with whoever wants more time. But while we've got the whole committee sitting we're not going to do the x, y, z debate, whatever the heck. So, ma'am, please repeat your question. And as near as I can figure, you got about four minutes left. >> thank you, Mr. chairman.
▶ 0:39:22You're welcome. Secretary mullen, does dhs have any specific internal document policies or goals to reduce deaths in custody? >> and we do a wonderful job on providing medical to. We're doing a wonderful job at it. We have 0.009%. >> of deaths in the department that you lead. >> which is a lot better than the state of illinois. >> is it your testimony that you do not know whether or not the department that you lead has a policy to reduce deaths in custody?
▶ 0:39:52>> no, I did not say that, ma'am. We we. >> answer my question. >>yes, I did. You're making accusations and you're not even looking at. >> your own state. You have no policy or plan to reduce deaths in custody. That's not true. Two months ago, I asked. >> ice our medical staff does a phenomenal job. In fact, every detainee sees a doctor or a or a or a nurse. With every two weeks. >> I reclaim my time. >> okay. Ask your next question. >> okay. Two months ago, I asked ice director todd lines the same question.
▶ 0:40:17He said that ice quote hopes that there will be no deaths in custody, but admitted that the agency had no actual policy in place to prevent them rather than implement one. He resigned just a few hours later. Secretary. Since that hearing, three more people have died in isis custody, and those are the only deaths that we know about based on your agency's public reporting. So, Mr.
▶ 0:40:39Chairman, I would like to request unanimous consent to enter into the record a report that came out today from human rights watch and physicians for human rights titled dying in detention rising deaths in an expanding U.S. immigration detention system. Drawing on. I'm sorry. >> without objection. So ordered. >> so much, Mr.
▶ 0:40:58Chairman, drawing on government records, detention data andexpert medical reviews, this report outlines 52 deaths in custody during president trump's second term, and highlights the concerns we've been raising to your department regarding the lack of access to medical care, suicide prevention, transparency and accountability in detention facilities. Secretary mullen ice's detainee death reporting has not been updated since april 28th of 2026. The death rate in ice custody has doubled during president trump's second term.
▶ 0:41:27Will you commit to reporting detainee deaths as required by law? >> we do report them, ma'am. No one. I don't. Know that we report these. What we're what what you're talking about is what the congress has asked us to do, which we're not required to do, is report the deaths after they're released. That doesn't make any sense. They're not under our watch at that point. They die. In our release. We we. >> report testimony that there have been no deaths since april 28th. >> I didn't say that. >> okay.
▶ 0:41:56So are you going to commit to complying with the required reporting requirement? >> we were shut down for 115 days under this department. So I don't know what you're we just now reopened, so I don't know what reports you want us to do when you're willing to fund us. You want the reports, but you don't want to fund us. That makes no sense. >> here and has been taking up my time. >> what's your next question? >> my next comment is that the ice. >> there's no questions. It's just comments. >> no, I had a question. He didn't so.
▶ 0:42:26>> so the record will reflect that. What's your next question? >> yes, sir. There is a policy of reviewing and publicly reporting deaths that occur within 30 days of a detainee's release from custody, and that policy existed to prevent ice from avoiding accountability by releasing seriously ill people shortly before they die. And as a nurse, I find this deeply troubling change in their reporting posture.
▶ 0:42:47Families deserve answers, and congress should be able to conduct oversight, and the american people should have confidence that deaths connected to federal detention are not being hidden through administrative loopholes or filibustering. Transparency is not optional. There are laws and reporting requirements.
▶ 0:43:04And if this administration is unwilling to account for what happens to people in its custody, then it's congress's role to question whether it deserves more authority, more detention capacity, or any additional scent from the american people. Mr. chairman, thank you for letting me finish my comments, and I yield back. >> thank you. You have been much more timely than a couple of your predecessors on either side of the aisle. And and I appreciate that. Mr. Mr.
▶ 0:43:30Shreve, you were here first. Are you having a good time so far? The floor is yours for eight minutes for questioning. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I have, uh, been interested by the chippy, uh, discussion this morning and, uh, the the the the subject is important. I appreciate this opportunity to, to, um, put some questions to our secretary. Mr. secretary, thank you for being with us.
▶ 0:44:00Uh, saw you in indianapolis, uh, not too terribly long ago when you came in with senator young. So congratulations on the on the new work. Um, I want to use my time to focus on some practical issues that matter, uh, to my state. Uh, the, the subjects are roadway safety, trade processing, and, uh, counter drone readiness.
▶ 0:44:21And so if I could start with roadway safety, um, sheriff rutherford spoke in this, in this lane to some degree, but, uh, indiana, like texas and other states, uh, specifically suffered two crashes recently, uh, involving individuals that were unlawfully present in the us operating, uh, commercial vehicles. Five hoosiers were killed. These tragedies expose a weakness in our federal verification system.
▶ 0:44:49In both cases, the drivers were able to obtain or to, to, to, to maintain cdls commercial driving privileges. Uh, because the dhs safe system, uh, did not accurately reflect their immigration status. That's why I introduced the verify act. The purpose is, is pretty straightforward.
▶ 0:45:10It modernizes save to make sure states have accurate, timely immigration, uh, information before issuing or renewing licenses to people that can allow an 80,000 pound rig up and down our highways. Um, hoosier families, like families across our country, deserve confidence that this federal system is working, that the information is timely and that ineligible drivers are not allowed to get behind the wheel of these big rigs. Mr.
▶ 0:45:39Secretary, how will the verify act help ensure that states can quickly identify timely identify illegal aliens before licenses are issued or renewed? And if if I may append to that, what additional steps is dhs taking to ensure that cdls meet all federal requirements that are already in place, sir? >> well, congressman, we we work closely with secretary duffey, with department of transportation to do this.
▶ 0:46:08Uh, that obviously falls underneath his his committee. And, uh, but we do find them on the road when we're enforcing 287 g and when we do report it to him. So when we're doing road enforcement, we work hand in hand with the department of transportation. When it actually comes to the license being, um, being sent out, we can investigate them if they're being done illegally. The standards that is set for federal, not state, um cdls, but federal.
▶ 0:46:34So if you're crossing state lines or interstate versus interstate, um, when that happens, we, we are constantly in communication withother agencies as well. So some of this stuff, especially if it's negligent, can, we can work closely with the fbi if we feel like it's organized crime. To which the sheriff referred to a while ago, uh, when we're talking about unlawful cdls that are that are issued for international or for intrastate, not interstate. Uh, then we also work closely with the department of transportation.
▶ 0:47:04We go after the illegals that should never have the documentation to begin with. So when we find the documentations, we work with that. And congressman, can I, can I ask you to do me a favor and let me respond to missunderwood, since she wouldn't, so I can point out some of the hypocrisy between the federal detention centers. But yet most democrats don't pay attention to their own correctional facilities because we see this quite common in our state. So just some facts here. Illinois has failed in 29 of their facilities, uh, to have adequate medical or dental care. That's from their own state health inspectors.
▶ 0:47:33Illinois employs, um, 16 full time physicians for 29 facilities across the state. We're one for one. Every detention center has a doctor put on staff. Um, illinois has a quarter other facilities that don't even have a medical director, 60% of nurss are vacant right now. And by the way, this isn't the state of illinois. Um, they have one doctor per 1875 detainees.
▶ 0:48:00We have one per thousand plus. We have nursing assistants that offset much of it. Illinois, uh, state correctional facility doesn't. So I would suggest that maybe our democrats should look at their own backyard and look at their actual constituent base.
▶ 0:48:21We have people in our detention centers that enter this country illegally, and we're trying to get them off our streets, because one death at the hand of an illegal is 100% preventable. And they shouldn't be in this country if they didn't come here legally. >> all right. Well, I was glad to offer you that time to respond to my colleague from illinois and then back to indiana. Um, we have. >> very good. You have three minutes on the indiana project. >> thank you, sir. Uh, Mr.
▶ 0:48:50Secretary, um, uh, in annapolis is, uh, not only my home, uh, but it's home to the second largest, uh, fedex air hub. Uh, and the subject of foreign trade zones matters much, uh, to distribution based economies such as that which we have in indiana, the crossroads of america. Um, businesses in and around my district depend on, uh, the functioning of these foreign trade zones.
▶ 0:49:14Uh, they offer not just logistical convenience, uh, for hoosier manufacturers and employers. They mean savings through duty restrictions, lower processing fees, reduced costs, helping companies compete. And we compete globally, uh, doing value added work here in the us. Um, the foreign trade zone application process is handled by cbp. And there have been significant delays in some cases, six months to 12 months in those applications.
▶ 0:49:42I know cbp is operating under resource constraints, and appreciate the work our officers doing under difficult circumstances. The fiscal year 27 house mark includes important investments in cbp that,uh, may enable. Excuse me, sir, modernization in the automated, uh, uh,commercial environment, uh, improvements.
▶ 0:50:09What resources could cbp benefit from to ensure that companies in indiana and beyond can take full advantage of these foreign trade zone programs quickly and efficiently? >> consistent funding is the most important thing we can have, which is what reconciliation 2.0 does.
▶ 0:50:27It gives us three years of full funding, so we can't allow some of the radical that serves in our chambers to play games with our custom border, uh, protection when we when we talk about, uh, having funding that's been shut down four times over the last fiscal year, the last time was 115 days. It makes it very difficult for us to deploy new technology, more techniques, and it's very hard to hire when you're shut down and no one's getting paid. It's very, very difficult having consistent funding.
▶ 0:50:56We have the men and women inside all dhs, but especially through cbp, that can do their job and they're experts at it. We have new technology that we're constantly wanting to deploy. Um, I will say because of, of, of, of the republicans in both chambers passing reconciliation two point,uh, reconciliation 2.0, with which president trump's initiative, we're going to be able to have new technology to keep these trade zones operate and keep our economy moving forward, which right now, because of president trump, he constantly says it.
▶ 0:51:25We were a dead now we're a thriving country. We're the hottest country in in the world because people want to do business inside the united states. And we need to be effective and efficient on bringing products in and out of this country. >> I appreciate the secretary's commitment. Uh, much of this shouldn't be ideological. We just got to take care of it. >> creates jobs. >> that's right. Mr. secretary, I appreciate your your testimony and the time today. Uh, Mr. chairman, I yield back. >> to my colleague from the hoosier state.
▶ 0:51:54Thank you for winning the time keeper award for today. And your first place position is probably pretty strong. I'm just guessing to the gentleman from hawaii, whose name is not king, but case. Mr. case, the floor is yours. >> thank you so much, Mr. cuellar, I appreciate that. >> I see that your time has expired. >> you got an extra minute? >> uh, Mr.
▶ 0:52:21Secretary, um, I want to return to a point that Mr. cuellar, for made in his opening statement, which comes down to this basic point, we've thrown a of a lot of money at homeland security in the last few years. We started with a base budget for homeland security of $62 billion in fy 2025.
▶ 0:52:41Of course, for fy 2026, uh, we, uh, had the, um, exclusion of ice and cbp at 48 billion back to 65 billion in fy 27 as passed out by this committee, uh, over the objections of all democrats. Um, but most directly, $191 billion, uh, in, in reconciliation in 25 and another 70 in 26, uh, for a total of $261 billion.
▶ 0:53:11Now, granted, that's spread out over a number of years. But, uh, the committee's concern, and I think this goes to all members of the committee, is really a failure to itemize where that reconciliation money is actually going. It's been very, very slow in all departments for us to get information on the reconciliation money.
▶ 0:53:30And so I'm just wanting to understand, um, what information the department has provided to the committee committees of jurisdiction, uh, both funding and authorization, on your actual utilization of the reconciliation monies. And, um, you know, I asked that in the two tranches, first of all, the 100, 19 billion, do we have the information from you? We need now to know where you're spending that money? And then the 70 billion as well, which is more recent, granted.
▶ 0:54:01But we still need that information to make budget budget decisions. >> uh, congressman, thank you for the question. And I just got to say, honestly, you guys have a beautiful state. Um, I hate that what you guys have been through since I've been in office. You guys have had 2 trillion gallons of water dumped on your beautiful state. Um, earthquakes and volcanoes. And governor greenand I have worked very closely together. I, I, I seriously think I talked to him more than I do my own governor of the state of oklahoma. Uh, there's not a week that goes by we're not visiting.
▶ 0:54:29Uh, we've done pretty good about getting you funding there. Um, so there's, it's interesting reconciliation, we're required by statute on what we report and what we don't report. Um, because we had to go through isolation to get funded. It was, and it shouldn't have been that way. I would love to have done it through regular order because we, we had some substantive changes.
▶ 0:54:50That was in the first bill that we brought up, but because we started playing politics with it, and I'm sure that wasn't you, but there was politics that's played with it because there's no excuse for not funding ice and cbp. Uh, there's reconciliation issues, um, that on the statute side of it, but we are trying to be as transparent with all the dollars that we spend. There's nothingthat, that we don't want to share. We have nothing to hide. I tell all of our employees we do stuff here. I don't do anything under the table.
▶ 0:55:15I understand that we are way behind on reporting from the from the previous, um, secretary. We're trying to catch up on all the letters that we sent. We're trying to catch up on all the requests that were sent and some of the stuff that we're behind, we're not there yet, but I can tell you, I'll let the deputy talk about this this we his office and the under secretary's office, once it gets filled, works on this, uh, nonstop.
▶ 0:55:40>> so the short answer is we, especially for the 191 billion, we have all the detail that's required. I, I did see letters coming through from this committee asking for this information of the 191, approximately 124 billion that we've actually apportioned, worked with omb going through, and we've committed or obligated about 66 billion at this point. >> and is that information been made available to us? >> it will be made available.
▶ 0:56:05There's a the reporting process that we and like, like the secretary said, with the delay, we've had a lot of challenges with the back office, with all the delays, with the shutdowns, but we'll be getting everything updated. And within the department, absolutely track this very carefully. >> okay. And what about the 70 billion? Is that not due to us yet? >> um, the 70 billion obviously passed fairly recently. Uh, the all the department or the two areas, ice and cbp are putting together their spend plans, working with omb to get the apportionments.
▶ 0:56:34And once the apportionments are in place, we'll start working through the obligations that will follow the same path that we're going through right now with the 190 billion. >> okay. Um, one of the concerns with the 70 billion as we went through that debate was that 5 billion of that 70 billion was allocated to the secretary's office, uh, unspecified. Um, first of all, do you agree with just want to make sure we're on the same page.
▶ 0:56:59And second, what exactly are the plans for the secretary to have 5 billion to spend at his discretion? >> yeah. The 5 billion is very similar to what you saw in the 190 billion osim fund that we had out there for the secretary. And it's really kind of broken up into kind of two categories, uh, between the judicial or stuff that's done non immigration and the 2.5 that would be potentially stuff that we could do to augment stuff. In the example that I would say the secretary has been very focused on is counter uas.
▶ 0:57:27So this type of money outside of a program of record allows the secretary the to whether, you know, we're only spending 40 to $60 million ayear. He can go all in, set up a task force and put in, you know, up to probably 5 to 600 million at his discretion. >> and we're also doing 3.5 billion is going to ice cutters. We had one ice cutter. President trump's initiatives get us up to actually get to 50, but we're doing 11.
▶ 0:57:51We're buying some of that through section 90007, which is the secretary's fund, replenishing some of it with a 5 billion out of this reconciliation 2.0. This is also the way we're able to keep cbp and ice operating during the 115 day shutdown. Um, and then the counter uas, we're vulnerable, uh, extremely vulnerable. And it was extremely, uh, it was made more apparent during our preparation for fifa.
▶ 0:58:18So for the first time in, in history, we have all 11 stadiums covered with counter uas. That's never happened before. In fact, none of these stadiums even had counter us. So this funding, because there's no line item for counter uas and our budget, we were able to use this funding, which is a lot because we got to work with local partners, and we also got to reimburse certain certain agencies too. So this gives us the ability to flex when we need to because of the new threats that are facing the homeland every single day. That isn't always line item.
▶ 0:58:49>> okay. Thank you. I, I, I think we all want the information on how you're spending that money very transparently. I, I, I appreciate your comment on transparency. And by the way, I don't want to let your comment on, on fema's help to hawaii go undiscussed. Uh, we have, in fact, had major challenges and fema has been very, very good.
▶ 0:59:09And in prior hearings with your predecessor, we I >> I commented in particular that what appeared to be a vendetta against fema was completely uncalled for, given what fema has actually done for hawaii on the ground with three straight disasters in the last couple of years. So I appreciate your partnership on that. Um. >> governor green has been very helpful in this because the way he reports to us when some governors don't, his accountability, what he says, what he gets reports in a timely manner, the way he communicates is the key to getting this done.
▶ 0:59:39>> I'm texting him as we speak to say that you're saying nice things about him. >> so don't say it. Don't publish it. And I hope that isn't on. >> this is published. Um, um, my time, my time is about to expire and I'm not going to incur Mr. cuellar's wrath. Uh, and so, um, I'm going to list some questions for rhetorical purposes. Um, why does the coast guard need $2 billion more in the supplemental, which was submitted yesterday?
▶ 1:00:04Number one, will you, uh, reverse course on the cuts to cisa, which I think are penny wise and pound foolish? Um, and, um um, how much do you actually, I'm going to stop right there because I'm over time. I don't want to get in trouble. >> can I answer those real quick? I can do it real quick. So. >> Mr. secretary, I can make it easy for you. I am going to yield, Mr. king, who some know as Mr.
▶ 1:00:32Case, two minutes of my questioning time for you to answer those two questions. >> well, it won't take me two minutes. $2 billion supplement fund that we sent back, we've had a tremendous amountof more expense because of the threats that are facing us with the, um, with the actions in iran, uh, plus the narco boats that we're having in those weren't there. And the president has put a tremendous amount of, of, of, um, emphasis on putting new cutters on the water and utilizing the coast guard in a way that hasn't been used before.
▶ 1:01:01That comes with manning power too. And so the $2 billion is stand up to meet the force needs of us moving forward, and also on some reimbursement costs that we occurred shutdown. So while we're shut down, dow was paying our fuel bill, uh, because we still had missions, our international waters. Um, and it wasn't, they weren't patrolling themselves. And since we didn't have the funding, we had to do it. And so that's reimbursing also to the dow and for our, our mission assets.
▶ 1:01:34>> um, and you have. >> oh and counter. Yes. Sorry. Counter. Yes, yes. Or sis. I mean, uh, cisa. Absolutely. Listen, cisa has very unique authorities and we have adversaries that are attacking not just our government, but attacking our businesses every single day. And the one that has that authority to do it is cisa. Um, it was it, it probably got a bad rep because it wasn't utilizing authority. It was politicized for a little bit. We're hiring the best people. We're bringing in a director for cisa.
▶ 1:02:00We want to stand it up and be not just average. We want to be the go person for cyber security in the nation. That's our focus. That means we're going to hire back up. We are about half staffed what we need to be. Do we need to hire everybody back? No. Do we need to hire about 600 people back? Yes. But I don't want to put bodies in position. I want to put the talented individuals that know what they're doing and, and have partnerships with our state and local officials. >> thank you. Thank you very much for your forbearance, Mr. chair.
▶ 1:02:33>> um, Mr. cooper, thank you for helping out your colleague from hawaii on those getting those questions answered. And we're going to go now to Mr. guest, the gentleman from mississippi. The floor is yours for eight minutes. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. Mr. secretary, thank you for being here. Thank you for your leadership.
▶ 1:02:49I want to start first with a issue that is a priority not only of mine personally, but also of my delegation, uh, and may of this year, uh, tornadoes hit south mississippi, um, causing extensive damage. Uh, there is an outstanding fema disaster declaration. I will say that it has been approved by your agency. Uh, your agency has been extremely receptive.
▶ 1:03:13Uh, we have contacted, uh, fema, uh, and I can say that they have, um, provided all the information that we've requested. Uh, and you have done everything on your end and your agency's end to try to get mississippi, uh, the needed relief at this point, uh, we are still waiting on thatto be signed off by the white house. And so my request to you, Mr.
▶ 1:03:39Secretary, is, uh, if you would please press the white house to review the outstanding request for assistance, uh, because it is something that is extremely important to my home state of mississippi. Uh, Mr. secretary, um, thank you for the work that you've done in securing the world cup. Uh, I know that we are now two weeks in, uh, and, um, uh, it appears that the world cup has been a, a great success for america.
▶ 1:04:06Uh, I have enjoyed watching videos of fans from across the world come to some of the 11 host cities across the country. Uh, speaking of the reception that they've received, uh, getting to experience, uh, american hospitality, uh, and getting to feel secure, uh, in the 11 different sites, uh, that you and local and state agencies are responsible for securing.
▶ 1:04:35Uh, you mentioned some of the challenges, uh, the uae's, uh, anti anti-drone, uh, some of the challenges securing, uh, the stadiums themselves, uh, and then some of the out outer events that are occurring. Uh, and so as we are two weeks in, uh, just kind of want to get your thoughts. I know we're not done. The mission is not complete.
▶ 1:05:00Uh, and, uh, but one, I want to congratulate you, but I also want to get your thoughts as at this point, um, uh, kind of give us an update on where we are two weeks into the fifa world cup. >> uh, thank you so much, congressman. Um, first real quick on the disaster, uh, the president's well aware of mississippi, him and I actually he was he was texting me while the governor was texting me with cindy hyde-smith was in the vehicle with him. Um, and we were working together.
▶ 1:05:28I turned around and called the president. The president said, make sure they get the disaster relief or the disaster declaration declaration over to me. We'll start working on it. We're waiting on preliminary numbers to come in that the that the governor knows about. When he sends us to us, he'll go straight to the president, get to the president's desk, and we'll we'll put in. But they're still assessing, um, the damage there, which was horrific. The, um, uh, discussing fifa. Thank you. Dhs has done a phenomenal job. And keep in mind, we're shut down through the majority of this trying to stand this up.
▶ 1:05:57Uh, we have 78 super bowls in 11 cities in 38 days. Plus, we're assisting 13 games in monterrey, mexico, and, and mexico city. So, uh, we've been spread thin and we couldn't do it without our private partnership and public partnership and our state.
▶ 1:06:15This hopefully can show that dhs with cbp, with ice, with tsa, with the fbi, we toged working relationship when we're looking all together for enforcing laws and making sure that we're safe.
▶ 1:06:30So when we're working in new jersey or working in new york, or we're working in seattle, or we're working in la, we're working flawlessly together and hopefully we can do that to, to enforce our nation's laws too, because we had we've had no serious major incident. Now, there's a lot of fans that go around, uh, things happen. Um, but there's been no serious, uh, issue. We've had some threats come up. Been able to knock it down because of our, of our relationship with fbi plus ice, which has h.r.
▶ 1:07:00C, which can investigate, go make the rest. Um, so we've had a great fan experience. We've got great rapport back from our fan base, our, even in our, our, the fan zones that they have set up for the fans to experience,uh, the games that can't get in. We've had a, we've had a great time. We do have a tremendous amount of counterfeiting. We're starting to see more human trafficking come in place.
▶ 1:07:24Just in dallas last week, we rescued four kids and one adult female, uh, arrested over 90 people that was involved in that human trafficking ring. We continue to, to push on that, but because of our great men and women and, and uniform, not just in dhs, which we have 8000 badge officers inside dhs, but because of the state and local police and sheriff's departments were able to say that we have a a safe and
▶ 1:07:55Secure area to which our fans can experience something. And I'm not a soccer fan. I've never been a soccer game before until la and our opening day on the 12th of june, I loved it. It's like becoming a nascar fan. Watching it on tv isn't as fun as being there in person and being there in person was something to experience. Uh. And so now I find myself watching it all the time. In the evenings, I'm even going back through and speeding through games. Uh, and it's, it's pretty exciting. >>well thank you.
▶ 1:08:23And again, the men and women that serve with you and our state and local partners for the great job that you're doing. Uh. >> congressman, can I, can I use your 30s 15 seconds of your time real quick I want to there's been two things brought up about deaths inside the detention centers across the united states, right across all of our all detention centers, the united states. There's been 54 deaths, 54, which is one too many, I get it. We don't want any deaths, but it's 0.0009%.
▶ 1:08:51And the state of illinois only in the last 12 months, and they're 29 or 29 facilities, 170 deaths. I just want to again point out the hypocrisy from those that are against our detention centers, which aren't even paying attention to their own backyard in the facilities. And by the way, these numbers aren't unusual to state penitentiaries across these blue states. >> and thank you for the job that you do of providing quality health care to those people that are in detention, uh, under your watch.
▶ 1:09:16Um, I want to switch and talk briefly about, uh, the border. Um I know, um, representative cuellar talked a little bit about the importance again, uh, thank you for the incredible job that you and your agency have done. Uh, the border secure as we've seen in our lifetime. Uh, we know that under the budget reconciliation bill that there was money for technology on only wall construction, but technology, uh, I am a huge fan of the autonomous towers, uh, that are there placed along the border.
▶ 1:09:48Uh, I believe that they serve as a force multiplier, uh, that they allow agents to then perform other missions until they are notified of, uh, suspected breaches, uh, there along the border. Uh, I know that there was a first tranche of money that came out. Uh, there's scheduled to be, uh, a second awarding or second tranche of money for border security technology. Uh, two questions. One is, can you tell me if, you know, Mr.
▶ 1:10:15Secretary, an anticipated timeline as to when those awards will be announced? Uh, and then the second part, and then I will let you answer and yield back. Um, is look at investing in new, new systems, um, I would ask that you take into account the input of your rank and file officers who were there.
▶ 1:10:38Uh, too many times it seems like, uh, that systems have been purchased, uh, not just within dhs, but across the government, uh, that don't necessarily advance the overall mission of the agency. Uh, we don't seek the input of those people who are there going to be operating the systems. And so, um, I know I'm about over, but I wanted to give you a chance to answer those two questions before I yield back. >> absolutely. We, uh, the technology we put in place is technology of today.
▶ 1:11:04We don't want technology that we bought last year, and it's outdated by the time it gets put in place. So the ai is a game changer. It is a force multiplier. Uh, these, uh, autonomous uh, towers do allow us to have capabilities that we didn't have in the past, but they've also changed since we first put them last year.
▶ 1:11:22We're currently going through new testing, new requirements that we see that was holes and laps in the systems and also greatly taking the input of the individuals that patrol the area and where, where we need to be paying attention to some some of those areas just didn't make any sense because they have too much traffic. So when you see it, you don't have time to react. Sometimesproximity to a road that we put it there and we're not necessarily aware of it because it's not a road that was on our maps, but it's a road that they use or a trail that they use as well.
▶ 1:11:50Well agents that are on the ground. They know that. And so we're constantly starting to get feedback, uh, having them having it deployed and, and better spaces, but changing the technology and then being able to update in real time with the technology, kind of like we do our phone. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I apologize for being over time, and I yield back. >> apology accepted. The gentlelady from el paso. The floor is yours for eight minutes for questions.
▶ 1:12:21>> thank you, Mr. chairman. Mr. secretary, Mr. deputy secretary, welcome. I am going to begin with the positive. Uh, first and foremost, thank you so much for the time you made for me and my team recently. It was a really great meeting and I so appreciated your, um, openness to hearing me out and hearing out the concerns that I brought to you. I also want to thank you.
▶ 1:12:47Um, ice acting director david venturella came to el paso and he exhibited the same openness. Um, this is quite a turnaround from your predecessor and his predecessor, um, who I, I could not secure a meeting with, could not get an audience with. And it was incredibly frustrating. So I want to thank you for that. I also want to thank you.
▶ 1:13:13Um, gsa just announced this week that the top three bidders for the bridge of the americas modernization project have been selected. And as you know, my community has gone through a multi year process around the modernization efforts.
▶ 1:13:33The vast majority of el pasoans who participated in the process said, let's remove commercial traffic from the center of our city. Um, and, uh, let's, let's move it to our other ports of entry that have capacity and you've upheld that decision, um, that, that had heavy input from cbp and the community. Um, so it's great to see the progress. And I want to thank you for your support of that as well.
▶ 1:14:04Um, there's a couple of issues I do want to raise with you here during my time, uh, local issues. The first and I, I had extensive conversations with Mr. venturella about camp east montana and, um, many of the concerns that I had expressed to the private contractor have emerged gao report. And it has been a very frustrating several months.
▶ 1:14:33I know we have a new contractor, um, for which I'm delighted. Um, but so much of what I had sounded the alarm about really fell on deaf ears. And when I sound the alarm about issues that I'm seeing in my oversight visits, it's not to play gotcha. It's not to one up anyone. It's to uphold the standards that I know we all agree should be upheld.
▶ 1:14:58Um, and, and so I think it's really important that especially members who are sounding the alarm when there's a private contractor that, that private contractor be held accountable by all of us. Um, I'll give you a very quick example because I don't want to use too much of my time, but the medical as an example, um, and that medical contractor is still on site, by the way, it can't be montana. Just one glaring example.
▶ 1:15:26I spoke with a detainee and I've spoken with dozens and dozens of detainees, but he expressed to me he had been at camp montana for weeks, and he expressed to methe pain that he had been living with, with his arm. And I asked him what happened. Well, his arm had been broken during an arrest in minneapolis, and he had been complaining for weeks to the medical about the arm. He had a brace. He took off the brace.
▶ 1:15:52I could see like a letter s his bone was so broken and medical had only given him aspirin. And so these are the things that I'm sounding the alarm about, um, that I will continue to share with because I know we want to hold these contractors to federal standards. So I wanted to share that with you.
▶ 1:16:13Um, when, when acting ice director ventrella was in el paso, we had a roundtable to talk about the three warehouses that were purchased by your predecessor in socorro, texas, which is in my district. Whoever preceded you that chose those three warehouses chose the worst possible location. Mr.
▶ 1:16:39Ventrella heard from the mayor and from the water district and from the emergency services district. Socorro is actually a very small municipality, and they struggle with water, wastewater pump stations, their emergency services district only budgets for the the their population. And Mr. ventrella heard from our folks. Um, yes. The emergency services district chief told him.
▶ 1:17:06I'm going to have to double my staffing if you all proceed to put human beings instead of pecans, because those warehouses were slated for pecan storage. Um, I'm going to have to double my personnel. I, I'm going to struggle with that. I'm going to have to buy, um, another fire truck. The, um, uh, the water district shared with Mr.
▶ 1:17:29G it has been to get water and wastewater to existing residents. And I'm not going to go into excruciating detail, but I want to flag for you decio buy those warehouses, which I know was before your time, picked the possible place with least amount of infrastructure.
▶ 1:17:53And it truly is not feasible to to turn convert those warehouses into spaces that will hold human beings, whether for training or, or, or, or staffing or detention. So I it's, you know, I feel very obligated to share with sound this alarm that it would take years to prepare those facilities, but it would also take probably multiple millions of dollars on top of the overpayment to purchase those warehouses.
▶ 1:18:21So, um, you know, I'd ask for you to please take a closer look. Um, now that Mr. ventrella has been there, hopefully, um, he has a more kind of on the ground perspective about that. >> we are evaluatingall 11 that was purchased. Um, there's some that just, quite frankly probably won't work. I believe there's at least one in that area that probably just wont work.
▶ 1:18:47Um, we, you know, we, we do have issues with detention centers, just not enough bed space. So there are some that, some that we're trying to make work, but there was some due diligence that maybe wasn't actually checked off. And so, uh, man, what you're saying is, is, um, is not wrong. We're going through and reevaluating every one of them to be the best possible outcome, uh, for our, our mission inside of dhs. >> thank you, Mr. secretary.
▶ 1:19:14Um, something else I wanted to flag for you, and this was in the gao report about the use of wex mack, the um, procurement tool for dod that used for some of the private companies that have been hired for the private detention. Wex mack was used. >> we're not using it anymore. Just. >> oh, great. Okay. That's fantastic. Thank you. That fantastic news.
▶ 1:19:40Um, okay, let me move on to, um, a couple of other points before I run out member mentioned, um, sensitive spots along the border, uh, where, um, we previously thought the wall would not be constructed. And I want to you f particular importance to my district.
▶ 1:20:08Um, one is mount cristo rey, which is actually in my neighboring colleagues, district representative gabe vasquez, uh, property owned by the catholic church. Um, the decision to take, uh, the diocese to court, um, to acquire some of that land has really, um, uh, caused incredible distress in the community. So, um, I wanted to flag that for you maybe for a future conversation.
▶ 1:20:38Um, the other area and this is way outside of my district, but a place near and dear to my heart and to my constituents heart. Big bend, and big bend, we have seen really a coalition of, um, law enforcement, private property owners, ranchers, nature lovers come together to want to preserve and protect big bend. >> big bend, where we only have like two miles.
▶ 1:21:04Now that we're going to put a physical barrier in, the rest of it will be will be smart fence. So there won't be a constant barrier across there. We're having to do it in the high traffic areas. We do study the high traffic areas. Uh, and, and so we've, we've got that problem resolved as far as the site. That's what you're discussing. Um, we have already worked on this.
▶ 1:21:22We have a gate that's going to be available for those that are trying to come in from mexico side to and make the, the, the, the, um, the pillage to the site, the site itself will not be disrupted where thewall is going to be at its, I forgeta ways off from where the wall is actually being constructed. I don't have the exact footage, but it's, it's not close. I mean, it's, you're going to be able to see it,but it's not going to be close.
▶ 1:21:49But we're working with that sensitive area the best we can, but we can't leave it open because it is a high traffic area. It is a visited site. So we do have to control the flow coming in and out. So there's not there's not criminal activity taking place at the same time. But we have, um, we've, we've worked closely with the senators in the area. Um, we have, we have been out there, visited the site and it was one of the first areas that we had to work through other than big ben to come up with a second solution for it. >> thank you.
▶ 1:22:17>> can it's not perfect, but it's, it, it, it is manageable. >> I would like to connect with your team just to get more specific. Absolutely. You don't mind? >> absolutely. >> reach out way over time. I have other questions, but we will follow up. Thank you, Mr. secretary. Thank you, Mr. chairman. >> yes, ma'am. Gentleman from arizona, Mr. cisco mani, the floor is yours for eight minutes. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. And thank you, secretary, for being here, both you and deputy secretary. >> ihaven't seen you in the workout for. >> a while. You know, I, I was hoping you weren't going to bring that up today >> it shows too, by the way.
▶ 1:22:48>> it shows. Okay. I will take that as a compliment. I'll tell. This is, uh. >> you now have 16 minutes to. >> yes, I will happily take those 16 minutes and, uh, go home and cry afterwards. But thank you, um, Mr. secretary, for being here. And thank you for the, the that I've, uh, apparently been skipping. Uh, I'm, um, I'm very proud to support the men and women that serve along with you in this important department and all that you do and to keep our country safe.
▶ 1:23:15And, um, especially during such a difficult time that, uh, the mess that we inherited that you inherited in terms of the open border of the previous administration, uh, only to come in and shortly after that face a shutdown, the longest shutdown in us history, uh, first of the entire government and then, of course, of just, uh, your department alone. And then, uh, just specific areas of your department. It seemed like the battle going to end.
▶ 1:23:44So I do want to commend you for that. I want to also, uh, the, the members of this committee and the entire house that kept voting to fund the department as, should have. And unfortunately, not everybody did. But, but I'm happy that that, uh, we've got gotten through that and we hope never to have to do that again. You have a very important mission as a representative of a border district in southern arizona. The work of your department is deeply personal to me and a priority to my office. Um, we'd love to host you in arizona sometime soon.
▶ 1:24:14And, um, gems there that I think you may enjoy there as well. But, uh, I want to start out with one question. It's going to be more of a broader one. I want to go in a little more into specifics of, of arizona, but the first one that that really kept me up at night for two years and still does to a great extent is the, uh, the children that were, that were lost throughout this, this entire, uh, four year open border policy of, biden administration. What can you give me an update on that? Where we, where are we on the numbers? What have we found?
▶ 1:24:44Just give me some information on that. >> this is probably one of the most disgusting and disturbing things that we've dealt with. Um, I dealt with some trafficking, um, you know, child trafficking when, when I first got into congress in 2013 and I actually stepped away from it because at some point it just starts wearing on you and it's time to just kind of pass the baton because you get really jaded over it.
▶ 1:25:05When we stepped in here, we had 450,000 kids missing, 450,000 kids that were given to sponsors that weren't vetted. Uh, no home checks.uh, no one was going by to see if they're where they're supposed to be, not even same state, not even to see if the sponsor was who they were at all. We've recovered 147,000, and all of them didn't have to be recovered. I'm not saying all of them had recovered.
▶ 1:25:33Uh, some of them were were where they were supposed to be there with a family member.and, and they were appeared to be doing okay. But we've had some horrific cases. Um, or there's one that's kind out in the media a little bit where there's a ring of several adults that were keeping kids in a, in an underground bunker, in a dungeon, in the most horrific things that I pray to god that you guys don't have to see because it's permanently changes you.
▶ 1:26:00The stuff that these that these adults put kids as young as two to as old as 12 through. You can't make a horror story that bad. Uh, we've had some young ladies that wehave rescued that reports and these are young ladies. These are these are girls being raped 6 to 700 times, being locked in a hotel room and having to service 15 to 20 men. These are girls.
▶ 1:26:27And I hate to use the word service, but I don't know what other you can use. They were being raped 15 to 20 times a day, day after day after day after day after day. They didn't get holidays off. They didn't get nights off. They didn't work 8 to 5. They didn't work.
▶ 1:26:48You know, monday through friday, they were locked in the room and highly drugged and one male at a time, disgusting individuals coming in raping these individuals. It is our mission. We've stood up and standing up even a bigger task force within dhs to go and find all 450,000 kids. It is my biggest passion that I have. Um, and and it should have. Let me explain this to you.
▶ 1:27:17What's almost used a bad word there. What frustrates me the most is that this was preventable. And no one can argue that this was 100% preventable. And we have perpetrators. That are.
▶ 1:27:42Doing the most horrific things to kids. And as a father to six. And three beautiful girls, when you see this, there's evil in the world. There's evil in the world. And we fed it.
▶ 1:28:06The biden administration fed it for four years and took the innocent, the innocent. That's in my little girl's eyes, the innocence that's in our kids eyes that we pray to god never has to deal with this. That innocent is permanently stolen. And we're trying to just restore some type. Of comfort to these young girls.
▶ 1:28:34But let me explain to you, young boys, too. Unfortunately, we're seeing a rise of young boys being trafficked. And it it just it disturbs you. >> well, I. >> go back my point. Clearly you're passionate about this, and I understand why. I'm a dad of six as well. Three boys, three girls. So I know exactly where you're coming from on that. And I can only imagine what you've actually seen. You can't unsee that.
▶ 1:29:03And, and, uh, obviously the biggest victims here are those kids and those little girls and even older girls being being trafficked and, and being. >> our punishments for these individuals isn't enough. >> that that would, that that's I want to keep talking about that and what the punishment will be and has been for, for those people. And, and, uh, there's a lot more to discuss there. And you're right, it was completely preventable. And for four years, we screamed off the top of our lungs about this.
▶ 1:29:30And this was the, the leading issue to fight against and still is. So thank you for your passion on that. Uh, I will, uh, I have a follow up question here real quick on the deconcini port of entry, which is in arizona and the nogales area. This is a highly trafficked, uh, port port of entry where, uh, I want to, I want to thank you and the commissioner frost, for your response to my letter earlier this year and your commitment to working with gsa to prioritize this.
▶ 1:29:59If you have any ideaof a timeline, I would love to hear that. And as I close my last 30s here and we can talk about this timeline, and if I can just get a written response from you guys and what we're looking at, uh, let me just close with this. In my last 30s, uh, I'm a naturalized citizen and this year actually marks my 20th anniversary as a us citizen. Uh, I became a citizen in 2006, so I know the process well firsthand.
▶ 1:30:24Uh, I know that because I became a I was elected to congress 16 years after becoming a citizen of this nation. No other country in the world would ever give me that opportunity. No other country in the world would ever give any of us that opportunity. And it's great to hear some of the perspectives of foreigners coming in to the world cupand seeing what we're all about. Especially get excited about the free refills, which is I think it excites a lot of people here. But the american dream is alive.
▶ 1:30:50It's alive because, um, it's, it's been kept alive, first of all for our veterans, but also for the men and women that keep us safe and the process to immigrate, the process to become a citizen and usa uscis and what they go through, it's, it's an overload of, of work. I know it well again, because we went through the process. So, uh, while becoming a citizen is an incredible privilege and should never be taken for granted, I valued every time in whatever work my parents and myself had to do to become citizens.
▶ 1:31:19We'll do it ten times over to do it again, because this is the best nation in the world, and I'd rather be here than anywhere else. Uh, so, uh, in terms of the efficiency, uh, can you talk a little bit about as you close with your agency needs from this subcommittee in order to make the improvements necessary for the process of, uh, of people immigrating here legally and becoming citizens. >> we are improving the bureaucracy and the redundancy in the system. But there is, as you said, there is a way to become legal. If you not to do that.
▶ 1:31:47You're making a conscious decision. And I can't help you on that situation. If you don't want to become a legal citizen. There's a way to be in this country legally, but you have to follow the laws that congress passed and that we enforce. I don't pick and choose, I enforce, but there is a right way to stay in this country, and there's a right way to become a citizen of this country. And you can't go around that. Um, there is more that we need. We've been working for immigration reform in this, in this body.
▶ 1:32:15Really, t was in 1959. Why? It was the do, because we make politics out of it. It's the right, it's the left. It's the democrats. Republicans. One party is in charge party doesn't want to help, and the other party is in charge. The other party doesn't want to help, and there's no common ground. But yet we always talk about them. Um, I'm out of that game now. I just simply enforce it. But then we start playing games with which laws you want me to enforce and which laws you don't want me to enforce.
▶ 1:32:47If you don't want to enforce the laws, then pass a law to say that that law can't be enforced. That's fine. Until then, I'm going to enforce the laws. >> thank you sir, and see you in arizona soon. >> or yes, we'll make that. We'll make that happen. We'll put it on the we'll put it on the list. Thank you sir. Thank you. >> Mr. chairman. >> you're uh, we're going to have a, uh, a committee remedial time keeping class, uh, next week sometime for certain members of the committee. >> it's called a gavel. >> well, actually.
▶ 1:33:12That's interesting talk coming from a guy from the senate who hasn't done an appropriations bill since christ was a corporal. >> and I had that one coming. Sir. >> madam. Madam ranking member, the floor is yours. >> we'll pay no attention to the remediation session. Mr. chairman, I do appreciate, uh, Mr. secretary, your concern about the lost children.
▶ 1:33:30But I also want to remind people that let's not forget what was a trump administration policy initiated by stephen miller, which was to let us separate children from their families at the because would be a way to, um, curtail or to stop immigration separating children from their families, how to hurt them the most.
▶ 1:34:00I asked and had a phone conversation with secretary azar at the time. I know I was in my living room with my two year old grandson on my lap, trying to have this conversation, and I asked him if there was a way in which he had a list of how you could, um, reunite children with their families. And he assured me that we did.
▶ 1:34:27You know, when you take your clothes to the cleaners, they give you a tag and you then go back and you retrieve your clothes. When you had luggage, you go and get your your luggage is returned. Well. >> I wish the biden administration would have done that. >> let me just say this to you, sir. Again, it is my time. 3900 children were separated from their families. >> 150,000 kids were lost. Mr. secretary. >> Mr. secretary, do not interrupt. Point your finger at me.
▶ 1:34:55I will point my finger at you. Hypocrite. Then. Then you be a threat. And youshould be as upset about the 450,000 kids that were lost. And you didn't say a word about it for four years. You never said a word. >> Mr. secretary. >> could you put him in his place for me? >> don't yell at me. >> I'm putting your place. >> Mr. secretary, if you would like four minutes for a closing statement. When everybody's done, I'll give you that. But while members are on their eight minutes, I need them to have their eight. >> I started my comments. >> appreciate that.
▶ 1:35:22My issue is, is that they say this for for sound bites, and I'm not going to let them say. >> what did you do just. >> recently for sound bites? I, I sympathize with the four. >> we are. >> going to have something resembling order here. The time is the ranking members. If you would like to respond later on. There are methods to do that, louder into the mic. No.talk you are recognized. >> thank you very much. >> I will not let her sit there and lie and accuse something this ridiculous. >> you know. >> this is the legislative branch and it's my hearing.
▶ 1:35:52And so I'm going to try to some extent to control it moderately. >> do not accuse me of lying. Do not. I don't I, and I do not. I appreciate and I said to you at the outset, there is concern for children across the board. We care deeply about what's happening to children. And I went to the border and I watched children in those fenced in places ago and what was happening to them.
▶ 1:36:20So I have a long history, Mr. secretary. In this area, 3900 kids were separated, said secretary azar told me he had a way to reunite them. Many of them were not reunited till today. And I don't want you to answer this now. Please get back to us and tell us what you are doing with regard to the settlement in terms of this issue, which is out there, which your, your, your, um um um uh.
▶ 1:36:50Department needs to come close to, I'll make a statement to you again. Uh, but this is fact from the bill. Um, Mr. chairman, uh, the bill that the republicans have proposed for tf homeland security cuts cyber security budget by more than $250 million. It cuts the tsa by nearly $350 million.
▶ 1:37:12And the trump administration is openly advocating for privatizing tsa while trying to eliminate their collective bargaining rights. Uh, we all know what happened. Earlier this year, tsa workers endured the longest government shutdown in history.
▶ 1:37:28There was a lot ofdiscussion and talk invoked about the long lines and the use of leverage to force through a homeland security bill without any reforms to what were critical ice and cbp reforms that were necessary, that the american people wanted and were clamoring for. They didn't want to continue to see masked marauders on their streets, um, with with, with just harassing and with harassing people.
▶ 1:37:59Congress eventually passed my legislation that paid tsa workers, funded fema, cisa, secretservice, and the coast guard. Uh, and, and today, and it took you 79 days on the republican side to make that decision to, to, to, to pay these people instead of just talking about paying this, the administration continues to attempt to walk away from the collective bargaining agreement with tsa workers, something that thefederal courts have now twice said is illegal.
▶ 1:38:32Indeed, your testimony frames the attempt to force over 200 smaller airports in this new sea new security structure a setting and quote the tsa, this is in the testimony. The tsa is on the path to privatization.
▶ 1:38:51My question on this issue is, given all that the transportation security did for us during a republican shutdown, how can it be that the department's position is that tsa workers should not be granted the same basic labor protections as federal enforcement officers? How can it be that your priority is to have them work for the lowest bidder, where the wages and the benefits of these workers will unquestionably be lower?
▶ 1:39:21>> well, actually, it was the democrats that voted every time to shut them down. Republicans voted every time to open them up. Just give me we didn't shut them down. You shut them down. >> answer my question. >> what are you doing? Why are you. >> moving them? I answered your question.you were the one that shut them down. The democrats shut down. How many times did you vote to shut them down? >> why? You know, these people come to us to get funding for their for the work that they do. And we. >> are actually factually correct. >> I'm factually correct. The you voted to shut them down.
▶ 1:39:51Republicans votedto open them over and over and over again. >> your vote clearly. >> stated that you voted to shut us down. Finally wasn't until it became. Madam popular. And then by the way, I say just came there and helped bring the lines down. The same people that you also kept shut down for under secretaries. I'm answering the question. >> no, you. I thought you. >> said you. >> answered it. >> the floor is hers. >> my dear. What? >> actually, I gave it to her. You know, there is a chairman of a committee. That's me. I gave it back to her. >> she's got it. >> about who these folks are.
▶ 1:40:21>> and you have another question, madam? Ranking? >> well, yeah, no, I do, but I didn't get an answer to question. >> so the. >> record can. >> it be reflect. >> your next. >> okay. And I will. This has to do with fema. Simple question. And I want to start where I left off with secretary noem last year. Fema simple. Yes or no. Do fema? Do you support eliminating fema? >> there's portions of fema. >> that you support eliminating. >> no. Or no question on that. There's portions that need. >> to go to.
▶ 1:40:51>> eliminating fema. >> the record will reflect. >> the response. >> is this. >> is the record will reflect the response. Is there. >> another question? >> yeah, because let me just say you said in april of 2025, the trump administration prematurely. I glad we got that answer because the poor may have been with you, Mr.t chairman, that came before our committee.
▶ 1:41:16And I asked him this question and he said, because the secretary noem said yes, she and the president wanted to eliminate fema. The gentleman said that. He said it should be reformed. And the next day he was fired. Let it show that the secretary believes that should shut fema down. >> in april 2025. >> the administration. >> I never. >> said that. >> the administration prematurely. >> unlawfully ended. >> fema's bric program.
▶ 1:41:41He intentionally halted roughly 2000 active infrastructure and disaster mitigation projects across the country, including one in downtown new connecticut, a coalition of 22 states in dc sued fema. A federal judge ruled in favor of the states in december mandated that fema restore the over $3.6 billion in canceled funding.
▶ 1:42:07At the beginning of march, the judge had to order fema to comply with that ruling. Three months ago, the day after you took over as secretary, fema formally announced a, quote, new and improved bric program. Yet almost all of these communities are still waiting for their bric funding to be restored. Tell me, Mr.
▶ 1:42:36Secretary, when can communities with halted projects expect to receive their bric funding? >>we actually restarted that. When I first came in, we did 24 or 25 of them. >> so we've done. >> 24 of the 25 of the 2000. >> now let me clarify that. So please, 2024 and 2025, they sent out the notice of notifications of everybody can now and those projects that were already submitted for those times, period. >> how many. >> projects are there? >> we can get you the details please.
▶ 1:43:05>> there were 2000 that we started with. >> were secretary also provided direction for 2026 to get the gnophos out on that, and that'll come out sometime in september. The secretary has done more to get. >> I don't I do not need your you do not need to. >> I just want to make. >> sure you're well. Please. Okay. Spare us, you know, just give me the facts. Give me the numbers. Let me just conclude, mister, mister chairman, and thank you.
▶ 1:43:28I would like to work in an open and transparent in a transparent way, because that bric funding for new haven, connecticut, which I probably na blue state, uh, that the bric funding for new haven, connecticut is important, which is why we support the programs, bipartisan support for the bric program. So please, let's get to know who was out as quickly as possible and get the money to the communities that need them.
▶ 1:43:55My final comment to you is, I'd just like to go back a second. We need to go back to the issue of deaths in custody. It doesn't do anyone good to deflect talk about what's happening in the criminal system in illinois or in oklahoma, what we need, what we need, because 54 deaths are 54 in what is civil detention.
▶ 1:44:16We need a plan to address the fact that 54 people in your department has had they were in civil detention. It's not criminal detention are dead. They should not be. We need to hear from you. I don't need an answer now. There is no time. I've taken enormous amount of time. Get us a policy, a plan and a timely fashion that says, how are we going to deal with these issues? I yield back, and I thank you. Mr. Mr.
▶ 1:44:47>> thank you. Thank you to the ranking member, the gentlelady from iowa. The floor is yours for eight minutes. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. Mr.. Thank you so much for coming to testify today and for always taking my phone call. You know, as I've had questions, uh, dealing with, uh, many of the challenges faced with your shutdown from back home, um, that I continued again to support keeping you guys open so you could operate. You are always willing to take my phone calls. So I thank you for that and for your openness with me as we were working through that.
▶ 1:45:15I also, as a fellow parent to teenage boys, appreciate your passion around kids. >> can I just someone said, appreciate you taking a phone call. I take everybody's phone call. There isn't a republican or a democrat that hasn't called me that. I haven't called back. Not one. Uh, and I'm very transparent in that regardless of what somebody over here just whispered because she's never called me. >> well, I appreciate it. And I appreciate your openness to working with all of us to, to make sure that the good people at your agency are getting paid and can continue their mission of keeping our country safe.
▶ 1:45:42Because at the end of the day, that is what we all care about on this committee, and this committee works tirelessly to make sure that you do have the resources that you need to rescue those kids, make sure that you're interdicting the drugs that are coming in from narco terrorists. And I want to talk a little bit about that. I'm going to start with that, actually, because I think that the coast guard is a shining example of what dhs does best in making sure that these narco terrorists are on alert. They should be afraid. And you have interdicted through, um, through operation pacific viper.
▶ 1:46:12I think it just announced milestone accomplishment last week, 220 500 0 pounds of cocaine seized. I mean, that's incredible. And that's drugs that did not make their way onto our streets that are not killing american, uh, americans every single day. So, um, I'd be interested in your thoughts, uh, what you've done there to, to really escalate that operation. Um, what do you see on the horizon there that that threat is not going away and thanks to the coast guard families who are keeping our families safe, but I, I'd be interested in your thoughts there.
▶ 1:46:42>> uh, just yesterday I was actually in a classified setting with the coast guard on our plans to continue that operation. Uh, but it's a, it's a joint effort with dow with coast guard, uh, with cbp, uh, with ice, because it's a ring. They the drugs doesn't just get to our shores and then just dissipate. There's a ring that goes into our cities, into our towns, into our states and our communities. And then the cash flows back in and back, back out.
▶ 1:47:10So the drugs come in on our shores all the cash is going out a lot of times over land. A lot of times in air, we're seeing more and more counter us. So we've got to combat it all together. , uh, through the direction of president trump, has done more to combat the, our war against drugs than any president in our lifetime.
▶ 1:47:33And he's made it a, a, a task that he understands that we've lost more individuals and fentanyl overdoses than we have in the entire vietnam war in one year, not being on not during one year in vietnam war, a year from fentanyl overdoses inside the us.
▶ 1:47:50And, um, just the other day, we took, uh, enough fentanyl off our northern border fromcbp that we could kill 17 million americans. >> and I think people frequently forget about the northern border. We focus so much on the southern border and caribbean and these drugs coming. >> in, but that that's a direct relationship because of our our coast guards doing their job and our waters of the us. And it's pushing it.
▶ 1:48:17And then we have cbb to in their job on our southern border, it's starting to push cartels to operate in our northern border. So, um, last week the minister, uh, that is my, um, my partner in canada met here in washington, D.C. we talked about the challenges. They haven't met. They haven't dealt with the cartels like we have in our southern border. They're, they're anxiously working with us and wanting to know our lessons that we've learned because they don't want it to get a foothold in their country. So because of president trump, we are fighting it on air.
▶ 1:48:48We're it in water. Uh, we're fighting on land. We're fighting on the northern border, our southern border. And I'm not going to say we can eradicate it, but we're making a huge difference in this war on drugs. And every time we counter, we interdict these drugs, regardless of what agency underneath dhs does it, we're saving lives. >> you talk about kind of the cross-agency work that's happening here. Um, how these rings on the back end? So the drugs get in, they go out through these rings. Are these run by the cartels?
▶ 1:49:15But how many of the people participating in them are illegals here in the united states? >> well, the biggest majority of them, the percentage of theme biggest majority of them are illegals that are here. Now. There's usually when it comes to the money laundering of it, that's that's more of a white collar crime. More of those individuals are, are citizens, um, inside the united states.
▶ 1:49:41But when you start talking about the trafficking, um, you start talking about the drug houses, the stash houses, um, the cash flow, the weapons flow overwhelmingly. The majority of those are illegals. >> the criminal enterprise. >> and most times forced to do it right. It's not that they're working off a debt for the cartels. >> and you talk about the atrocities happening to those kids. Too many of them victims of that human trafficking. >> and. >> elderly same organizations.
▶ 1:50:07>> and elderlies are being probably exported now more than we've ever seen it, because naturally, law enforcement is alarmed when they see an elderly gentleman or an elderly woman that is driving. A lot of times they're forced to try paying the debt off of their kids. >> mhm. Okay. That's, well, very concerning. And obviously we need to do whatever we can to, to stamp that out. Um, you mentioned fentanyl and I want to go now to one of the biggest sources of fentanyl, which is obviously, uh, the ccp in china. They're funneling it in through mexico, trying to get it in through all of these methods.
▶ 1:50:38We know they're not going to ever try to stop undermining our, our domestic and our international security and, um, spending billions of dollars on research and intertwined directly with their military, uh, billions more trying to ship those products into the united states and dominate supply chains. Can you talk a little bit about what the department has seen as it relates to chinese manufactured and owned equipment, especially maybe any inventory that might already have been bought by dhs? What precautionary measures you're taking to ensure that our are protected?
▶ 1:51:05On the cybersecurity front, um, data privacy, other threats that you may be having. >> to well, the, the data centers, uh, that we're pushing, we know china is working every single day and they're even working harder to try getting into our systems. They've made that part of their future plans. They feel like that's important for them. Uh, we, that's where the private public partnership is vitally important.
▶ 1:51:29That's where cisa is going to play a major role because we can't expect, um, meta or google to do it on their own. They're fighting a, a, they're fighting an army, truly an army from cbp, uh, north korea or, uh, militias from russia, um, or iran from the irgc. We have to have an all out frontal approach and be proactive. We can't be reactive in this. We have to be very proactive.
▶ 1:51:56Um, and, and that partnership is something we're strengthening, but we also got to respect privacy too. There's a lot of privacy concerns when the government starts looking into to cyber because of the sensitive material that is there. It's a fine line we're trying to work through. It's difficult. We're going to have to come to congress from for help on that, because we're going to need clarification.
▶ 1:52:19I believe, with the new technology that's coming out and the new way that they're entering into our systems, that we're going to need new clarity on how far they can go. > to working with you and the agencies, relevant agencies on that.
▶ 1:52:34Um, I want to talk a little bit to, to wrap up my time obviously, their role is not just keeping our borders safe, but it's also making sure we're interdicting bad things coming into our country, including counterfeit products and things that are going around our, our trade laws as well. Um, I have a piece of legislation, the protecting american industry and labor from international trade crimes act, we call it pale, just passed through judiciary unanimously just a few weeks ago.
▶ 1:53:00Um, and this would help make sure there are additional resources to doj and cbp to make sure that they can actually hold these bad actors accountable. So I'd just be curious, like what, what role cbp can continue to have in making sure we're we're eradicating transnational shipment and some of these other malign practices used by the ccp and other actors as well to try toundermine american jobs.
▶ 1:53:23>> the first of all, the best thing you guys did was give us continuous funding for three years, because we can really set out missions and force ourselves to look at technology today, not just what we can spend in a fiscal year. So it really does help tremendously. The biggest thing that you guys can do is continue to work with us on updating the policy, uh, on what it is that you're wanting us to look at.
▶ 1:53:45Um, meaning that if we're seeing a ring coming around sometimes because we have trade agreements with these individuals and they're, as you know, they, they have stuff that we're sanctioning from one country, they break it down into small parts, and then they assemble it in a different country. And when they assemble it and then it comes in, we need to be able to go back farther in that. And there's only so far cbp can do, because we can only enforce it when it hits our shores, not when it's outside.
▶ 1:54:12So, um, there's some areas that congress can really help us on saying that, uh, the percentage or all of it has to be built has to be manufactured, not just assembled in those countries. That would be very helpful to us. >> thank you, Mr. secretary, for coming today. Mr. chairman, I yield back. >> the gentleman from washington state here from the beginning. The floor is yours for eight minutes. The question. >> thank you for your generosity, Mr. chairman. Secretary, good to see you.
▶ 1:54:40Let me just, uh, uh, follow up with what, uh, miss hinson was saying. You do return even my calls and my texts. It sometimes is late in the night, but I appreciate the response. Uh, I really do. I wanted to start by acknowledging some of the incredible work. And can I say, commitment by ice to to crack down and deport convicted illegal criminals.
▶ 1:55:04We had a case last month, ice seattle arrested a man that had a lengthy criminal history, including two felony convictions of raping a child, and it was awaiting deportation. And I just wanted to bring that up and say thank you. That's the efforts that are keeping our community safe.
▶ 1:55:21Um, first thing I want to talk about is the visa h2a petitions at the end of april 2026, uscis reported a net back backlog of all uscis cases at 7.23 million cases, an increase of nearly 70% from the beginning of the administration before your time, with the expectation that additional vetting requirements may even further strain those processing times.
▶ 1:55:51Could you describe how dhs is allocating personnel and resources to address this backlog and ensure timely adjudication of applications? >> yeah, unfortunately, we're having togo back through and revisit a lot of people that was given asylum or given visas underneath the previous administration because they didn't do any checks.
▶ 1:56:10So we're building systems in right now b, through an automated system, we're bringing up the first 1 in 30 days that's going to be specifically for the backlog of daca, which daca doesn't give you, you know, status in the united states. It just is a term that congress never ratified, but we put in place. But it still allows you to apply for a work visa, but it doesn't give you status that we're going to deploy the first 1 in 30 days.
▶ 1:56:37And then we think we'll be able to get caught up in a very fast time. But we're having to build the automated systems because it's just not possible for us to go through one by one. But, but because we're going through there and taking a deeper look at all this, we've been able to arrest over 1900 known terrorists that were given status underneath the biden administration, inside the united states, over 1900. These aren't these aren't suspected terrorists. These aren't terrorist watch lists.
▶ 1:57:06These were terrorists that was just issued because there wasn't any really checks and balances put in place. And so it's, it's real work that they're doing. Um, we, we are building a system to be faster at it. And the technology that have, the private public partnership we've been talking about a lot is helping us get there. >> good, good. So on a related note, I appreciate the agency's follow up to a question that I actually submitted. If you remember, Mr.
▶ 1:57:34Chairman, uh, when director edlow testified, um, regarding the adjudication and processing time specifically for h2a petitions, uh, the response indicated that there was no backlog for h two petitions, which. Thank you. That's a welcome update. However. >> it's a 15 day turnaround. Once it gets cleared, it's 15 days.
▶ 1:57:55>> well, once what I was going to ask, the response also indicated that the processing times in 20 2026 are notably longer compared to previous years. So just looking for your commitment that you'll continue to support the agency's efforts to expedite these, these petitions. As you know, timing is critical for agriculture. Uh, when will your budget ensure that sufficient resources are dedicated in order to carry out those responsibilities?
▶ 1:58:24>> so we >> had a briefing on this two days ago. Yeah. Um, and, and our, our turnaround on those visas are, are two days or 15 days, especiallyif they're known, a lot of these agriculture workers are, are known. They come back and forth. We see them every time we can repeat them. And the largest percentage of also looking at the dairy issue. Right. Um, for that. And because it's not seasonal, so we think we got a path forward to fix that issue. Finally, we've asked congress for clarification.
▶ 1:58:53But anytime you ask congress for I'm not I'm not beating up on you guys. I sit I sit there too. So I'm just saying, anytime we ask congress for do with immigration, it gets politicized. So but we look we think under the statute, there's a way for us to move this and make it work. We're still going through it. We're still getting legal opinion on it. We don't want to do anything to get. But I don't think you guys would get upset if we did it. But I want to make sure we're legally able to do it.
▶ 1:59:20But as of two days ago, we're 15 days on turnaround on those. Once they're finally submitted correctly, we have a large percentage of them that are not ended correctly. Um, and what we've asked, what I've asked, um, sis to do uscis is to say, why can't we move this to a system that you can't submit the paperwork until it is filled out correctly? You know, if you do docusign or you do any of this stuff online, what you've got to go and accept they won't let you move forward.
▶ 1:59:47The technology is there, and we just have to adapt it and adapt it in a to be able to make it interface friendly, uh, with the public, with the general public, to be able to, to, to, to make it more efficient. So we're doing a test program on this. Actually trying to build an app. This is new this week. I, I briefed the president about it. He this week and the president loved the idea.
▶ 2:00:10Um, we're also because some of these visas that work with these programs go through, uh, commerce, howard lutnick and ourselves, uh, our teams are working together to try. I don't know how long it'll take. It'll take a little bit to build it that way. The the misinformation won't be as won't be as prevalent. And we can get to it faster because everyone we delay affects our economy. >> yeah, absolutely.
▶ 2:00:33So we wante trying to get here to do it to, to do it the right way to work, to actually be able to come to the country and work. >> appreciate that. Thank you. Let me turn the page to, to cisa for a second. Uh, it was already referenced the longest shutdown in history when director anderson testified before this committee.
▶ 2:00:51I asked him about sis's ability to identify, to mitigate, uh, address the cyber threats from adversaries like iran, like china, uh, to our talking about critical infrastructure.
▶ 2:01:07Unsurprisingly, his answer was that cisa was limited in their capacity, and it was clear that a handicapped cisa meant higher risk of leaving our critical sectors from our water systems to our hospitals energy grids, you name it, dams, the agricultural sector, um, vulnerr threats.
▶ 2:01:27So does the budget sufficiently provide personnel and resources that are going to be necessary to ensure that sis is equipped, that they can tackle the potential cyber attacks, uh, from those adversaries at target, those critical sectors of our economy. >> I do believe I mean, as the s need more money. Truth is, we actually have the resources we need. We need the people and we need the expertise. I think we even have the ability underneath statute to do it.
▶ 2:01:58What's happened over the years, like any, you know, great government agency, it creates its own bureaucracy. You guys give us authority. Then we write the rules, and the rules sometimes handicap ourselves. So we're looking, going back and, and looking at is what was the exact actual intent of congress. And then how many layers of rules have we put on ourselves to say no? Because too often government agencies, they want it's easy to say no. We're changing that way. At dhs. We go to yes, we lean to yes.
▶ 2:02:29That's our new policy. We're there to figure out how to make it happen, not to >> find the easy way out. And some of that is our own rule making. So I feel like right now, congressman, we have the resources, uh, financially and we have the authority. I believe if that changes, I'll come back to you. Uh, we don't have the personnel. And so we've got to get my director in place that we have that the president's, um, already met with.
▶ 2:02:54We gotta put we gotta get him in place, get him downthe road, put him in place, let him hire his people and get it built. I'm truthfully, once he's in place it's going to take me probably 12 months to build this back. It may be longer when he gets in there and lets me know, but I believe we can make significant strides in the first three months. But to actually be where we need to be, I feel like a full year. >> well, let us help you wherever we can. >> yes. >> thank you.
▶ 2:03:24Appreciate you being here. Thank you, Mr. chairman. >> thank you to the gentleman from washington. I am now going to claim my eight minutes for questioning and, uh, give two minutes of it to the gentleman from indiana who was very generous with his eight minutes. And in letting the secretary respond to some earlier questions. So the floor is yours for two minutes, Mr. sharif. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. And, uh, you have earned your paycheck today. I appreciate your managing and protecting time for, uh, for all members of this committee.
▶ 2:03:50Um, uh, uh, secretary, um, secretaries, um, I'm from indianapolis. As part of my district, we run some, some big events, such as we're talking about with the, the threat of, uh, drones, counter uas on fifa. Uh, we've got the indy 500, we have the men's final four. We had the pacers playoffs. Uh, uh, secretary edgar is a mayor.
▶ 2:04:14You you realize that these, these, these threats to public safety arising from the evolution of drones, uh, which are tools as well in the profession, are extraordinary. And dhs is in the lead at managing this these, the, the fiscal year 27 house mark included a dedicated counter uas funding.
▶ 2:04:38And last year's ndaa authorized, trained state and local law enforcement to detect, track and mitigate, take them down, take down threatened, uh, drones. We can we can strengthen our ability to protect major events and critical infrastructure. Let's not lose sight of that. But only if local law enforcement has the training, the tools, and the coordination to work with federal, uh, Mr.
▶ 2:05:07Secretary or secretaries, um, give us a view into what the department is doing on this end to coordinate training with state and local enforcement to, uh, to, to manage the challenges that are upon us now, uh, that drones present. >> so if congress is going to have to lean on this a little bit, um, bringing down a drone for an enthusiast is easy. Now we can do it.
▶ 2:05:36We do it every day. We do it. And when they you got enthusiast flies a drone over fifa. I think we brought over down over 60 drones to date. Uh, during f1. Uh we brought down eight during augusta. Uh, we brought down 12. Those are enthusiasts. The issue that we have is the ones that have it on fiber and, and so when they attach it to fiber and they're running in, the only way for us to able to bring them down is be kinetic. And that is a whole nother area.
▶ 2:06:05You got to deal with faa at that time. You got to deal with local authorities at that time because there's going to be a possible collateral damage when we work, when people say, well, shoot a laser at it now, that's fine, but laser doesn't stop within the horizon to which you, the faa will give us. So like for instance, around fifa, you have 3000, um, vertical and you have 3000 or 3 miles out. So we around fanfest, we have a thousand, 1000ft up. We have a mile out there.
▶ 2:06:33It's, it creates challenges for us to do it. And the only technology we have right now to be fully kinetic is with the is with dow, we're exploring that. But congress is going to have to look at this as a whole. I don't know if you know this or not, which is going to be changed, but there wasn't one single nfl stadium last year during all the games that had us counter uas on it. That was my wife running through. Everything else was silent, I promise.
▶ 2:07:02Um, but, uh, and technically, uh, we, I was thought I'd be done by now, so yeah, I did too. Um, but, but I, I, I, I, I do think congress needs to take a hard look at this for us because we're going to have to have authorities beyond just what we currently have, because this is a threat e day. And I really could set and use some help. Uh, I, we're meeting with the fbi yesterday. We had a great meeting with kash patel.
▶ 2:07:29Uh, kash patel already has a center that is, uh, that is training local law enforcement and he doesn't have enough space. We have more people asking to get in to the to the school than he has a space to do it. We are looking for ways to partner with him, to be able to put dhs funding directly to that. And is it through fema grants? Uh, is it is it through c? Is it through ii, is it through cbp?
▶ 2:07:53Um, and then also, uh, we're, we, we, yesterday, troy and I started talking about setting up a joint task force with inside dhs because we have 22 components. Now, those 22 components, I have eight that have their own counter uas measures. And, um, and for example, the. 11 um, football stadiums we have, I have cbp covering five fbi, uh, three.
▶ 2:08:19Uh, the coast guard is covering one and fbs or coast guards covering two. Fbs is covering one. I think my math is correct on that. And, uh, and all of them have different measures. And so this is congressman, what you're bringing up is a true challenge. And that threat is changing every day that that without question, congress is going to have to help us get the authority to do what we need to do on this. >> I appreciate the extra time.
▶ 2:08:48This is an important issue and very important immediate challenge for both the department and this congress. >> hey, can I just add one point? And this is for you, Mr. kim schrier. The when I was down in rgv, just to give you an idea of the scale at the border, same problem just from the beginning of this fiscal year till yesterday, they had 11,000 drones basically registered border. I mean, we secretary is talking about offensive drones being able to kind of do something against them. So that is something we definitely are looking at.
▶ 2:09:14But I mean, even if you just take the threat to the border and we break up the drone process into the maritime, the border, special events, etc. And each one of those operating principles, we need to have a better strategy that's funded and we have the authorities. >> thank you. >> I will now recognize my colleague from florida for one minute of my questioning time. Mr. rutherford, the floor is yours. >> thank you, Mr. chairman. I, I first, I want to make sure that the public understands.
▶ 2:09:42I want to affirm what the secretary said earlier about the shutdown. It was senate democrats that shut down cbp, ice, cisa, coast guard and tsa. It was not the republicans. The house passed it three times to fund them. So. But here's what I want to bring up. I, I want I want to highlight for you, Mr. secretary, some language that is in fy 27 appropriations. There's theres language in there about nims in.
▶ 2:10:10And, um, standardizing the operational and reimbursement process, you know, nims, the national incident management system, uh, and that reimbursement process was, you know, it goes all the way back to 2004 with that, the homeland security presidential directive five by george w washington, uh, bush.
▶ 2:10:36Um, and the whole idea was to unify, uh, the response, mitigation and prevention of disasters. Uh, and so there's language in there that there are, there are ways to truly,um, standardize the processes that right now are being done by 50 different states. They all report their different ways.
▶ 2:11:04And even agencies within states report their own, their own ways. So I just want to highlight that for you, because I want to work with you to make sure that we actually can bring down that 11 billion that is still outstanding in, in, uh, uh, reimbursements because most of these agencies, when they get their money back, they spent most of it on interest. And so we need to speed that process up. And there's a way to do that.
▶ 2:11:33And I'd love to talk to you about it. I yield back. >> thank you to my colleague for yielding back with eight seconds left of my eight minutes. I'm the only guy to yield back any positive minutes in this in this whole operation. And I'm damn proud of it as well. I should be. Um. I am going to, uh, um, just very briefly, because, Mr. secretary, your wife's and everybody else got other stuff doing. I'm guessing that nobody said. Oh yeah, about 12, ten, 1215. On to wrap it all up.
▶ 2:12:01But um, before you got here, I'm going to say that again before you got here, the dhs congressional, uh,relationship as far as information sharing, to put it kindly, was terrible. I'm not, I'm not editorial. I'm just saying not good.
▶ 2:12:21Very frustrated, frustrated in terms of I know there's going to be ae you've already taken steps to change that. And I want to publicly say thanks. Um, you know, we said something through this stuff before you got here, but but answers to legitimate questions now that we have new leadership shouldn't be a big deal. We said something. Everybody who came before the committee while you were still in the senate said, we won't surprise you. Don't surprise us.
▶ 2:12:54Pretty straightforward statement. I'm going to repeat it for get back questions that members have submitted. Um, and I understand you guys got a mission or whatever. It doesn't revolve around what happens in this room or someplace in your own neighborhood or that other sort of stuff. Please be responsive. You get to define what responsive is. But if it's like, hey, we're not going to get a response to your letter back to whatever, have somebody call up and say, here's where we're at.
▶ 2:13:19Here's something other than, so I don't have people calling me saying they won't talk to me because then the ball's in my court and I have to try to penetrate it in that all past history stuff. Um, so, so anyhow, just so we kind of get where everybody's coming from. Um, there may be additional questions. Members providing writing, uh, we ask you to respond to those in a timely manner. Um, I want to thank you for being here today.
▶ 2:13:47I know it probably wasn't tops on your list of things to do on a thursday, but in total fairness probably wasn't tops on anybody's list. But it had to be done. So mandatory fun. Check that box for everybody. For today, you have asked that your opening statement be included in the record. It will be. I will also say that if there are things that were said during this that you feel a need to respond to, please include that in what you submit for the record, and we'll submit that as part. We'll include that in part of the record too.
▶ 2:14:16Um, and so I'm not going to commit the absolute sin of saying, does anybody have anything else? I'm going to say that this, uh, subcommittee meeting of the, of the homeland, uh, appropriations subcommittee. Yeah, yeah. Easy for you guys to say. Subcommittee meeting is adjourned.