Lets take a recess for five minutes and we will reconvene. [whispering] [whispering] [whispering] [whispering] [whispering] [whispering] [whispering] [whispering] we will come back and order, senator ossoff you are recognized for a second round. Thank you for the extraordinary courtesy, mister chairman, and welcome back to our panel. I would like to began, director wray, by requesting an update to the extent you are able to be provide details would be appreciated, on your efforts to disband historically black colleges and university in georgia and across the country from threats, of course, threats had targeted Spellman College in the state of georgia. This is a deep concern place provided update on your efforts. Senator, we have share your concern, the fear and disruption to is utterly unconscionable. These investigations, plural, have been a priority for the fbi. Joint Terrorism Task forces we, the update that i can give is that for the first part of the threat, nationwide, the ones that generate the most initial media attention, if you well, there has been a recent development. An individual who withdrew morale has been identified because of the federal limitations on federal charging of juveniles for most relevant offenses we have worked with state prosecutors on unrelated state charge, which ensures restrictions are monitoring and individual disruption of his behavior. Against historically black colleges and universities and other historically black religious institutions, for example. We are still very much actively much i can share on those but suffice to say we have a lot of people working on this and we are determined to see it through. Thank you, director. Director Mueller Abizaid i have not had the chance to ask your question and i would like to hear what uss to be the most significant threats to the u. S. When it comes to transnational terrorism. By far it is isis and alqaeda. Racially unethically motivated extremist provide a threat, hierarchically organized groups have been acting to be the racially motivated violent extremists and ideologically motivated threats as well. Thank you, maam, thank you, all, thank you, mister chairman. Thank you, senator ossoff. The authorization from the office of countering weapons of mass destruction is set to expire next year. In preparation, senator portman and i introduced a bill that reauthorize as the office and empowers the newly created office of Health Security and dhs. The bill clarifies roles and responsibilities for both offices, and, adds important accountability and oversight measures. Secretary mayorkas, can you explain to this committee how the exploration of the authorization will impacts if it expires. Particularly how important the legislation has to deal with local, tribal, and territorial partners on this critical issue . Mister chairman, the office of countering the the department of Homeland Security, i think if we look back in time and see the use of chemical weapons in syria and the tragedies that inflicted on the people there, that is one powerful example. We do not have to look that far back in history to understand the importance of the office, just the fact that the potential specter of the use of Nuclear Weapons was discussed in public form and white of russias unprovoked aggression against ukraine speaks of the criticality of this office. And we do hold the bipartisan bill that you have presented. We need this office reauthorized. Thank you, secretary. Director, how has the threat from weapons of mass destruction increased or decreased over the last five years . The threat that terrorists would use wmd and particularly capabilities has been stand over that five year time period, certainly. Very good. Secretary mayorkas, you ordered an internal review of dhs after the tragic shootings in buffalo and uvalde to assess whether the department was effectively using its resources to address domestic terrorism and targeted violence. As a result of that we view the appointment of as the fulltime counterterrorism coordinator. What goals have you asked him to accomplished . What is the timeframe for him to achieve those goals . Mister chairman, Nick Rasmussen comes with impeccable credentials to be this counterterrorism coordinator for the department of Homeland Security. He used to be the director of the National Counterterrorism center, just a distinguished career. What i have asked him to do in the first instance is take a look at our counterterrorism efforts across the department. And make sure that we are being as impactful and effective. One of the efforts that i have across the department is to drive greater cohesion, so that our impact is maximized. This the im actually meeting with him in a few days to discuss the setting of a timeline. An incremental goals along the way. I look forward to discussing that with you. We have a coordinator overseeing this, i see the efforts you are making in that area. The Administration Just released an updated strategy and Implementation Plan on countering biological threats. This new strategy implements recommendations learn from the ongoing covid19 pandemic, and the monkeypox Public Health emergency. Certainly global shortcomings and preparedness for the pandemic and by a security spies adversaries. To develop and use biological lessons. Secretary mayorkas, can you discuss how dhs is working to implement the National Biodefense strategy. How is the creation of office of Health Security dhs efforts in the space. Mister chairman, that strategy really speaks of a fall Society Approach, not something that the federal government can do alone, but, we need state and local partners, and private citizens, nonprofit organizations, academia. It is a very holistic, inclusive approach to the problem. That is the approach that we are taking and the department. Through a sea wmd, the countering weapons of mass destruction office, the office of health affairs, and, importantly our office of science and technology with the research and development that it spearheads. I am grateful to this committee for really moving forward with the confirmation of dimitri as our new undersecretary for the office of science and technology. It is really a very all of Society Approach. Our leader of the office of health affairs, our chief medical officer is a tremendous leader in identifying what are the greatest threats that are imminent, or upon us. And developing a strategy to address set. He was instrumental in our protocols to address covid19, in immigration detention centers, along the southwest border. Working with border communities to develop a Real Infrastructure to address that. And, so, we are taking in all of department approach in the context of an all of Society Approach the strategy calls for. Well, that is good, this committee will deal with this issue extensively over the next couple of years, i look forward to working closely with your team to address the challenge and the threat. Senator hawley you are recognized for questions. Thank you very much first mr. Chairman, thank you for the witnesses for being here. Mister secretary, its nice to see you, lets start with you. I think my colleagues have established given what we are seeing on the southern border the massive increase in illegality there. That is clearly not a priority for your agency, lets talk about what appears to be. That is spying on americans and censoring their speech. You have turned your agency into a censorship machine. You said earlier this year that you disbanded the disinformation governments board which i thought was totally unconstitutional. Which turns out to be a best misleading that is just the tip of the iceberg. Your own review which was just recorded in the press says this information is going to be the new focus at dhs. The quandary view says the dhss plan to target, im quoting, inaccurate information domestically or who water range of suspects. Including the organisms of the covid19 pandemic, the efficacy of covid19 vaccines, u. S. Withdrawal from afghanistan, and the nature of u. S. Support for ukraine. This is what you are devoting your agencies resources tail, i guess my first question is, is the american citizen who criticizes covid mandates ought to be treated as a domestic terrorist . Of course not, you have three inaccuracies in the question you posed to me, number, one Border Security is a priority of ours. Number two, the department does not censor speech, and, number three way did not publish a quadrant will review. Does it exist . The cauldron hill reveal, i believe it as a court document. It has been published in the media. Will you make it public . When it is final it will be published. Mister chairman, without objection i would like to enter a article called the truth cop published in the intercept. Heres my question, then. If you are not censoring speech and youre not treating americans as domestic terrorist them why you pressuring big tech to treat american citizens as if they are threats to the homeland . Why youre pressuring them to censor speech . Lets just look at some new documents that have come to life, to show that what this administration has dared to center speech. Lets look at this email from july 16th, 2021, it is over my shoulder. I know our teams met today, to better understand but the white house expects for us. On this information going forward. Lets try another. One hold, on hold, on hold, on hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. We will get to that. Lets try different one, here is one from july 20th, anyway we can get this poll down, 46 seconds later, facebook responds yes, we are on it. Are you familiar with that email . Now. How about this one . July 23rd, 2021. Facebook employee writes to hhs, says, thank you for taking the time to meet today, wanted to make sure you saw the steps we took just this past week to adjust policies on what we are removing with respect to misinformation. Are you familiar with that . One senator, we do not instruct. Just yes or no. No, because i am the director of dhs. I am asking you that because it is funny you say that, a federal judge has just found, a finding of fact, mister secretary, that you are office, is supervising the nerve center of federally directed censorship. That is a federal judge in a federal lawsuit supervising the news center of federally directed censorship. Here is another email, august 20th, 2021, facebook writes again to hhs, and highlights that facebook is increasing the strength of our emotions for covid and vaccine related content, rob clarity. White house staff will be briefed by twitter on vaccine information. We have example after example of this administration coordinated by your agency pressuring east, coercing social Media Companies to engage in censorship. Is that constitutional . That is unequivocaly false. As what the emails show. It is unequivocally false, senator. You are not pressuring the Big Tech Companies to take down accounts or meeting with them to ask them to censor on your behalf . That is correct, we are not. Youre not having any meetings with that whatsoever . We meet with the Tech Companies to address the Homeland Security mission for example. For example, online Child Sexual Exploitation is a scourge in this country, and we have an obligation to address that. You are saying that no one in your office has ever met with, coordinated, or otherwise engaged in any contact with a social Media Company in when she spoke to them about vaccine mandates, about covid mask mandates, about the withdrawal from afghanistan, about the current u. S. Involvement in ukraine. None of that has ever happened . I do not know what you are referring to senator. Read the emails. I can tell you this, you have cited emails outside of our department. I have cited the federal judge who says your department is engaged in supervising the nerve center of federally directed censorship. Heres my point. It has been established for years in this country, as you very well know, that the federal government may not use private third parties to engage in activities that are unconstitutional. That is exactly what you and this administration are doing. You are leveraging private companies to carry out censorship on your behalf. It is dystopian, worse than that it is unconstitutional. It is also false. Thank you, not seeing no other senator here i want to thank our witnesses once again for joining us today. We recognize that you all have very busy schedules and we appreciate you joining us to help the committee better understand some of the most pressing Security Issues that our nation is facing. This committee will continue to work to address many of the issues that we discussed today. For example, as we heard today the threat posed by drones is extremely serious, and, we cannot let legislation that protects americans from Unmanned Aircraft systems expire in december. I look forward to working with my colleagues, here, in the senate. And in the house to ensure that the federal government is effectively managing the strap. I will also continue to work with the department and the fbi on improving the governments response to the threat posed by domestic violent extremism, i appreciate the administrations efforts to tackle this issue but more can, and must be done. The approached understand the threat the government will continue to face challenges addressing this issue. It will also continue to push the administration on meeting mandatory congressional warning requirements so that we can ensure the federal government has the authorities and the resources needed to help provide deadly incidents like the tragic shooting in buffalo from occurring again. And, finally, as several members have done on behalf of everyone in this committee, i would like to express our sincere condolences on the absolutely tragic news of loss and injury to cbp air and Marine Operations agents. Each and every day, throughout the pandemic, the frontline personnel of dhs have put their lives on the line. To protect americans from serious threats that we have discussed today and thank them for our commitment. We have spent several productive hours this morning examining our nations greatest security threats, there is more work to do for our committee to continue conducting oversight and ensuring National Security agencies are effectively focused on the critical mission. For the record, this hearing lorraine open for 15 days until 5 pm on december 2nd of 2022 for the submission of statements and questions. For the record, this hearing is now adjourned