[ banging gavel ] this hearing will come to order. Good morning. We are meeting today to consider the nomination of kirstjen m. Nielsen to be the next secretary of the United States in Homeland Security. I want to thank her, her family. Our senators making introductions later on. I certainly want to call out mrs. Karen kelly, general kellys wife. Shes here also. Showing her support for the nominee. And i know ms. Nielsen will introduce her family in her Opening Statement. Americas facing enormous challenges. Our National Debt exceeds 20 trillion and theres no serious effort being made by either party to significantly reduce the 30year projected deficits that are currently expected to exceed over 100 trillion. Our enemies are on the rise. Russia continues to destabilize its neighbors and is partnering with iran to increase both countries influence in the middle east. The Iranian Nuclear agreement did modify irans behavior. For the worse. North Korea Remains determined to develop the cap
The standard of habitability should include those factors . Secretary nielsen i would agree with you that we need to do more and we are doing more. As you know, we have the first and foremost duty to protect the safety and security immediately after an event in response. H. U. D. Works with us on the longer term housing, and right now what were seeing is the transition from shortterm housing to longer term housing through recovery. Right. Blumenthal people are out of their shelters in connecticut and likely in puerto rico without the section 8 or other h. U. D. Programs. Secretary nielsen i am happy to look into that, sir. Senator blumenthal id like you to look into it. Id also like you to give me what the standard is for habitability because certainly it should include water, electricity, and a reliable roof, that is a structure that can be regarded as safe and secure, would you agree . Secretary nielsen id be happy to look into it, yes, sir. Senator blumenthal let me just close on th
She answered a number of questions on daca program. Also, President Trumps alleged longer comments. She said she did not hear the president say a vulgar word to describe african countries in haiti. This Committee Hearing lasted over four hours. We will show you three hours of it. To everybody in this room, welcome, but particularly secretary nielsen, we welcome you. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule for being here for a very important part of congresss responsibility to the congressional oversight. Door department is your department is a very important part of the executive branch, plays a very central role in overseeing our lawful immigration system besides protecting the country and our people. Oversight is a very important part of what we do here in congress. Events like todays hearing allows the peoples representatives to investigate and question the policies and the actions of the executive branch. There are important issues in your departments jurisdiction that ar
Surveillance reauthorization, 6038 was the vote. The 60th vote was needed to announce that bill. Also on capitol hill, a number of hearings we covered, a rather lengthy one on Homeland Security. A routine oversight hearing with Kiersten Nielsen kirstjen nielsen. Testified before the judiciary subcommittee on this issue. And also talked with a number of senators about the recent changes in daca and immigration. Here is what she had to say with some senator amy klobuchar. Listening to your answers under oath that you did not hear and i will not repeat this word and give it any dignity, we will collect the word shole. You testified under oath you did not hear the president use that word up a meeting. Correct. Is a possible he said the word at the meeting and you do not hear it . Anything is possible. Yes, maam. A possible he also said that wording you do not hear it . It is possible. There was crosstalk. I unfortunately was not the meeting was unscheduled. Lastminute, when i was notified,
After kas contemporary art. But not everyone is thrilled with its debut. We will show you why. But we begin this morning with todays eye opener, your world in 90 seconds. With obamacare, ive been listening for seven years. The maverick strikes again. John mccain could be the guy who just killed the gop effort to repeal obamacare again. They finally get a president who will sign the legislation and they dont have the guts to vote for it, okay . Watching these senators weasel out of it, i think people across the country, its pitchfork tomb. The president used his speech in alabama to take aim at leader kim jongun. Little rocket man. We can have mad men out there shooting rockets all over the place. Out at puerto rico where it could be another catastrophe in the making. 70,000 residents in two townships are at risk of the dam failing. Another story of survival after the mexico earthquake. Six hours later, they found helena. Cowboys teaming up in boise, idaho. All of that what is that . To