[inaudible conversation] morning. This hearing of the senate communit committee is called to order. I this is our annual threats to the homeland committee. I want to welcome eyewitnesses and acknowledge the victims of the hurricane and houston texas, florida, throughout the caribbean and puerto rico. Im sure we will be discussing that quite a bit. Maybe it wasnt contemplated when we first set up and schedule this hearing on the other enormous threats, but there are real threats to human life occurring now throughout our nation and we will certainly knowledge that all those individuals are in our thoughts and prayers. Im sure everyone on this committee joins me on that. We are pleased to welcome the acting sector of Homeland Security, diane duke, Christopher Ray the director of fbi, the National Counterterrorism Center Director niclas rasmussen. We want to thank you all for your service. These are perilous times. The threats that face us are growing and metastasizing. I do not envy any