To enhance the economic and National Security of america and to promote more efficient effective and accountable government. The Committee Really is in many respects to committees and one. We have Homeland Security and we have governmental affairs. This hearing is really focusing on the Homeland Security side of the Committee Structure and within that structure we have four priorities. Border security, Cyber Security infrastructure and countering extremism and violence in any form, including islamist terrorism. Chairman johnson what we try tried to do in this committee is through this hearing process layout a reality. I come from a manufacturing background. Solved a lot of problems. The only way to solve a problem is first admit you have one, properly define it, properly describe it, gather the information and admit to the reality. There is no way anybody can deny we have a problem worldwide in terms of extremism and violence. We witnessed it just a few hours ago on a practice field fo
Morning, this hearing will come to order. I will ask my written Opening Statement be entered in the record. Without objection. I want to welcome secretary kelly. This is a hearing on the department of Homeland Securitys fiscal year 2018 budget. This is the third time secretary kelly has appeared before this committee. The second time as secretary of the department and, again, we welcome you and appreciate your service to this country, many, many years of it. In lieu of my written Opening Statement, i just want to make a couple comments. Im by vocation, im an accountant. So ive gone through budget meetings many, many times. First, i want to just talk about the history of the budget of the department of Homeland Security. Were not quite ready for the chart. When you take a look at total Budget Authority. When the department was first stood up, the first fiscal year was 2004. The departments budget was this is total budgetary authority, mandatory and discretionary, 36. 5 billion. Now, had
Xray imaging of the containers, whether it is high, medium, or low energy, it still takes human intervention to analyze the results of that scam. So you have a radiation portal monitor that is a very ineffective and passive system and will tell you if there is a source emanating from the container of concern. You then need to take it the 2nd step to have the Xray Technology see what is inside. Most countries in the world use a risk approach like we do and only inspect those highest of concern through xray systems. Okay. What percentage are inspected after they get here . A little bit over 1 . And when it hits the us port. Its about 2. 7 percent on top of the 1 percent. The next 2. 6 or 7 percent is the next level down . Yes, sir. Examined that whatever seaport they come into. A lot of that depends on shipping patterns and where they are arriving from and where they are coming into. They should be focused on the ports that have more of a greater likelihood of finding that type of device
Enforcement, technology, and intelligence to detect, deter, and interdict potential threats. Treaties and agreements with foreign governments to conduct corporate enforcement efforts at force overseas. The last five years to successfully enter for attempts by criminal gangs with suspected russian ties. We can talk about that either in this panel on the next. The successful disruption of the sale was a positive result, however the desire to obtain materials for a dirty bomb or the extreme materials for Nuclear Weapons are growing. Due to the the iranian deal, no matter what you think about it one way or the other and the reaction that the other middle Eastern Countries will have to iran having at their facilities, there will be more Nuclear Material out of the market which is just the way that it will be going forward. You will have more countries with more Nuclear Capability then we have probably ever seen in the world. Thats one of the reasons we will start this series of hearings up
Our borders from other transnational threats, our operation is based on layered security where we attempt and i have described earlier some of the partnerships that we have with regard to Port Security to inspect port facilities for their security regime overseas. With regard to specifically the source and transit zone for narcotics we also have significant partnerships with countries in south and Central America that allow us to board their flag vessels on the high seas, recognizing that many of the nations dont have robust coast guards or navies with the kind of off shore capability that we have. So those partnerships allow us to detect and interdict drug shipments far off shore. In the case of one interdiction i made, over a thousand miles west of the galapagos islands, with drugs destined for mexico and then ultimate i will for the United States. So we use using our long range aircraft and cutters and detection monitoring capability of the department of defense and other partners w