This, 95 to 100 , with great reason. Mr. Cooper. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I admire you, gentlemen, for your service to the nation and your work particularly since you are having to operate an irrational budget environment. Almost none of your predecessors have ever had to do that. When we have a house of representatives that refuses to even open discussions with the senate on a budget for america. Our media environment, many folks back home are unaware of this. Theyre mad at congress in general. They dont understand that one house of congress is unwilling to talk to another house of congress about having a budget for america. Somehow we have gotten in our heads especially the younger members its okay for the house to have a budget and senate to have a separate budget. Never the two shall meet. Were supposed to have a budget for america. This committee and markup of it my amendment voted overwhelmingly by voice to give the pentagon flexibility to address the mo defensing need. When a re
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee heard thursday from two american killed in the attack on the u. S. Consulate in benghazi libya. The Committee Also heard testimony from the leaders of the state departments accountability review board on benghazi. Here is a twohour portion of the hearing. Committee will come to order. The Oversight Committee exists to secure two fundamental principles. First, americans have a right to know that the money washington takes two minutes well spent and second, americans deserve an efficient, effective government that works for them. How how did young Oversight Government Reform Committee is to protect these rights. Our solemn responsibility is to hold government accountable to taxpayers. For what they know is important for how they decide. In fact, our job is to work tirelessly in partnership with citizen watchdogs to deliver facts to the American People and bring genuine reform to the federal barkers v. This is our mission. I now ask unan
Recommended they not be used . I read reports of that, sir. Okay. You were once an rso, correct . Yes, sir. In your distinguished career, do you ever remember recommending that a service not be used . That being hired over your protest or yourar recommendation . Not in my experience, sir. Okay. But you would have at some point recommended somebody or maybe not recommended anybody . Was it your job to look at the performance of these people tht you were w aware of . When when we have barredded contracts. When we find the contractor is not performing we have variety of ways to deduct money and ultimately find theyre not performing. If theyre found to be lacking and not performing contract they can be terminated. They can be barred if that goes that far. You mentioned. February 17th, martyrs brigade i believe what it was called. We were told that was the host company security. Is that true or not . I, i would hesitate to call that host Country Security, sir. At best it probably had sop co
This House Committee on the benghazi attack hearing about to get under way. While we have a second were going to take a chance and give yo [no audio] friends, and the loved ones of those killed, we can never adequately express our condolences and our gratitude. [no audio] [no audio] [no audio] we are experiencing technical problems with the audio. We are working to fix that. The house panel looked at the 2012 attack in benghazi. Gregory starr testified about changes made to security at diplomatic post. The chairman is tray gowdy. Audio] again we apologize we are experiencing audio problems with this recording of todays benghazi hearing. We are going to start it over from another tape we have from the top. Again the house panel today looking at the 2012 u. S. Con consulate attack in benghazi. Welcome. The chair will recognize himself and the Ranking Member for Opening Statements. Without objection the Opening Statement of any other member of the committee who wishes to provide one will
We have mobile security teams and agents on the ground with u. S. Marines that are there. Those agents are going to stay for much longer period of time, probably up to 90 days until we are sure that we have a proper security that we can then start replacing them with a permanent personnel that we are going to have on the ground. The 30day rotations as the arb pointed out were not conducive to security operations. Are there any incentives that the department can provide or can think to provide for personnel to undertake those longer assignments . I dont think its a question of necessary or additional incentives. I think its a question that we needed to understand that we are constantly rotating like that was not in our best interests. I think my agents clearly understand that. And i think it really isnt about additional incentives. Its about just knowing that is not the proper procedure and we need to change it. Not a great practice. Thank you for your forthright answers and i yield bac