A we are going to convene the committee on Homeland Security. We are going to ask the members of the press to please part the center aisle so that members can have access to the witnesses the committee is here to receive testimony on terrorism threats to the Homeland Party to. The committee as i indicated is meeting to hear from the witnesses the committee has focused on ensuring the department is fulfilling its mission to secure the homeland. I take this response ability seriously as has every chairman of the committee. To hear about the threats we face directly from the charge im concerned about the department of Homeland Security. Its been 203 days since the department has had a confirmed secretary recently announced hes leaving after six months on the job. The replacement will be the fifth place and to leave dhs in fewer than three years and even though hes leaving tomorrow the president has yet to announce who his replacement will be. What is the delay . We learned that the white house may be trying to find a legal loophole. Its completely unacceptable and would raise serious constitutional questions. Also unacceptable is the fact that the administrations administrator has been dual headed as the acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security secretary of Homeland Security for the last six months. The administrator and deputy are not parttime jobs and debate require someones full attention they are yet to nominate anyone to fill the vacancies and this is an unprecedented situation with real consequences for the department and the men and women working to secure the homeland. Indeed im concerned about carrying out the mission. The chaos is not limited to the department unfortunately. On the third fbi director and third director of National Intelligence including acting officials. He also has no longer a Homeland Security adviser or white house coordinator. The president needs to field those critical to the security at the same time the terrorism threats both homeland and domestic are unrelenting. Just over two weeks ago President Trump pulled the troops out and this dot x. And put an end to the u. S. Counterterrorism initiatives on the isis leader fortunately thanks to the bravery of his ability of our military members and intelligence professionals and we honor them for their service to the country. While hes dead, the isis detainees that escaped the kurdish persons pose a threat to the u. S. And conditions on the ground are right for isis to reconstitute. Moreover we abandon our kurdish allies prompting them to make a deal with our adversary the russian backed syrian government. I want to hear from our Witnesses Today how these developments affect the global threat picture and what the implications or for the homeland if at home domestic terrorism is on the rise. 11 members of the tree of life synagogue were shot down by antisemitism and white supremacy. This year at a walmart in El Paso Texas they were told by white supremacists. These attacks are linked to groups and individuals abroad and many are exporting social media to proliferate violent extremist content and others around the world. Recent reports indicate a been dhs released its first strategic framework of countering terrorism and targeting violence. I hope that we can hear about their efforts today. For too long this issue hasnt been given the attention it deserves and much more remains to be done. The 2020 elections are just a year away despite the Intelligence Community is ringing along with the foreign interference in our elections the president has refused to accept the conclusion that russia interfered and the refusal to ensure the integrity by leading on this issue from the white house sends a wrong message to our adversaries and calls into question whether the agencies are working to defend the elections are getting the support and resources they need. I hope that we can speak to that issue as well. As i said at the outset, this committee must take the responsibility to oversee the department i want to thank all the witnesses for taking the time to be here today to a the 9 11 attacks motivate and serve the country and patriotism cannot be questioned a wish you godspeed in your next adventures i know it takes time to prepare for these but it helps us to do our jobs better. Just this weekend we are reminded of the evil that seeks to attack our shores. The killing of al baghdad was an important victory. They are responsible for the public execution of the journalists james foley and stephen were doing their jobs and isis cult of them both at least seven terrorist attacks have been culled out in the west and who knows how many more attacks to planning. Yet his death isnt in the threats to the homeland and isis isnt the only threat that we face. I look forward to hearing more about how we are countering the threat from isis, al qaeda and others seek to harm us. I do need to address the subpoena issue before i yield back. Im very frustrated how the events of last week unfolded. Im frustrated you were put in the position that it was necessary. If someone gives you their word, mr. Chairman, they can keep it. We have a Committee Rule and you gave me your word in a colloquy that we would Work Together on the subpoena is. None of that happened this time around. Just two months ago we issued a subpoena and ive been willing to engage with you every step of the way to defend the committees mission and oversight responsibilities, but the rules exist to protect the rights of the minority. You didnt say a word about that. I asked to discuss this week and havent heard from you since he is also accused me in an email or phone call would have of this up. You would have seen that if you kept a promise to members. Our relationship is the only way anything gets done around here. We have information shared with you and your staff and weve provided notification of what we are about to do thats fine but you are not the chairman. Apart from the, we will vote forward. I am comfortable with the fact that we follow the rules of the committee. This is an arbitrary and im going to be deferential to you and if you want to ask me but im not going to allow you to. I dont have to get your approval to sign a subpoena and then thats the rules we operate on. We can provide information to you at the end of the day put the rules up on the board for people to see. Let me breathe what we say in the rules the authorization, the power to authorize and issue a subpoena is delegated to the chairman of the full committee as provided of the rule 11 the chairman shall consult a Ranking Member at least 24 hours in advance of the subpoena under such authority. That was put into the last congress i was in the day before and we were having a very wonderful relationship with the dathey butthe day before you ise subpoenas. I would have said lets do it. Other members of the committee are reminded under the cathedrals Opening Statements may be submitted in the record does director served in that role since april. The director served as both since 2017 and had an acting director of National Counterterrorism center and lost the undersecretary for intelligence analysts at the department of Homeland Security since 2017 and without objecti objection. Men and women are dedicated professionals that work to safeguard the American People, the homeland and values and represent the best of the country and i appreciate the continued support the committee shows for them and the work they do each day. The department as you know was created in the wake of the attacks and chartered in the Homeland Security enterprise id like to focus on five significant trends we see in the landscaping efforts that theyve executed to combat them specifically from foreign terrorist organizations, domestic terrorism and targeted violence, transnational chemical organizations and statelevel challenges to the interest. They were formed in International Terrorism and achieved significant success navigating the ability of the foreign terrorist organizations to prevent threats to the homeland since 9 11. Weve achieved these by utilizing the programs and capabilities to identify. Cooperation with the bureau of investigation and department of state, and others we prevent thousands from entering or traveling to the United States each year through these efforts. While weve enhanced our security greatly the threat of the organizations remains a significant concern. The networks represent significant threats to the United States we must work to ensure aggressively across the government and with our International Partners we are doing everything we can to pressure and disrupt the organizations to target the United States homeland. One of the most significant threats over the past year has been domestic actors adoption of terrorist techniques to inspire individuals by the internet last month vhs introduced a strategic framework for the targeted violence which explains how we will adopt the tools and expertise to protect from the foreign terrorist organizations to address the evolving challenges of today. Little appearance warming create the challenge of the investigation tools. This framework recognizes the landscaping and calls for the whole of Community Experts in. Importantly the framework calls out the need particularly of the youth looking for its understanding of technologies is a factor that can exacerbate threats. Theyve diversified the multichannel businesses profiting from drug and human smuggling and movement of weapons and money. They organize and incentivize the migration and engage in human trafficking. The activity including competition for territory and a security rissecurity risk at thd throughout the hemisphere. Dhs come up on the fibers might work with government partners in the private sector to enhance the nations overall defensive posture calling of the threat from china and highlighting the need to focus on supplies supplychain security, elections to become a federal cybersecurity and Industrial Control Systems as acknowledged china presents the most pressing longterm Strategic Risk in the United States in these areas working to reduce the risk of the supplychain compromise other through five g. Or other technologies. The foreign intelligence threat has also quickly evolved into the one of the most significant threats the leading state intelligence rest of the interest will likely continue to be china, russia, iran and north korea are based on the intent and operational scope. In conclusion every day that 240,000 men and women in the department worked to ensure the safety and security of all americans and they are dedicated to building a brighter and more safe and secure nation. I continue to appreciate their efforts on behalf of the American People. Its been an honor to serve as the acting secretary and commissioner. In closing i want to know if this imagery in the hearing by 27th overall and ninth before the committee my first hearing was in front of them and both chairman thompson and Ranking Member so i think it is fitting that i close in front of the committee again and i dont think you, chairman thompson, Ranking Member rogers to support you and your staff have shown the department of Homeland Security and providing the tools we need t to adapt to changing Threat Landscape. I look forward to your questions. I now recognize the director to summarize a statement for five minutes. Members of the committee, i wanted to be here today representing the roughly 37,000 men and women of the fbi. Its now been just over two years since i became the fbi director in which time ive visited all 56 field offices meeting with state and local partners from every state are presented on threpresented on td met with every headquarters division, scores of the Law Enforcement partners, business and Community Leaders and current victims and their families they are not the same from decades ago they were evolving in scale and impact and complexity, agility and the fbi is moving forward to meet those threats head on. Over just the past six or seven months the fbi has thwarted or disruptive terrorism related plot to have domestic terrorism and International Terrorism thats not including all of our hate crime arrests and all the other important work that we do. So preventing terrorist attacks continues to be the fbis top priority even as we recognize our countrys important recent achievements with the death in fight against isis in the middle east we know we have to stay vigilant overseas and here at home we are also laser focus on preventing attacks in the United States people inspired by the Foreign Terrorists what we call a homegrown violent extremists. In a remote Training Camp we are also focused in todays world of the threat of domestic terrorism. Out by people inspired by a variety of violent extremist ideologies. Im talking about everything from anarchists groups to the racially motivated violence extremist groups in the state and local Law Enforcement partners in reaching out to the communities we serve. And efforts are paying off and represent unique challenges in part because in this country we dont investigate a person just because of his or her beliefs. And these people like the homegrown violent extremists i was referring to a minute ago can also move very quickly with little warning from espousing radical views to attack. And i can tell you after having personally walked through the crime scene and having visited the teams from the mass shooting is both an el paso and dayton that this threat is never far from our mind is a focus of the fbi. In particular on the cyber front, we see a wider then after range of actors and methods and targets including things like sophisticated ransom ware attacks on municipalities and critical infrastructure. Its a threat we ar threats we y partnering with the victims with state and local authorities and in particular with our federal partners especially dhs and others. They were especially focused on china and they are using and expanding set of nontraditional methods blending of lawful and unlawful techniques on the one hand corporate accusations and then woven into those, cyber intrusions stealing trade secrets and a whole variety of supplychain threats even as we sit here today. Theres over 1,000 investigations involving the attempted theft of usbased technology involving all 56 of the field offices in almost every industry the men and women of the fbi dedicate themselves every day to keeping the American People safe and i want to thank this committee for your support, the fbi workforce i can tell you it makes all the difference in the world to the hardworking agents, analysts and professional staff goes all over this country but also around the world. Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you today. Thank you for your testimony. I recognize the acting director to summarize this statement for five minutes. Chairman thompson, Ranking Member rogers, it is a privilege to be here to represent the men and women of the counterterrorism center. In the years since 9 11, the community has many partners have achieved significant success is against terrorist groups around the globe and perhaps most importantly Coalition Operations against isis and iraq into syria. In addition an ongoing efforts across africa, the middle east and south asia continue to diminish the ranks of al qaeda and isis moving dozens of experienced leaders and operators every day. It resulted in continued progress safeguarding the homeland from terrorist attacks. There is indeed a lot of good news and we need to be cautious because the challenges remain. Im going to focus on just three very first come in military operations have brought us time and space as we address the threat. But the diverse, diffuse and expanding nature of the threat remains a significant concern. After 9 11 we were prematurely focused on the threat emanating from a single piece of Real Estate Networks are ranging to the hundreds of thousands of individuals and we have al qaeda and its affiliates. We have iran and its proxies and there is a growing threat for the extremists around the globe. By any calculation there are far more radicalized individuals now than there were at the time of 9 11 some aspects can be dealt with through the kinetic observations the world has a lot of work to do to deal with the radicalization and costs. The second challenge i would highlight stem from the outrage of the globalization. Outreach of the globalization. They are good at it and innovative. We have seen these for the operational planning and the use of social media to spread propaganda, transfer knowledge between them and individual in s and networks can see the use of drones for the attacks and even assassination attempts. Highquality fraudulent documents were increasingly undermined in the namespace assist him and thereby threaten Border Security we will see greater use of crypto currency to Fund Operations and the potential terrorist use of chemical and biological weapons is low probability eventuality to something we consider to