Get worse. However, those in the democratic leadership continue to support flawed Health Care Laws out of pride, politics or the belief that the government knows best. It makes no sense to stubborn leighly cling to a law that is so massive and bureaucratally confusing that it collapses under its own weight. Congress can give the proponents the way out. The key is finding Common Ground. More often than not the country hears about what divides congress. We could have the kind of stepbystep reforms that would protect americans. I believe members of congress on both sides of the aisle can agree on 80 of an issue 100 of the time. I want to be clear this isnt compromise. When you compromise, each side gives up something they believe in, and in the end, they get something that no one believes in. Im about agreeing on Common Ground, without compromise, without sacrificing each partys principles, by leaving out the parts of the issue to look for a solution later. Congress also needs to stop dealmaking and start legislating. We need to stop developing comprehensive bills and then market them as the only option. Comprehensive means to me incomprehensible. The larger a bill is, the harder it is to agree. Of course, you can tuck some things in there that people never see. This is especially true when we pass a bill that no one has fully read and then afterwards have to find out whats in it. No party has all the good ideas,. By working together the end result should be something that not only works but moves the country forward in a responsible way. We still need Health Care Reform but it has to be the right way, with strong bipartisan support on individual health care issues. What happened to individual choice on a policy . What happened to Liability Reform . What about sale of insurance across state lines or pooling through an insurance so association so they have leverage against the health inse companies . What happened to adequate compensation for providers . Providing americans with access to Affordable Health care at high quality is something republicans and democrats should be able to agree upon. The challenges of the American Health care system are not going away. If we improve health care in a practical instead of a political way, we can make things better. Good policy is good politics. And why do i have some hope that this is going to happen . Congress is more interested now than they have ever been and the reason is there was a yes, there was a republican provision in the bill. And thats one that forced congress to go into the exchanges, too. We and our staffs have to live under the law we passed. Thats how it should be. But the result is hitting everyone in their offices right now. Every senator, every representative. As they look what may happen to their staff on january 1, and their staffs are concerned. It has changed the tenor of some of the hearings that were having. Its pretty hard hitting on both sides. So with that i do have hope, and i yield the floor. A senator madam president . The presiding officer the senator from delaware. Mr. Carper thank you, madam president. Most of our colleagues have finished up, a lot of them have pangd up and theyre heading back for their home states to begin the august recess. And i wish them all well, especially the one who just proceeded me on the floor here tonight. I stand between for the staff here and the pages who are wrapping up their summer with us, at least a month with us, theyll be heading back to their home states across america. We had one of our pages, a page actually in the last group, from delaware, very proud of her and all the ones who have been here, maybe the best group weve ever had. Even that guy from arkansas that you know whose mom used to sit here next to mark pryor and me. I want to thank the staff for their hard work for the course of this year. A good place i think instead of starting to act more like the senate of old and governing more from the center and democrats and republicans looking to find ways to Work Together often a wide range of issues. Especially pleased with progress we made on federal Student Loan Program and, again, trying to make sure the program is available at reasonable Interest Rate costs to make sure a lot of students, young and old, can if they need the help, sign up for Student Loans late this summer and this fall and be able to go back to school and complete their education. Senator enzi used the numbers 8020 and in the times ive known him, hes talked about the 8020 rule which he may be the architect of. Madam president , the 8020 rule is Something Like this we agree on about 80 of the stuff and may disagree on 20 stuff but and the end why wont he dont we focus on the 80 we agree on, set aside the 20 we dont agree on and well take that up another day. That is the spirit that senator tom coburn, the ranking republican on the Government Affairs committee and i have taken to an issue that needs to be addressed and that is a path forward to make sure we have a strong Postal Service in this country we had for over 200 years and we need to have a strong and vibrant financially strong, sustainable Postal Service for postal system for a long time, as long as we g b a country. Needs the way we communicate have changed dramatically. Remember finding in my parents home, oh, gosh about five or six years ago after my dad had died, my mom was going to move out of their home in florida up to closer to my sister in kentucky, we found a treasure trove of love letters my parents shaifngd in world war ii. For those whose parents may have been in similar situation, part of the great generation, you may have uncovered a treasure trove of letters like that as well. They wrote literally just about every day through the war. I remember the happiest days that i spent in Southeast Asia several tours i served in the early 1970s, the happiest days was the day or days we got the mail. Those were the best days. Letters from home, cards, postcards, newspapers, magazines, those were great days. People over in afghanistan, the troops in afghanistan they still get mail, they still get letters, they still get postcards and birthday cards and fathers day cards but its different. They have skype, cell phones, a lot of other ways to communicate. I asked my staff, to actually go back 12 years ago when i first came here and i said tell me how many emails we got for every letter we sent. Tell me how many emails we got for every letter that we sent and received. And as it turned out for every one email that we received, we received 10 or 12 letters. That was just 10, 12 years ago. I asked them to tell me what it is today. Its just the opposite. For every letter that we get, we receive roughly 10 or 12 emails. The way we communicate in this country has changed and thats just one clear example of it for us here on capitol hill. The Postal Service has struggled much like the u. S. Auto industry did in the last decade or two to try to make a go of it and the Auto Industry was found themselves in a situation where they were had more plants than they need, more supplies than they need, they had really in some ways more models than they needed and they had, sadly, more employees than they needed given their market share which was 835 when i was . Southeast asia and dropped into to about 45 three or four years ago. Fortunately the Auto Industry has come back and building Award Winning cars, efficient cars. Its an industry thats had to retool, to right size itself for the 21st century and they have done that and done it well. The big three in the u. S. Are back, theyre building some of the best cars in the world and we can be proud of the work they do and theyre paying, hiring more people, paying bonuses to employees and its turned out to be a very good success story. These were companies goes into bankruptcy, g. M. , chrysler, and theyre back and were a better country. Thank god we helped them get back. Ford builds great vehicles. What do we do about the Postal Service . Seven Million People who work for the Postal Service or have jobs and are connected to or indirectly to the Postal Service. Sefng until million jobs. Seven million jobs. What we need to do and were trying to do with the legislation that dr. Coburn and i are introducing tonight, bipartisan legislation, we worked on it for six months and i i want to thank him, his staff, especially Chris Barclay who is on the floor with us, worked very hard with john kilvinton, a lot of people on our staffs, democrat and republican staff to try to find the middle to focus on the 80 we can agree on, 20 we cant agree on well put off to another day. The legislation that weve written put simply is how do we make possible to ensure that this Postal Service which is literally spelled out, called for in our constitution all those years ago, is still relevant today, able to be financially viable today, meet our communications, help meet our Communications Needs today in a different age, in a digital age. They can do this. Theres a lot in this legislation that will make this possible. We have not written a perfect bill. The ones that ive ever written are co or authored believe me, theyre not perfect. We do our best and then we introduce the legislation and we ask other people who have similar or different views to tell us what they like about our legislation and what they dont like. And we in introducing this legislation we would invite folks from around the country whether they happen to be residents, consumers, People Living in homes, families, that rely on the mail, whether they happen to be businesses that use the mail, folks who send out magazines or catalogues or other nonprofit groups or other folks, or folks who work for the Postal Service, the customers of the Postal Service, the retirees, we welcome your input. As you look over what weve written, we ask you to see if you can help us make it better. Over in the house of representatives congressman issa, congressman cummings have been working along with our colleagues on legislation, its been reported out of committee over there i think on a partyline vote and one of the things thats important about our worng here, i want very much for to us write a bipartisan bill and dr. Coburn wanted us to write a bipartisan bill. Neither have gotten everything we want. The nature of compromise, there are some things than, frankly, youre not all that ennam mored with. I think thats the case here. Our pledge is 20 continue to Work Together, to ask democrats and republicans to help us improve on this legislation. The challenge is this in a digital age where people use skype and internet and twitter and all, how do we enable the Postal Service to use what is truly unique and that is a company, sphuj, really its a publicprivate company, but a big company, i think the second largest employer in the country, how do we enable them to use what is unique, a business that goes to every mailbox in this country five or six days a week, how do we enable them to make a profit, and be financially sustainable and to meet some of our Communications Needs, and without huge reliance on ongoing reliance from taxpayers, from the treasury to do that. I think they can do it. I think they can do it. I think the legislation that weve written will help make that possible. I want to say a special thanks to a number of folks, thank the Postal Service led by pat donahue, the postmaster general, the folks who represent hundreds of thousands of postal workers, the unions, to businesses across the country who use the Postal Service, to rely on the Postal Service and a lot of customers, regular people who have shared their ideas with us in towns large and small, cities and states large and small. We look forward to your input and your criticism, constructive, we hope, to make this legislation even better. And, again, i would say to our staffs who worked so hard to get us to this point, a special thank you and to our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to look forward to working with you to make what we think is a good bill even better. I like to say everything i do, i know i can do better. The road to if it isnt perfect, make it better. My last thought on this was the road to improvement is always under construction. So we have some more work to do and were going to take a good bipartisan bill and hopefully make it a lot better. Madam president , with that i think im going to say good night to you and look forward to seeing you in about five yeeks and my best to you and the people that you so ably represent in New Hampshire. God bless. With that i would note the absence of a quorum and thanks so much. The the presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Is i quorum call the presiding officer anne the call of the quorum be terminated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid first of all, madam president , appreciate your patience. Waiting for us to wrap things up. Let me say a word, madam president , just very quickly about the staff. I wish everyone a good august. This has been an extremely difficult first seven months of this congressional period. And weve got a lot done. I appreciate very much all of the hard work of everyone. Ive said before but not recently that we get a lot of things done around here not nearly as much as we should but its the result of the work thats done by you and scores of other people that we dont see that are back there doing all kinds of things to make this place work. All the committee staff, police officers, but especially the floor staff here. The as we talked earlier today about some departures we have here, one of the good things we have is all the time ive been here, there could have been instances but im unaware of any, where there was bitterness expressed publicly. And as far as i know privately, between each other, i havent seen that. I appreciate that very much, the good work we do for the senate. You here are not partisan. You do what your bosses try to get done and we only try to get done. We can only do that through you. So grateful for all that you do for the senate leadership, all the senators and the country. And words are not adequate for notice express that but i really do appreciate all you do. So, madam president , i ask consent that at 11 00 a. M. On tuesday, september 10, the motion to proceed to s. 1392 be agreed and the senate proceed to consideration of the legislation. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection, so ordered. Mr. Reid i now ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to a period of morning business, senators allowed to speak during that period of time for up to ten minutes each. Officer without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent that on monday, september 9, 2013, at 5 00 p. M. , the senate proceed to executive session to consider the nominations of calendar number 184 and 185, that there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form, that upon the use or yielding back of tiernlg the senate proceed to vote with noentvening action or debate on the nominations in the order lists, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there be in intervening action for debate, no further motions be in order, any related statemenstatements be prescriptn the record, and the senate resume legislative session. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid madam president , an example of the work done by others ill read this material ill read it and people will see me here making this consent request. But people have spent weeks arriving at this. Thats what i talked about a if you minutes asmght it is really remarkable the work done for us by others. I ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations calendar number 19, 200, 202, 210218, 222, 225240, 243247, 249302, 304, 305, 306, 308326, and all nominations on the secretaries desk, the air force, army, navy, that the nominations be confirmed en bloc, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, no intervening action or debate, no further motions be in order to any of the nominations, any related statements be printed in the record and presiden president oe immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i now ask unanimous consent that the senate consider the following nominations under the privileged section of the executive calendar nominations 631, 632, 667, that the nominations be confirmed, i ask unanimous consent that the senate consider the following nominations urns the privileged section of the executive calendar, president ial nominations 631, 632, and 667, that the nominations being confirmed, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table, no intervening action or debate, no further motions be in order to the mom nations, any related statements be printed in the record, the president being immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination calendar number 221. That the senate proceed to vote sw no intervening action or debate, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there be no intervening action or debate, and no further motions be in order to the nominations, any statemented printed in the record and that the president being immediately notified of the senates action, the senate then resume legislative session. The presiding officer without objection, the the clerk will report the nominations. The clerk dppt of state, Samantha Power of massachusetts to be representative United States of america to the sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during her tenure of service as representative of the United States of america to the United Nations. The presiding officer hearing no further debate, all those in tariff say aye. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The nomination is confirmed. And the senate will resume legislative session. Mr. Reid madam president , i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of calendar number 71, calendar number 72. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 71, h. R. 267, an act to improve hydropower and for other purposes. The presiding officer is thr objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection. So ordered. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent that the bills be read a third time, passed, that the the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, that there be no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to calendar number 15. 155. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 15, h. R. 1171, an act to amend title 40 United States code to improve Veterans Service organizations access to federal surplus personal property. The presiding officer is there objection to froaght measure . Without objection, so ordered. Mr. Reid i ask consent that the bills be read a third time, passed, the motions to reconsider be laid on the table. It is not plural that the bill be passed. That it be read a third time and pass and the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, there be no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i now ask unanimous consent that the commerce coite be discharged from further consideration of h. R. 1344, and that this body proceed to its consideration. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk h. R. 1344, an act to amend title 49 United States code and so forth and for other purposes. The presiding officer without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Reid i further ask that the pryor substitute amendment which is at the desk be agreed to and the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i now ask consent that the committee on commerce be discharged from further consideration of h. R. 2576. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk h. R. 2576, an act to amend title 49 United States code and so forth and for other purposes. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the presiding officer without objection, the committee is discharge d the senate will ee measure. Scried i ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i now ask consent that the senate proceed to h. Con. Res. 41. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk h. Con. Res. 41, encouraging peace and reunification on the korean peninsula. The presiding officer is there objection to to proceeding to the measure . Without objection. Mr. Reid i ask now that the Congress Current resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and that there be no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i now ask consent that the senate proceed to calendar number 109. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 109, s. 256 a bill to amend public law 95235 and owe forth. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent that the committeereported amendment be agreed to, the bill as amend be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i now ask consent that the senate proceed to calendar numbers 156160, all which are post office naming bills. I ask that we proceed to these matters en bloc. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measures en bloc . Without objection. Sideside i ask dha the bills mr. Reid i ask that the bills be read a third time and passed, motions to reconsider be laid on the table en bloc, there be no interveninintervening action or. Officer sph without objection. Mr. Reid i ask that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further kings consideration of s. Res. 199 and the proceed to the mavment. The clerk Senate Resolution 199, sell graight the 200th august quarterly festival taking place from august 18,2013 through august 25, 2013 in wilmington, delaware. The presiding officer without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to s. Res. 216. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk Senate Resolution 216, electing laura c. Dove of virginia as secretary for the minority of the senate. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider laid on the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to s. Res. 217. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk Senate Resolution 217, expressing support for designation of october 6, 2013, through october 10, 2013 as American College of surgeon days and recognizing the 100th anniversary of the founding of the organization. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i now understand the chair is authorized to appoint the conferees to h. R. 2642. The presiding officer the senator is correct. Under the order of july 18, 2013, the chair appoints the following as conferees on the part of the senate. The clerk senators stabenow, brown, klobuchar, bennet, roberts, chambliss, boozman and hoeven. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the appointment at the desk appear separately in the record as if made by the chair. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming recess or adjustment of the senate, the president of the senate, the president pro tempore and the minority and majority leaders be authorized to make appointments to boards, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law by the concurrent action of the two houses or by order of the senate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid i ask unanimous consent the committees be allowed to report executive matters on wednesday, august 4. I ask unanimous consent that august through monday, september 1 senator cardin and levin be authorized to sign joint resolution or duly enrolled bills. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid madam president , one of the things i two things i want to mention before we close. First of all, the presiding officer has worked for years on an Energy Efficiency bill. We are finally going to be able to get to that. This is the first energy weve had in i think five years. Five years. So its a bipartisan piece of legislation, but the impetus behind this legislation is the presiding officer. I commend and applaud her, and recognize how fortunate the people of New Hampshire are to have you as a senator. I also want to just mention the pages, this is their last day here. Theyve done a wonderful job. They do so much for us. And there isnt a day that goes by that they dont do something for me and im every senator feels the same way. I hope its been a good experience for them. I know ive had three grandchildren that have been pages, and its been a great experience for them. And im confident the others feel the same way. Madam president , i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its Business Today it an convene for pro forma sessions only with no business cungted on the following dates and times and following each session the Senate Adjourn until the next pro forma session. Friday, august 2 at 5 00 a. M. , tuesday, august 6 at 10 30 p. M. A. M. T. , friday, august 16 at 12 00 p. M. , tuesday, august 12 at 11 00 a. M. , tuesday, august 27 at 9 00 a. M. , friday, august 30 at 2 00 p. M. , tuesday, september 3 at 9 30 a. M. And the Senate Adjourn until 2 00 p. M. On monday, september 9 unless the senate has received a message from the house that it has adopted the current resolution and if so it adjourn until august 12 for a pro forma session only and following the pro forma session the Senate Adjourn until 2 00 p. M. On monday, september 9. That on monday following the prayer and pledge, the journal be approved and the morning business be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders reserved nor use later today and following any leader remarks a period of morning business with senators permitted permanent. And the senator consider calendar numbers 184 and 185 under the previous order. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Reid the next roll call vote will be at 5 30 p. M. On monday, september 9. If there is no further business to come before the senate i ask that it adjourn under the previous order. The presiding officer under the previous order, the Senate Stands adjourned until friday at 11 45 a. M. Unless the Senate Receives a message from the house that it has agreed to s. Ron cez 22 s. Connecticut reds 22 then the Senate Stands reds 22 then the Senate Stands in the senate today lawmakers failed to advance a 54 billiondollar bill that would have funded transportation projects in housing and are looking urban Development Programs in 2014. In a vote of 5443 the chamber fell six shorts vote votes short that would have set a vote on final passage. After the boat harry reid and other Senate Democratic leaders spoke with reporters about the outcome. We have heard the cry for a couple of years now about regular order. I would hope those people would ask for regular order would refer to the constitution which says no money shall be drawn from the treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law. Its hard to find a more basic duty of congress than to pass appropriations bills. And to pass appropriation bill we have to start the process. The senate needs to act in the house needs to act. We need to work something out in conference. We chose the transportation bill because its a matter for which there has been broad bipartisan support. The committee reported the measure with six republican senators joining all the democratic senators. Its hard to find a matter that is more basic and there is more agreement and we need to have safe highways and safe bridges. We have 70,000 bridges that dont need meet the standards of the code, not 7000, 70,000. And as senator murray has said and i have heard senator collins they those bridges are not democratic bridges. They are not republican bridges. They are our bridges. So what is happening out on the floor as we speak is terribly terribly important. Gop fiscal splits a route. Rogers groups leadership. Rogers horse is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. The house has made a choice, sequestration and he said its unrealistic and its illconceived. They must be brought to an end. That is what he said. Finally we have someone speaking out within the Republican Caucus and the house about how dysfunctional they are. We have had a few breakthroughs here in the senate in the last few weeks for which i am very grateful. There are a number of senators who have broken away here who are trying to do the right thing so, chairman bernanke appointed by a republican president who serves republican tim democrats now valiantly respectively and with great recognition of the good job he has done. He has said as early as this week, as late as this week i should say sequestration is hurting our economy by at least a percentage point. How much more do they need to hear . Now, my friend the republican leader is down on the floor weighing against regular order which he has called for in years past. Senator collins if nothing else was shown no respect. How hard did she work with valient patty murray to get this done . I cant understand why Republican Leadership will be here to derail a bipartisan bill that creates jobs all over america. I am going to go out of order a little bit today. Senator murray. Well, what happened just now is that the Senate Republicans chose gridlock over jobs. They really chose obstruction over Economic Growth and they chose political games over commonsense investments. The day after the House Republican transportation and housing bill and bloated and proved that sequestration cant even pass the republican house, senate Republican Leadership threw a tantrum and they said its my way or the highway and boy does their highway have a lot of potholes. The Senate Transportation bill is about creating jobs, investing in families and communities in and laying down a Strong Foundation for longterm and broughtbased Economic Growth. It is a bipartisan bill. I worked very closely with senator collins to write it, six republicans voted for it in committee. We have an open debate on the senate floor as senator collins said and we had votes and accepted amendments from both sides of the i o. So i am extremely disappointed and i am angry that Republican Leadership fought back against members of their own party and forced a filibuster. And i think a lot of people across the country are watching this and they are disgusted. There are people like ron dorsett who is here with us today. Ron depends on the investments from this bill for his job. He knows that without them not only would he be out of work but the communities he works in will pay the price as well. Without these investments, traffic is going to be worse, our bridges are going to be less safe, our trains in airports are going to continue to decline. Our most vulnerable seniors and families and veterans are going to be less secure and could end up homeless and the economy is going to suffer. Now and over the long term. That is what the Senate Republicans have voted for when they filibustered this today. Those of us who supported this bill are going to go home to talk to our constituents about how we are fighting for jobs, bipartisan problemsolving and Economic Growth and the republicans who filibustered this they are going to have to go home and explain to their constituents why they prefer partisanship and obstruction. I hope that the time back home that we are going to have to convince republicans to come back to the table. Join us in a budget conference to resolve these conflicts. Help us replace this damaging sequestration and work with us to invest in jobs and the economy. That is what the country expects that is what we have to be fighting for. Both senators said it would be appropriate for the this has been a sad 48 hours for the American People. This shows exactly why washington is not working, why we have not lowered our unemployment rate, way why we are not improving our Public Safety on highways and on bridges and are failing to meet our compelling human need in housing for the elderly and the disabled and the disadvantaged. Today in the United States senate through strongarmed tap dix, the other party was leaned on not to vote for allowing the transportation and housing bill to move forward. What does that mean in plain english . They say we are not going to vote for it because we dont agree with the overall budget that appropriations is using. They are using the trillion 0508 which they voted for this spring in an overwhelming vote. They say they want a new but then they object to senator murray the chair of the Budget Committee to bring a conference to be able to bring a new topline and top line comes from the Budget Committee. The Appropriations Committee is the bottom line. The subcommittee by subcommittee. Now they want a new topline they ought to get off their rhetoric, get off their and get off of Everything Else and let murray and the Budget Committee go to conference to get that new topline. As the chair of the Appropriations Committee im willing to negotiate on a compromise but i want to do it in the regular way we do it. The Budget Committee gives us the topline and we look at the subcommittees. I mark it up and did my allocation as the chair based on what the senate agreed to in an overwhelming vote this spring. So where does that leave us . It says essentially senator mikulski and no matter how hard you have worked on a bipartisan basis with both sides of the aisle and both sides of the dome through regular order we are not going to approve one appropriations bill. Are we back to gridlock . Are we back to where does that leave us . Well i will tell you that leaves us with a higher jobless rate, not needing compelling human need and not meeting the needs of Public Safety when our highways and bridges. Senator murray and senator collins and the transportation and housing subcommittee did an outstanding job. They put more money in an adequate infrastructure for federal highways, Capital Improvement programs, new starts in transit programs, investment in rail particularly new equipment and what would that mean . It would mean that we would be able to improve Public Safety and put people to work in construction. Roughly 61 of the jobs directly created by 61 of jobs are created by investing in infrastructure particularly in the Construction Industry. You are going to you from some of the people who work in that every day. We had a bill that would have put people to work, fixed bridges and highways, improved Public Safety. It would have gotten america will moving. It would have gotten america working. Lets lift the hold on the Budget Committee. Lets follow regular order and lets also try to get america moving and working again. [inaudible conversations] first i want to thank senator reid for allowing me to follow senator mikulski. Its quite a difficult task. I waiting to see what would happen next. What happened, senator Mitch Mcconnell cam came up. Looking over his shoulder for rand paul. The libertarians. The most extreme conservatives in the Republican Party. He wasnt looking forward. He was looking over his shoulder to find where john boehner was standing, and john boehner was looking to see where the tea blith the standing. Republican party. One profile in courage looking forward and the rest of them slinking back into he shadows. Its a read the workers have to take home. Its something that has to change, and the only way it changes is when the American People speak up and say were sick and tired of playing games in washington at the expense of american jobs and working families. This is a sad day. Patty murray, thank you for your leadership, barbara muck kole ski, thank you. If this means the republicans will not let us bring up and pass one appropriation bill this year, shame on them. Theyve stopped up in the Conference Committee to agree on a budget number. Now theyre stopping the spending bills that will move america forward. A little earlier today we had the defense appropriations bill and our Appropriations Committee. If this means were not going to pass the defense appropriations bill i just guarantee you, youre going to see it in the lives and futures of military families across america. Youre going to see it in Americas National defense. Its time for this Republican Party to stop looking over its shoulder and look forward. Thank you, senator durbin. Let me think senators for their leadership. For decades, democrats and republicans agree its up to the federal government to Fund Infrastructure that our country depends on. Both parties have provided funding for roads and bridges and economic development. Was never a bipartisan issue. All that comes to a screeching halt this week as republicans abandon their responsibilities to work in a bipartisan way to create jobs and improve infrastructure. The hardright conservatives in the house demanded deep cuts, cuts so steep their moderateolat go along, and here in the senate we had six republicans supporting this bill in committee. We had 19 voting to bring it on the floor. And then, with Mitch Mcconnells watchful eye in the well, they all were arm are aretwisted into voting know. Against what they believed in. Its sad that nor mcconnell is in a position where he feels he has to whip against a bill like this one. So, theres been a tug of war going on in the Republican Party for months now. Some in their part want to fine Common Ground and compromise. While others want to stop every single Government Program dead in its tracks. Its my way or the highway, they say. Well, today its their way. No funding for highways. At times, working with the other side feels like the middle east peace process. Theres no one to negotiate with. And what were seeing in both houses is a death stance. The Republican Party on fiscal issues is falling apart before our very eyes. They cant pass fundamental bills because a hardright group has huge political power, but is so far off the deep end, that republicans cant go along. Its an amazing moment. The hardright conservatives won the day on this bill. Hundreds of thousands of americans who could have had a good chance at job goodpaying jobs lost out. And the Republican Party continues to tie itself on pretzel on fiscal issues because theyre so far over that the American People wont goo along with them and many in their party wont go along with them or have to be forced to gritting their teeth. I want to introduce to you someone who knows what the investments mean we tried to pass today in the lives of workers and their families. Ron is an ironworker, for 32 year work on jobs here in maryland, virginia, and the district of column a. He know columbia. He knows what blockage of this bill means and he wants to say a few words to you. Ron . Thank you. I appreciate hearing my voice here for a minute. Im not a speaker. I dont have any notes or scripts to read off of. Im not going to tell you stats. What i am is a thirdgeneration ironworker in this country. Built many of the establishments in this city that we visit and frequent every day. My family, and a lot of members of my family. And what im here to express is frustration. Its beyond any understanding of a person like me how we cant find common on issues like infrastructure and transportation. I mean, you guys look at youtube and read the newspaper. We got bridges falling down around us. And the numbers are astounding to me. Im not up on the numbers he read. That it wasnt 7,000 bridges. It was 70,000 bridges. Wasnt my family that collapsed on the bridge in minnesota or the bridge in washington. It didnt hit home at me with that. With Public Safety and all the other areas that this affects, but what does happen is ive been working in this town for a long time and there are peers of mine in midlife, are losing health care, theyre losing personal possessions like homes, and theyre not going up in life. Theyre going down, and theyre hardworking people, and this i do in the this, i believe our brims in bridges in this country, Civil Engineers rated our bridges in the country as a d. Do we all of us, do we function our life is a d okay . Its not okay. We need Common Ground. We need to get this stuff moving ahead, and theres a lot of people that are affected, and im not interested in the wrestling going on in these rooms and the arguments. Im telling you how its affecting people like me every single day in our lives, and we need a voice. We need to be heard. Its getting real old, and we need some help and weed in to be heard now, not two years from now. Not three years from now. Now. Its time now. And i appreciate you guys just hearing us. Thank you very much. Thank you. Questions . I want to ask you a question, given this obama the speech on tax reform. I want to know how far democrats want to take tax reform, corporate we have to have significant revenue. I support the finance committee and what theyre trying to do, but my message to everyone, including mys members on the finance commit year, tax reform but has to create significant revenue. You interested in want the lower rates, lower the individual rates and corporate when its all over and done with, significant revenue. We start with senator murrays number in the Budget Committee. Thats good starting point significant revenue. Senator reid, what you have done and the republicans have not, not been an to pass an appropriations bill. What does that mean, so big unless the Republican Party becomes functional once again, i dont this year, we passed 27 bills. The lowest in the history of this country. 27 bills. Now, the speaker says that is no indication of accomplishing much. His zenith is how many bills you delete. Well, zero. 27 to zero. By any calculation, the republicans dominated teaparty driven people, are really hurting our country. These guys back here, theyre not interested in whether a democrat does something or republican. They have jobs they want. Good jobs. But its if i look at nevada, our Construction Industry is really hurting. And its that way all over the country. The economy is picking up. But with a little bit of help, from republicans here in congress, we would have a dynamic congress once again, like we had in the clinton years, where we created 23 million, reduced the testify sit. But were here slugging it out on nothing because theyre incapable of acting. Even someone like senator collins, two tries to be fair. She is a they didnt even give her the dignity of recognizing the work she has done. Senator reid, what do you say about you guys we have a cadre of republicans on the floor every day in the senate who are boasting about wanting to close the government. What difference does it make. Want to close everything. Maybe close a few parks that dont matter. And i told them, check with gingrich. Hell tell you what happens when you close government. But i dont know, everybody. What more the republicans could do to tarnish their brand than what theyre doing in washington and theyre not representing the main stream republicans in the country. Thats sad. 19 republicans voted for this. What indication do you have that republicans, when it comes to time, theyre not going to be armtwisted into voting against the cr with you guys to get 60 im will only tell. We hope the senator mccull ski has outlined so well that maybe what rogers is doing, speaking out against the foolishness. They cant remember, the house of representatives is different than here. Its like the british parliament. If youre in the Majority Party you should get anything you want done. They cant even get what they want done. They cant even pass a simple appropriation bill. Would you put a cr on the floor at the. 1967 level were not negotiating what were doing. The president said he would not gauche on the debt ceiling. These guys want negotiation on the debt ceiling and everybody there will be none. As obama reiterated again yesterday. Now senator mcconnell speaking about the vote. Well, good afternoon, everyone. Im sure well be a lot briefer than the group that was just before you. The vote we just had is symbolically very, very significant. Two years ago this month on a bipartisan basis the president signing the bill, we committed to the American People that we would reduce spending over the next ten years by 2. 1 trillion. Theres no question that had cloture been invoked on this particular appropriation bill, which was even more than the president had asked for, your storyline tomorrow would have been, dong on congress on a bipartisan basis walks away from the budget control act. We now have a debt the sizes of our economy which makes us look like greece. Theres much left to be done to get our financial house in order. But, boy, you dont make any progress in that direction by signaling to the American People youre not serious about the things you already agreed to do on a bipartisan basis. Our good friends on the other side of the aisle have been spending the entire year trying to get us to walk away from spending reductions that we committed to on a bipartisan basis a couple years another. Its pretty clear that unless you tax and unless you spend, they dont have much interest, and we believe that getting the federal governments house in order financially is the single most important thing we can do. The single biggest threat to the next generation and the ones coming after it. So we think this vote is a symbolic significance going into the fall when well have the inevidentable discussion about inevitable constitution about how to fun the government. Well take questions and then were going tobelieve it or not, a bipartisan lunch in the russell caucus building. The primary challenge saying thats driving your actions on the bill. Im sorry . Your own tea Party Primary challenging your campaign back at home is helping drive your decisions here in the senate . The reason for this vote and, by the way, all but one republican voted the way i suggested was because we need to indicate were going to keep our word around here. This is the word made on a bipartisan basis two years ago, with the president signing it. Its the law. And we think its important to convey to the American People, we take our commitments seriously. The budget up in for revenue in the murray budget is a good place to start for tax reform. You seem to be so far apart from the basic element of tax reform. How can any compromise be achieved in this congress . Well, i honestly dont see how we get there. Back in the 7s os there was a bipartisan agreement between president raying and the house supremer, tip oneill, the whole purpose of comprehensive tax reform was to make the country more competitive north to raise revenue for the federal government. Its clear the president has walked away from the commit. He made to us that at least Corporate Tax reform would be revenue neutral. Our members think you have to do the entire code, not just corporations. Because vast majority of american businesses are passthrough corporations. They pay taxes as individuals. So, yeah, i think were stymied. Were stymied by the desire of the majority to raise taxes again, and thats not what most people think im telling you the only reason we got anywhere in the 80s, a bipartisan agreement what it was about, about making america more competitive, about getting the tax rates down, simplifying the code. Its not about raising revenue for the government. So, yeah, i think we have a real stumbling block here in trying to figure a waywa. Im takingne set this thing up so that spending levels at presequester level. Is that something you would be open i know it wouldnt shock you to know we didnt come here to negotiate today. Well talk about all of this in the fall. I think that the single message you ought to take out of this vote from republicans is that we believe that bipartisan commitment we made a year and a half ago is important. And we ought not to be walking away from it. Thats what this vote was about. Thanks, everybody. Im standing at the base of the pit, and they call it ofer by asserting this was the ofer mean they were claiming this was a mine of biblical proportions, and they got it right. Because hundreds of millions of dollars cam out of the ground beginning right here. The comstock was remarkable. One of the richest gold and silver strikes in history. It was a huge repository of gold and silver, and what also made it remarkable, it took a good 20 years to excavate it, so this place had pretty much ongoing on pew oppulance. And that had never happen in the minding u. S. Incredible productivity. Bonanza, a spanish term for a good time. For a bonanza to last 0 220 years was incredible. Learn more about the comstock load. Now a hearing on missing personnel. Witnesses include the commander of the joint p. O. W. M. I. A. Accounting. This is an hour and 0 minutes. This hearing will come to order. I apologize for my cold. Were here to review the departments management for pow pow mia accounting. We mate a commitment to make the fullest possible accounting for the missing and recovery of remains for those who died serving our country. Today, the Defense Department estimates there are 83,000 missing u. S. Personnel from past conflicts, including world war ii, the cold war, vietnam, korea, and the persian gulf war. Over the last knife years, last five Years Congress has appropriated near live 500 million for this effort. In 2012 alone, this amounted to over 132 million. Approximately 50 million more than the previous year. Those added funds were intended to ensure that the department had every resource it needed to increase its capacity to account for 200 missing persons by 2015. A requirement set by congress in 2009. On average, however, the Accounting Community has identified and accounted for only 72 previously missing personnel per year. Although congress has more than doubled the overall budget of the joint powmia accounting command, the additional funds have not yielded any significant increase in identifications. We cannot put a price tag on this mission. But we can, and must ensure that hundreds of millions of dollars that taxpayers have earned are being spent as efficiently and effectively as possible. According to a recent report by the Government Accountability office the Defense Departments capacity to account for personnel is being undernined by long standing leadership weaknesses and fragmented organizational structure. And disagreements and lack of communication between the various Defense Department commands and officers involved in the Accounting Mission, have harmed the departments ability to improve its capacity as required by congress. Gao also identified significant duplication and overlap between jpac and the Prisoner Department of missing prisoner in department, and the lanner laboratory and the air forces Life Sciences equipment laboratory. The subcommittee also reviewed an internal report regarding jpacs internal operations. This report found that jpacs research and Analysis Division was so mismanaged it risked, quote, total failure of the mission. It called the divisions processes acutely dysfunctional and also found that jpac had waisted tax fair funds on travel and, quote, military tourism. This report was banned by the former commander of jpac and findings not becoming widely known until this summer. These findings are deeply disturbing. However, since announcing this hearing the subcommittee staff has heard from nearly a dozen current and former members of jpac, and experts in the Accounting Community, who have questioned this reports independence and its accuracy. I wish to state clearly at the beginning of this, that the subcommittee does not have a dog in this fight. Im not here too take the to take the side of jpac, the Identification Laboratory or research and analysis. I am here to give a loud wakeup call to everyone involved that it is time to put your squabbles aside, for the good of the mission, and the good of our nation. It is unacceptable for dysfunctional bureaucracy to impede our efforts to bring closure to the families of missing personnel. To those in the Accounting Community who work every day to bring peace of mind to families, i thank you. You should be proud of the work you do, and you should serve as an example to those throughout the chain of command, whose pettiness, negligence, or wilful ignorance allowed these problems to develop and remain uncorrected for so many years. I hope by the end of this hearing we will understand more about the issues, the Accounting Community is facing. I intend to raise some hard questions, including how many of the missing personnel can reasonably be recovered and identified . And what will it actually cost to achieve this mission . We need to get these numbers straight. The family members of the missing deserve honest answers about what is feasible. When we may not know is how quickly the department can fix these problems. I assure you, that both hear on this subcommittee and the Armed Services committee i intend to stay on this until they do. I thank the witness for being here and i look forward to their testimony. Please today to be joined by senator ayott. And my marching member is not available and she is now sitting in that seat. Thank you so much, madam chair. Its an honor to be here with you this morning and i enjoyed it when we had the opportunity to be the chair and Ranking Member on the readiness subcommittee in the Armed Services committee, and i think since we both serve on not only this committee but the Armed Services Committee Issue want to echo your commitment to making sure that we address the problems that have been identified by the internal report, by the gao report, and that this must end to make sure that we can do what is right for those that we have left behind and bring them home. The soldiers creed includes the following words i will never leave a fallen comrade. These words are memorialized and memorized by our soldiers, are just as true for the entire nation. Coming from the military family, and as i mentioned as a member of the Armed Services committee, i am determined, as i know the chair is as well, to make sure that our nation does not waiver from this solemn vow. That is why todays hearing is so important. We have a solemn duty to recover the remains of our Service Members who made the ultimate sacrifice in distant battlefields to preserve our freedoms and way of life. They have earned our enduring gratitude and stand as a lasting model of patriotism and courage to us all, and their sacrifice has directly contributed to the freedom and safety that we all enjoy today. That is why it is important that we live up to the words on the powmiya powmia flag, you are nothing forgotten. We cannot account for 370,000 American Service men from world war ii, 1 5 in the cold war and over 1600 in the vietnam war. Not only in you, general, but in each of you, i am incredibly disturbed, as the chair has mentioned, would not only the internal findings of the report that was done within that the department of defense, but with the recent gao report. I think the chair hit it well when she talked about the weaknesses identified in the gao report. What bothered me most was reading about the petty squabbling between the three agencies in which all of you which each of you have been charged with leaders. That is not the way. That is not the way we do things , and we owe it not only to of those Fallen Heroes that we need to bring home to their families and to the American People, the squabbling and, we get to the bottom of this, that we understand that the resources that have been given to you that, as the chair mentioned, have increased, but the outcome as either stayed the same or decrease in terms of bringing Fallen Heroes of, that we can do so much better. And, you know, having served on the Armed Services committee and caring about the dispute between your agencies, it really troubled me. So we have to get to the bottom of this command that want a commitment from each of you that the squabbling will end, that we will Work Together, that we will drive efficiencies to make sure that we are all working for the same result, and that is to bring our Fallen Heroes home to be honest and truthful with their families, to make sure that their families know that they are not forgotten. And so the reports raised serious questions. I know that the chair will add many important questions for all of you, as well i. I want to thank each of you for being here today. We need to walk out of here knowing i know this will be one hearing, but i think this will be one of many to make sure that we get this right. Thank you. Thank you, senator. Let me introduce our witnesses. Major general Kelly Mckeague is the commander of the joint p p. O. W. m. I. A. Accounting command which supports the department of defense personnel Accounting Mission in analysis, search and recovery command laboratory missions. Assumed command in october of to cspan. He began his military career serving as a Civil Engineering officer in various assignments in the u. S. Airforce and has served as chief of staff and assistant to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff for National Guard matters. Montague winfield is the Deputy Assistant secretary of defense for pow missing personal affairs and director of defense pow missing personnel office. He is responsible for leading the National Effort in the fullest possible accounting of american personnel missing as a result of possible action. In addition to having served as distinguished 31 years in the army he was also the first commanding general of the joint pow mia accounting command. Excuse me. John collins is k9 is the chief of the life Science Equipment laboratory. Thank you for being here. Is the custom of the subcommittee this where all witnesses that appeared before it. I would ask you to stand and take the following health. Do you swear that the testimony you will give before this subcommittee will be the truth, all truth, nothing but the truth . Thank you very much. General, we begin with your testimony. Good morning, chairman, senator. It is a privilege to appear before you today and very specially request a written testimony be included for the record. When i took command of the joint p. O. W. m. I. A. Accounting command i realized that jpac would be operating more efficiently and effectively. Since then my team and i have all our partners into personal Accounting Community have worked hard to improve how we account for missing americans from past conflicts. The rate of our obligation is no better captured them in a remark that the sister of an army look up the pilot missing in vietnam recently shared with me. She said, the vast majority of the families who are involved have tremendous trust your mission and and those who work are cases. As the jpac commander i have the distinct honor to lead a talented and dedicated team of professionals. Our Noble Mission is global in scope with investigations being painstaking research, recoveries challenged by in a special environments and tougher identifications demanding a worldclass scientific enterprise. We are continuously seeking efficiencies and optimizing cost effectiveness. In addition to optimizing our mission sets, much of my focus for the past ten months has been to improve communication and coordination, and collaboration both within the command and with our external partners. To ensure jpac is structured as effectively and efficiently as possible to establish processes which will sustain and improve the organization and mission into the future and to provide a quality Work Environment for the men and the women of jpac, unquestionably there are areas that offer opportunities for improvement. We made consistent efforts to identify and address these areas. Given the complexity of our worldwide mission, it is clear we must continue to strive to improve our efficiencies and performance. Still, sequestration and a civilian hiring freeze and furloughs present us with steeper challenges. However, i am confident that the professionals of jpac will sustain priorities with your resources and balance requirements to meet mission objectives. Most importantly we will not waver in our commitment to the families of our missing euros, veterans and American People which is a moral imperative of the fullest possible accounting of those who lost their lives in service to this great nation. Prominently on a wall is president Calvin Coolidge stage device. The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten. The dedicated men and women of jpac endeavor to see that this never happens. Madam chairman and senator, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you. More importantly for your support of this noble and critical mission. Ibook and the questions you might have. Chairman the castle, senator, thank you for the opportunities to speak about what the department of defense is doing to improve the departments efforts to achieve the fullest possible accounting for missing department of defense personnel and provide answers to the families. I look forward to discussing the responsibilities of the various members of the departments Accounting Committee as well as the specific collaboration between the defense prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office and the joint prisoner of war missing in action accounting command. Based upon my experience as the first commander to my came to my current position well aware of the challenges i would be confronting. I know that the departments personnel accounting communities suffer from organizational and structural weaknesses which have been cited in other reports and studies. Many of these structures relate to the primary problem reason identified by the u. S. Government accounting office. Over the past year the major and i along with others in the personal Accounting Community have made significant strides to improve our unity of effort. But this is an issue that clearly needs further work. As i strongly recommended, the department has begun the process of implementing all nine of the gao recommendations. Some of the issues raised in the internal draft jpac refresh efficiency report may require additional attention and investigation. In fact, last week the undersecretary of defense for policy requested that the department of defense Inspector General initiate an immediate investigation into the allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse. Additionally the under secretary requested that they undertake a review of the organizational structure, department employes to accomplish this critical mission. Fortunately the gao has helped us identify a thorough and objective manner what Department Needs to do to improve our performance of the Sacred Mission of accounting for our missing personnel. I would like to describe recent and upcoming activities regarding missing personnel. Last week our nation commemorated the 60th anniversary of the korean armistice at arlington cemetery. The president took the opportunity to recognize the family of zero missing Service Members whose remains had been just identified. Next week high will be hosting the departments annual meeting to family members of american Service Members missing from the korean war and cold war. We expect approximately foreign and 30 family members from across the country to attend the tuesday meeting that we would have the opportunity to brief them on our efforts into account for their missing loved ones. On july the 12th i would attend a meeting in selig city utah were reset an average 80 family members of missing Service Members from the world war ii, korean war, and the vietnam war. Likewise i have a great honor to address the veterans of foreign wars in july as well as the nationally of families of american prisoners and missing in Southeast Asia. Majorgeneral was with me at all of these meetings. I know he agrees that the families of our partners are as determined as ever to help us improve the way we account for missing personnel. Just as importantly, help us improve how we provide answers to their questions. Many of our families realize that we may never find their loved ones, but they look to us to help them understand what happened, and they dont want us to give out. It has been made clear to me that not knowing the fate of missing loved one is as painful as never bringing them home. With that in mind the lessons and experiences we have learned from our families and veterans have helped us shape the departments view on how we account for those in the current battles and support their families. I believe that with the support of congress the department of defense is taking steps to address longstanding challenge is to efficiency and effectiveness in the personal accounting in the. Thank you, no exports taking questions. Good morning, chairman and senator. I am k9. The Life Sciences equipment laboratory was a step was in 1983 and its function was to investigate problems associated with life support equipment and resolve issues related to air force mishaps. More than 30 years Later Mission support continues to expand to be testing from the department of defense, Armed Services, and those of allied foreign nations. We occupy some 13,000 sq. Ft. In building 17 at the airforce Life Cycle Management center. Patterson air force base, ohio. It is a unique facility and based upon comments received from Numerous International visitors with regard to equipment studies in Mission Diversity performed it is in all likelihood the only equipment laboratory of its type anywhere in the world. In 1988 the mission evolved from the chief who was approached by the joint Casualty Resolution Center to examine equipment artifacts recovered in Southeast Asia and determine the feasibility of accounting for personnel based solely on the equipment. The lsel conducted investigations, studies, and instructional programs related to a very broad range of military equipment which is designed and defined it as life Science Equipment. In 1993 it was passed by congress and the joint chiefs of staff to become a support agency of the joint Task Force Full Accounting renamed the joint pow mia accounting demand in 2003. And subsequently other agencies including the defense prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office. A dedicated mission which is manned by specialists whose work involves the accountability of missing americans from conflicts like the indochina war theater, korean conflict, cold war, and the world war two. Although the Mission Coverage is complex and challenging, the staff remains dedicated to enhancing aviation safety, sustaining in improving this nations military sources and accurately resolving the status of missing personnel for families. Within this context they have supported 194 pow mia cases and is accounted for the presence of 206 missing individuals out of 349 being sought. On average this support ten cases per year with an annual operating budget of 250,000. The staff consists of a cadre of specialists who have extensive background in numerous types a lifesize equipment deployed by American Military services. Through the use of a comprehensive technical libraries and a large collection of equipment maintained, the analysts endeavored to match submitted artifacts to the type of equipment and specific systems from which the artifacts have originated from. Identified surface applicability as well as the time. Used. Further testing can be applied, often employing stateoftheart equipment along with full resources of other laboratories and specialists at the air force Life Cycle Management center to enable our defect identification to be confirmed. Finally, equipment and scientific test results are translated into determinations about the presence of missing personnel. Accordingly and identified artifacts like a piece of flight suit can help reconstruct the pattern and type of post structure and reveal information about which military service utilizes, disclosed the details about when it was used in with what aircraft until all to about along with all other artifacts and Damage Assessment is provides an overall image of what the evidence supports but its previous user. Based upon this thisare totally dedicated to the resolution of the issue and to supporting other agencies involved in the highest National Priority endeavored to fully account furnishes missing personnel. Thank you for the opportunity and wait questions to you may have at this time. Not a joy there are three major areas that i would like to try to get coverage. One is who is really in charge and is the structure appropriate second, what are we going to do about the infighting and the turf battles and have we set realistic goals and are we using taxpayer dollars in the most efficient way possible . Lets start with the leaders. I have to tell you that as i began preparing for this hearing echoes of arlington began resonating with me because when we looked at the problem in Arlington National cemetery there was a lack of oversight that was really bred by no one being in charge. It was very easy to figure point because there was not a clear chain asda who was responsible. And i will put this chart and the record, but i want to all that out because the interesting thing about this is every red box has a role. Like at that. I mean, is it any wonder that this is a mess . You and the frustrating thing about this is that back in august of 1993 the Senate Select committee on pow mia affairs issued a report and i want to read from it, the u. S. Government process for accounting for americans missing in Southeast Asia has been flawed by a lack of organizational clarity, coordination, and consistency that was 20 years ago. And the notion that we are at that same place now is just a real head scratcher for me. Last year the house Armed Services committee pointed this out. G. A. O. Pointed out. What can you tell me about the departments plan . It is my understanding not all of you, really if you look at it the only person you havent come in the report to his secretary hegel. Is anybody going to disagree . I agree with you. So by the way, none of you are in the same box here. And there are a lot of layers between you and the secretary. What can you tell me about plans to change this ridiculous organizational structure that is supposed to be working on a very focused problem . It is not like this problem is desperate. It is not like were talking about, you know, enlistees for the air force or logistic needs for the army. We are talking about locating the missing remains which involve, you know, obviously science, personnel, cooperation of the various branches. If we dont get this fixed they will be back here in 20 years yelling at you. So tell me, what are the plans right now for reorganizing this in a way that we can hold somebody accountable . As you know, the gao, that was their first recommendation, look for the department to consider some sort of consolidation. Fadel would get this from the standpoint of this being we all have different roles. My role is clearly the operational arm of the Accounting Community. I dont know the policy. I dont tell the notification of families. I know my partners to. So i can assure you that as part of the departments implementation of the gao recommendation, recommendation number one will be looked at seriously. What does that mean . I think who is looking at it and what is the timeline . Dr. Miller, what i know, dr. Miller has instituted a review of the gao recommendations. The department has excepted aid of the nine in a partial concurrence of the ninth. We are implementing many of those recommendations. Some have already been implemented, and i would view the consolidation question to be at the top of the list. That is not completely reassuring, and i will followup for a time line. But think that we need to know what the specific response to the recommendation will be. And this is not something must take two years to study. This is something the somebody ought to be able to tell us. Were going to look at the organizational structure and make recommendations for change by the state. That is what i am looking for. Do either of you have any input on that date specific that we can look for some kind of plan to out i get that we all have different missions, but you cannot argue with the fact that even within your command you have two departments that are fighting like 12 yearold. The department has in fact accepted all of the recommendations from the gao. In response the undersecretary of defense has directed to reviews be conducted. First, he has directed that the department of defense ig take a look and all malfeasance and secondly he has directed that the take a look of the organizational structure of this organization, the entire Accounting Community. He has not put a time line on exactly where we will have the results of these reviews. I assure you that it is not going to be a very extended time. This is something that demands of his attention to get this thing straightened out once and for all. So it is not that i dont think you guys are capable of working with each other, the problem, when theyre is a problem and is way too easy for you guys. That is csi del. That is over and the piano or j. Peck. If we get this concentrated with some kind of very clear chain of authority we will do much better job of making sure were not giving excuses as opposed to problems. I have other questions, but i will turn over now. I want to thank the chair. Let me followup on what the senator just asked about. You know, the 2010 Defense Authorization directed this very issue. In fact, it asked the secretary of defense to implement a comprehensive coordinated integrated and fully refined resource program. That is an excerpt from it right there. Section 541 set a goal of asking for this plan, comprehensive and coordinated plan to be submitted so that we could accomplish as you know recovery of 200 remains each year to bring back to their families. And one of the things that the gao identified was the fact that because of the problems with the organizational structure and the dispute that in fact as i and a stand it they developed competing plans. Is that right . Senator, based on information that we received from both of our predecessors, we know that to be true. Okay. Here we have where we have already, as a committee, said in 2010 that clearly a plan is needed. Now, the chair has already identified that this goes back 20 years for this very same issue. And you can understand why we hear this today with no deadline thinking, when is something going to change . Because if we do not receive the coordination and plan that has already been asked for 20 years ago, has clearly in 2010 with no deadline for how this structure is going to change. You both have competing plans as of who should be in charge intelligent work, this is just it has to stop. I will join the chair in this letter because i think the secretary has to focus on this as well and make sure that weve received as soon as possible the new organizational structure will be as one that eliminates the squabbling, eliminates the competing plans, makes a decision that is going to accomplish what all of us want to accomplish in bringing the remain some. Have the to have you communicated of these competing plans . And have you yet at your level as leaders by the way, i know you have not been in this command long and adopted many of these issues. You have a real opportunity as well to set this right. At the two of you get together on these two plants and talk through what you think as leaders of the p. M. Zero and s jpac, what should happen . Senator, a couple of points. There is one portion of the time line that dr. Miller has put in place. He said and 90 day lead on the response of the review. The when you talk about competing plans, again, we have been in a position a little over a year you are relatively new. There is only one plan that was on the books. And that was a plan that requested resources. And of t two plans that you are referring to, the plan was the one that was agreed to. We talk about competing efforts, the first thing that i was directed to do and agreed with my boss, first, to bring the Accounting Community together. The second thing he asked me to do is increase been transparent sahel. The third was to support the gao immediately appointed and upon taking my position we established a Planning Group. A joint Planning Group that had members of all of the Accounting Community. And their goal was to take collective creating the capacity in capabilities plan which gets at the requirement that has been levied upon us. The requirement is to increase capacity and capability by 2015. The subsequen requirento identi. It is important to note that there is no immediate return on investment. If we are funded, as we were, funded to increase our identifications theyre is a long process. Theyre is a lot of research and analysis conducted followed by an Extensive Research or investigation of the specific area. Then there is a recovery, and oftentimes it may take more than one investigation and finally goes to lab for identification. Takes time. Certainly i dont dispute that this process takes time in terms of the proper recovery of these remains. I dont see unless we get at the fundamental structural issues that the chair has raised so that we are all working together in terms of spending the time or duplicating resources are not having a clear change of authority, how we can possibly reach the goal and most effectively. Would you agree with me on that . The structural barriers i there. People are now working together in the best way. Obviously no matter what time it takes in terms of the process see that were not going to be able to effectively achieve that. With both of you agree . We have done extremely good jobs at unity of effort. We worked together on a daily basis to communicate with majorgeneral Kelly Mckeague every day. Let me get at the fundamental question. Do you disagree that with the way things are right now you had these two competing obviously they cannot to address that 2010 in be a. You have seen the organizational structure. Do you agree that things need to change . Make sure that we get this right. Center, we agree with the recommendations made by the gao that there is a need to take a look at our organizational structure. Just a look. Again, it is important that the review is conducted. Were trying to take a good look. See, here is what worries me. You have been looking and looking for 20 years. And it is just very evident. I thought the chairs point was well taken that the lines of authority year to not make clear authority, so that would be the most efficient way to drive the results. As identified in the report and 20 years ago and obviously focused in the 2010 and i am sure many others that we did not pull up today. So we can keep looking and looking, but we need to go beyond looking. We need results, and that is why we are so concerned about dropping in date on this and making sure that we get an outcome of not just 55i dont want to be here next year in the Defense Authorization asking the same questions without some results. I am sure neither of you. So that is what when i hear look at raises flags. I know that my time is up. If i could. Competing plans were back shortly after the nba was introduced and the goals established. Competing plans for resources. I can assure you that there is there are no competing plans today. We have an integrated plan. The capability and capacity plan that includes all the departments and also clarifies that the cooperation and coordination between jpac and t pm0 have never been better. I have complete trust. We communicate almost daily. I dont see competing plans. I think it would be helpful if you had the same boss. I just think it is confusing. I will tell you that i know you guys will take a look at it and i know that this hard to make changes in the organization. Speaking from all lot of experience in the contract in field we managed to get a contract in command opened because of the severe problems. I think there are two ways to get this reorganized. You do it you do it the way that you think is best or we do it for you. I can assure that we will do it for you if you cannot do it yourself because we need to know who the bosses. I dont know if your default or you are at fault. You dont even report to the same people. So your boss may be telling you a in your mouse your boss may be telling you be. It just does not make sense. Let me talk about some of the infighting within jpac. Does this cil have operational responsibility . [inaudible conversations] and so both research and analysis have an operational responsibilities. Within jpac there is the research and analysis. There is recovery and then there is the identification card led by the central identification lab. Other than a personal attack, do you think the analysis of the dysfunction is accurate . Maam, i would say that we have issues in terms of the efficiency. Dr. Cole was arrested in pointing out that we needeto improve our procedures. We have. I would say that he also was helpful in talking about the need to improve the protection of leads. Was there a part of the report that you thought was an accurate . I would disagree with some. For instance, Archival Research was nonexistent. I would disagree with that. There were multiple visits to Southeast Asia sites that were not justified. Those are just some of the things i would disagree with. We have heard the subcommittee and i will talk about the whistle blowers to mobile we have heard numerous complaints regarding the management of cil. After hearing from so many people with the same complaint, we kind of have to wonder ifthet problem with management at that part of your command. There also apparently is a very high number of discrimination and eo compliance pending. What is your take on that, general . When i first arrived i found that we were in desperate need of attention toward communication, collaboration, and coordination. That has been my priority, to unify the command. It has been my priority to unify, and i believe we have. The approach that division is taking make absolutely, but i think that we can provide them in a professionally enhance the environment, be able to resolve them without bomb throwing in fingerpointing. I want you we will have questions for the record, but i do want you to keep us posted on the progress of how you feel that you are solving the problems within your command because it is as we began down this road we assumed that the report was being squashed because it was critical. Now as we look at it part of it is that there was this wide disagreement within your command as to whether it was ginned up by mr. Holland in order to make the other two parts of your command look bad. This was all about promoting one part of the command at the expense of another because there was this squabbling going back and forth. I hate that we are getting into this level of micromanaging. This offloaded to the surface. It was shocking, the amount of info. I mean, frankly, on the whistleblower stuff our phones started ringing off the hook. The complaints were about dpmo and jpac. And at there was we are getting a lot of whistleblower complaints with both of you. Addressing the large number of claims and retaliation within your offices. If i could address the part of you asking for a commitment to me to keep you apprised. I will keep you apprised of the progress. I will share with you. Our mutual friend put me in touch with an arbiter institute, a Management Consulting firm that looks at responsibility, collaboration, and influence. The adjunct general of New Hampshire has adopted principles. I brought them in to look at this exact same problem. It is something that i saw firsthand that we all the most talented scientists and the world, the most astute researchers and historians would be totally ineffective if there was no trust, no acceptance of personal responsibility and if this was just a matter of everybody blaming everybody else which has been my focus to improve the morale and the environment. I realize that this is a little bit of the pot calling the kettle black because we do way too much of that of. I realize that there are a lot of people watching this hearing after they have a lot of nerve. That aside there is a choice. You can lead by making the of a guy like that for three require. Everyone does better. What you have is the former and not the latter. You have i know they you know that you have a ways to go. We are all inextricably linked. They need of functioning analysis just as much as the need a fully functioning and effective laboratory. That is the irony. Achieve and to fill a passion. I will save my numbers questions for the next round. If you would allow me im confused. We began looking at these fellows. It appears to me are you paying the oak ridge . It is an arm of the part of energy. Word of human. It goes to the department of energy. Of them making money . Yeah. The department of energy making money . Is a 18 overhead. Theyre annual payment through over rice is three and a half million of which 18 percent for fyi 13 is over of. What you do this directly and save 18 . Im not sure that this is a program that started off arm of corporate. We use them with great results. We use them for projects and research in requirements with them a laboratory. Why dont we just hire really good archeologists and scientists . Wire we pain in 18 percent over it to another department of government . Its a bargain from the standpoint that they dont receive a salary. To do they . Theyre pay a stipend. On average about 80,000. Who is paying that . I believe it is we just transfer the funding. You mean the department of energy. Of course. Taxpayers are paying them. Yes, maam. We are going to take a close look at this and ask for cooperation for the record because it it has been there since 1940, i dont like the idea that one department of government is paying another department of government in 18 percent hit on locating and hiring people who are doing work for the government. Just because it has always been done that way does not mean that it is the right way to do it. I need to see a costbenefit analysis as to why we are getting value on that 18 percent. They are now working at the department of energy. Theyre working fulltime in hawaii. How many of the fellows have been extended past the 5year deadline. If i could take that for the record. Currently 41. It provides a great recruiting and retention opportunity because in addition to the fact that we dont have them long term, can not evaluate whether or not they would perform admirably as a fulltime forensic anthropologist or archaeologist. The stipend is significantly less than what we would be paying them as a civil servant. Okay. That is what i want to get to the bottom of. You understand. What is this . And i know that they are supposed to have graduated within five years. Been to school in 20 years. All kinds of issues about if this is a way you can get people hire so that they know as opposed to getting the best and the brightest in the program. I appreciate those questions. You know, getting back to the question that we have initially on the organizational structure and implementing the findings to my know that he is boeing to look at this issue and have you produced briefed secretary a goal on this . I do believe that this is an issue that needs a fire lit on it from the top to make sure that we are really driving this and not ending up in the same position. I dont know if you have had an opportunity to brief the secretary on this. Senator, i have weekly conversations with dr. Miller, but i would have to take any conversation he may have had. Im just trying to get we will direct this up to the secretary level and obviously talk to dr. Miller as well because i believe that this has to come from the top to make sure that we resolve these issues. And the senator asked you about the internal report. One of the things that troubled me, a lot of internal dispute about the validity of it and why some of the criticisms were it. Your predecessor, his response to that report was telling to me. It really stuck out for me. He said that memo saying it was disavowed and rejected in its entirety. I dont find any merit in any of the conclusions or recommendations and that there would be no further copying or sharing of the report concluded by saying that the command will not consider allegations, findings kamal recommendations. I believe that senator mechanical had asked you about the support itself. Do you agree with that . There is nothing a valid in the report that we can take lessons from putting aside the motivation of it . Before i answer that question, if i could clarify, it was 1992. I misspoke. By all means we will get you the information required. To your question, i believe that we have implemented recommendations from the report. Three of would like to highlight to review field investigations that would come forward to more review research as to whether or not it should qualify for a field investigation. We reorganize the command and have most all of our deploying personnel under one division. Their work investigation and recovery for the field nation. Molesting that was a positive is that we implemented adding a scientist, either a forensic anthropologist or archaeologist to every Field Investigation Team that went out to look at the site, map the site. In addition we have a signed a military leader to up logistics have been abuse of those are three examples of things we have already implemented that were recommended within the report. That was a fairly defensive response of just saying, we wont consider anything. I appreciate that you have looked at it with the eye of how we can improve. Absolutely. The one issue that was raised that stuck out with me as well was the idea of military tourism in fact, one of the examples in the report identified, i have no doubts that in order to recover remains for world war to the you have to travel to italy and many other places in europe. Of one had highlighted an incident in which three jpac teams spend five nights in a luxury hotel, superior hotel in rome. More than 500 per night. And when it was combined with the per diem, the stay at this hotel cost more than 18,000 for taxpayers. So have you looked at that piece of it as well in terms of how taxpayer dollars are being used with the necessary travel that i do not dispute that jpac needs to take in order to effectively recover remains . I cannot speak to the specific incident. I will tell you that as part of their review draft appertain internal report the department of defense Inspector General will be looking into allegations of fraud, waste and abuse. If i could fast forward, we have strict controls in place to prevent that from happening. Our operational planning function is led by our director of operations, a neutral party. They encountered they endeavor to have at least to operational planning teams that are made up of functional representatives from throughout the command to develop the mission said. There is then a decision brief that goes in front of my deputy to look at country coordination, fiscal responsibility, all issues regarding permiting and it finally comes to me for compass confirmation briefing we have multiple levels of control whereby other aspects within jpac are involved in the decisionmaking process as to whether or not we are spending taxpayer dollars to advance in mission whether it be an investigative one or recovery. And is this process something you have put in place since you have come into this command . It was put in place by my predecessor. It is a constant reevaluation. We have after action reports after the teams comeback indeterminable we missed in the operational planning function and it just. Continuous improvement process. I hope he will review the examples, the one that i just identified to do and after action report to make sure that taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly so that any corrections can be made. Those types of things dont happen again. I wanted to also ask with regard to resource and, for what you received with regard to jpac as i see it and that the p. M. No, certainly you have seen some pretty significant increases. In fact, if you put aside where we are now with sequestration but if you look from 20082012, dpmo has a 26 increase. For jpac it has been a 93 increase, and that reflects the commitment that congress has to wanted to make sure that there are adequate resources for the recovery effort. But then if i look at the numbers of it remains that are recovered, there is not a reflection of the increase in resources. As i like the members of remains recovered between 2008 and 12 it ranges from 62 to 71, 74, 94, 82. There doesnt seem to be consistent increase in that piece of it along with the increase in resources. This resource issue of what you need for resources, know that my time is up in the chair was going to ask about this. But the resources we have invested to malcolm we have not already seen a result of some of the issues identified, better results and what are we going to need Going Forward . That is a broad question. I think it is important that we get at these fiscal issues. Our baseline budget in 2012 when the Additional Resources were added was 71 million. Today is 89 million. There was an additional growth built into the appropriation from congress has endorsed by the department for over five years we were going to out be added to hundred and 53 personnel as well as 314 million additional dollars. That hit a speed bump because of the fiscal lamar meant that we face immobile we are confident that with the balance between smaller resources as well as what we need to do and how we need to optimize our efficiency and effectiveness that we will be able to do so. So you are saying that essentially you have not seen a huge increase in resources . Madam chairman, they alluded to this earlier. Theyre is a lead time between training people before they go on the average forensic anthropologist. So there is a lead time for that tamale time for research and analysis, recovery and then obviously once the remains come into the laboratory it can range anywhere from several weeks to years or decades. Last month we identified a set of remains from the early 90s. Let me ask you this. Do you feel confident that you will be able to identify significantly more remains in the coming two to three years . Will you get 100 . Will you get to 200 . Are realistic goal would be at 10 per year increase. If we were to do that we would be at 125 ratifications. That is a realistic goal. We would have the resources even with the fiscal environment by which to achieve it. Madam chairman, in order to up make an identification numerous members of the committee have to contribute to that particular effort. We have made several strides that would allow us to increase our effectiveness and efficiency to identify more individuals. For example, the dna Identification Laboratory have technology where they need smaller portions of remains in order to make a dna match. Only go talk about our casualty officers, they have made improvements on how we look for the family members in order to get the family reference samples. In our organization we have an increase. In 2010 we formally were given world war ii as a portfolio. That is where the increase began and we added some personnel. Again, we will begin seeing and reaping the benefits of that very soon, but it is impossible to put an exact time line on that. There are things moving in the right direction to ensure were working toward our goal. If congress does not start seeing an increase in numbers, the money will go away. It just is too hard to find the resources for what we need to be doing in the federal government that we would substantially increase resources for a given problem that does not results in more productivity. Lets talk about the reasonableness of the numbers and hal honest and open we are being. This is difficult because no one wants to give up on anyone. And we feel very strongly about that as a nation. I know the current number is 803,000. My understanding is 80 percent of that, 73,000 is world war ii my understanding that preparing for this hearing that you all estimated that many as 58,000 they not be recoverable with Current Technologies and 40,000 were lost over deep water. Of that 40,000 lost over deep water and never recoverable. Do you believe that i stated those numbers in an honest and forthright way . Going to be recovered. What is important to note is that we have a requirement from congress to create the case file on each missing from world war two. We have been working on that. We have about 20,000 at this point. Once we have a case file on each individual, we will be able to make it a good assessment on exactly how many of those will be recoverable. Analysis will be done and we will be able to give you an accurate figure in the near future. Is the number correct that approximately 40,000 or lost . To the best of my knowledge that is correct. To we know who those are . We do have names. We have zero list of everyone that was missing from world war ii. Do we know which of those individuals were lost . We do. Do you believe the chance of recovering the remains . We have not. That is one of the recommendations from gao, to create the case file and prioritize the list based upon the probability of being able to recover those remains . Why do you think that we have been as reluctant as it appears we have been to the be reasonable and honest with these families . What favre are we doing them if we know the names and know it was over deep water and no theyre not recoverable, why would we not rush to be honest and forthright . Maam, i have the exact same question. When i start researching of what was told was there are a lot of families that feel theyre holding up hope. Were in a shift, the families believe that there may be inaccuracies on him physically was on the ship. And there has been a reluctance to tell the families that there is no hope that we will find your loved one or be able to bring the remains back home. I would tell you that one of my that just seems cool to me. I dont think that in the p. O. W. m. I. A. Community is unwilling to receive the factual information that you have to the best of your ability. At some point in time, is it more cruel to not be honest and forthright that the chances of recovering half of the number that you all are tasked with is somewhere close to none from slim . And i just i disagree that you are doing in the familys favor by not being honest and forthright about it. We are looking all of this information together. Senator mccain and i have discussed this we have a sense of emergency and i have a feeling that sometimes the bureaucratic attack, combined with pressure from congress has inadvertently but way too many families in a limbo. We have a lot of work that needs to be done and there is work that is impossible to do. The sooner we deal with that, the better. Enact madam chairwoman, we do just that. We have categorized them and we are in the process of doing the same thing with the korean war. Its a matter as i mentioned earlier. We are behind most of our efforts are focused on vietnam and this is where it started. Yes. Anything else . Right now in terms of family members, how do they receive information on someone that they have lost . Do you have to contact them, do they contact you . How does that work . This is a Community Effort and the communications is done by the officers. We pass on information to them and they pass on information to the families. The families have questions, information is passed to those officers. Backandforth is the way it works. I would totally agree with what senator mccaskill said. I think that the family should get whatever information that you have. Because they deserve this and when you think about the world war ii veterans, that was just added to your statutory duties in 2010. But evening of family members, we are getting to the point where we are losing so many of them i am really best because m blessed because of my grandfather. So many of them are not going to be with us for a long time. Whatever we know, they should know. I also wanted to follow up on the issue as i have identified, there have been two different plans. Have we, to my knowledge . I thought ultimately we were going to get that report. Senator, we did not agree to this plan we gave that plan and the plan that has been forwarded it didnt include all of those elements. So we are not there yet . It is a capacity capability plan. It has been coordinated. Once that coordination is complete, then we would be able to release it. Anytime we produce a product, yes, maam, that is pretty much accurate. Okay. So we need answers. We need leadership on us. Here is the opportunity. I see both of you who have been in your positions for about a year or 10 months. This is your opportunity. You have great challenges, but its your leadership opportunity to get this right. So we are going to be following up on this it ultimately was the congress that asked you for the reports that we can get this right finally. That is where our frustration comes from, as you can imagine. This is the plan that was accepted into the coordinated plan. We did exactly that. I think that we would agree that we didnt lose any elements of the plan. Whoever is holding the plan right now produced it up the chain of command. I wanted to follow up while you were here. Just ask you about the sergeant that was captured by the taliban in june of 2009. Obviously unaware the challenges are and we just want one attacker the efforts are going. Okay, this is part of the department of defense and the highest priority. What we were working on for the last year is to ensure that there is a whole of government approach to try to bring this along the state department. Yes, maam. That is happening now. Okay. The effort is there, the focus is there. We have the right people working to find information. I just wanted to raise the concerns of the people understand that he is very much on our minds. Thank you. I think the most important thing to remember is when you all about your jobs and you have one of those moments when something is supposed to go through a process. You know, that turned coordination that really means lost in the deep black hole at the pentagon. We were having those days and it is supposed to be back, i just want you to hear my voice ringing in your head come and get a freaking done. We are not going to be patient about this. This has been a problem for 20 years. We want the plan of reorganization there is one shot. By the way, it will help you get the resources that you need and when you speak with a unified voice, it makes your job so much easier. Please hear my voice as well. Just. Our voices will be together on this. We are are like a dog with a bone on the stuff. So you better get used to this because you are going to be back here a lot if we dont get dates and we dont get plans and we dont get someth t look like a professors test on organizational ability how you do not do it. You know, this would be a businessclass case study of how you make sure that you dont get results with accountability. So before we close i just want to ask about this lab in nebraska. For purposes of serving and how much does it cost . We just opened the laboratory in june of this year and it provides us the additional capacity and capability that was identified within the congressional mandate. It cost us a little over 5. 2 million and we ended up revitalizing the existing facility on the base. That laboratory is up and running as of june 1. Are they performing well . They have a case from vietnam. From a cemetery in your home state. They are working on that case right now. Well, that is perfect. I wanted to make sure they were up and running. I actually will tell you that i will leave on a positive note here. 5. 2 million sounds like a reasonable number in the grand scheme of numbers i look at constantly at the department of defense. Yes, maam, there is a renovation of the existing facility and provides provides us a stateoftheart facility. The because of the hiring freeze, we only have 14 of the 49 Laboratory Personnel and in the building. That we are working with the United States command and dod are not hiring issue. Thats great. Any other questions . No. I may have some questions for the record. But as the chair said, we will meet again. Thank you all for being here. I know that you all really trying. Our job is to do oversight and hold your feet to the tire and make you accountable. We are going to do that. I understand that you have a secret mission and that you are dedicated Public Service servants. We do not diminish that service in any way. But we want to get this fixed. So that our successors years from now wont say why is this so lame that they couldnt get it done when they tried. Back in 2013. Thank you very much. Thank you. I think you have great leadership opportunities here as well. Your Service Records are thank for the right leader needed at the right time to get this right for the American People. Thank you. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] acting irs commissioner Daniel Warfel will be on capitol hill tomorrow. He will speak about measures the agency is taking to address the issue. Yuki see the hearing live at 9 00 a. M. Eastern here on cspan2. He was coming out of russia today that the country has granted edwards noted temporary asylum. To remain in the country for up to year. At todays white house briefing, jay carney spoke to reporters about the news. Here is a little of what he had to say. The Russian Federal Migration Service has confirmed publicly that they have issued misters noted temporary asylum for a year and allowed him to leave the airport. We are extremely disappointed that the russian government would take this step despite our clear and lawful requests in public and private to have mr. Snowden expelled to face the charges against him. Mr. Snowden is not a whistleblower. Hes accused of leaking classified information and has been charged with three felony counts and he should be returned to the United States as soon as possible where he will be accorded full due process protections and this move by the russian government undermines a longstanding record of Law Enforcement cooperation and cooperation that has recently been on the upswing since the Boston Marathon bombings. Russia has said that they are not going to send him back. So where does the effort by the administration get him to come back to the u. S. To face prosecution. We will obviously be in contact with russian authorities. Expressing our extreme disappointment in this decision. Making the case clearly that there is absolutely will justification for him to be returned to the United States. Where he is under indictment under three felony charges for leaking classified information. He is not a dissident. He is not a whistleblower. He has been charged by a crime and will be accorded a return to the United States under our system of justice. We have made that view very clear publicly and privately in our discussions with the russian government. So im sure those discussions will continue to. I dont have a scheduling announcement for you today, but obviously this is not a positive development. We have a wide range of interests with the russians. We are evaluating the volatility of the summit. On capitol hill, Edward Snowden being granted asylum in russia resulted in a questioning with House Minority representative steny hoyer. Heres what the congressman had to say about the news and what it could mean for u. S. Russia relations. There is no doubt that the relations between russia and the United States have not been on a positive trend. That does not mean that we arent talking were that we dont have mutual interests. We do. It doesnt mean that we shouldnt have continuing interface with the russians because we have a lot of mutual interest is very important to both countries. Demonstration has been in touch and we urge them not to give Edward Snowden a sanctuary. He has left the airport and i dont know beyond that. He has one year of a silent. It is obviously not consistent with our request. And that will not help relations between the two countries. I dont think anything else. We have to take it from there. We need to pursue mutual interest and i hope that russia would be a much more positive partner in trying to bring stability in areas of the world we have insecurity and instability. They havent been very good at that. They could be very helpful in achieving those objectives. However this is not going to help relations between the United States and russia. Thank you very much. [inaudible question] i dont want to prejudge the presence of you on that. I have not talked to the president or the secretary of state about that word the chief of staff. I dont want to comment on the island from the president their judgment. Reagan said trust but verify. He could have said talked to make sure you protect your own interests. Reagan, as you know, sat down with the russians to reach a Nuclear Disarmament agreement. Because he believed that this was important and the objectives were important. We will see what he thinks at this juncture. But certainly this is not a positive event in relationships between our two countries and our two countries still need to try to Work Together for the mutual interests. Thank you. You can see all of these events from earlier today online in our Video Library at cspan. Org. This weekend on cspan. Live coverage of the National Governors Association National meeting and go walking, wisconsin. This year, the nations governors discussed National Infrastructure and the global economy. Sunday at noon on cspan2. Booktv is in debt. Your questions for author and head of pediatric neurosurgery at johns hopkins, john carson. And the assassinations of Martin Luther king jr. Airing sunday at 1 00 p. M. A house hearing on a fertilizer explosion but they killed 10 people back in april. Members of the subcommittee heard testimony from representatives of chemical and agricultural companies, as well as officials from the Homeland Security department and the Government Accountability office. The committee on Homeland Security subcommittee on cybersecurity protection and Security Technologies will come to order. The subcommittee is meeting today to examine the west texas fertilizer plant explosion and the problem with unidentified chemical facilities. I recognize myself for an opening statement. I want to welcome everyone to todays hearing entitled west fertilizer off the grid. The problem of unidentified chemical facilities. April 17, 2013 explosion at the west texas plant at west texas was most likely not the result of terrorist activity or foul play. Therefore the antiterrorism standards, the program was not directly implicated. But the tragic incident revealed a disturbing fact about this program itself. There are thousands of facilities that handle these highrisk chemical was that have gone under the radar at the department of Homeland Security. I am grateful that mr. Caldwell is here and i know that the gao has looked at this particular issue among others and just in the words of his report the preliminary findings of the investigation show that the explosion killed at least 14 people and injured more than 200 others. Severely damaged or destroyed nearly 200 homes and three nearby schools and the nursing home and an apartment complex. According to the chemical safety board, the fire at the facility detonated about 30 tons of Ammonium Nitrate as of july 2013. The cause of the fire had not been determined. I think what that states clearly is the reallife ramifications of the inability identify where the dangerous chemicals are stored under the conditions. The hearing will focus on these outlier facilities. We should take about five minutes before this. I would like to take a moment to remember the victims of this terrible tragedy, including the First Responders who sacrificed their lives to save others. Maurice bridges, perry calvin, jerry chapman, kenneth harris, jimmy matus, judith monroe, joseph krasinski, cyrus reed, Mariano Saldivar and kevin sanders, douglas zemeckis, robert synovus, and buck up their they are brave firefighters whose lives and families have been affected by this and the inability for all of us to be able to understand the nature of the threat before it presented itself. Wow we know that this was not likely an act of terrorism, imagine if it had been. What kind of questioning would be going on today about the failure to connect the dots or the failure to perform. West texas as the backdrop for todays hearing and the mission is the reasons for the lack of awareness at this outline facilities. Chemicals have been identified as highrisk and the department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection agency and the Occupational Safety and health administration. Not only were they not registered with the program, they didnt even know that the plants were in existence. We must understand what the department is doing to correct the serious shortcoming. I was encouraged to see that just this Morning White House announced that they are taking this issue seriously, as i know they do in the administration will be encouraging agencies to share information and provide transparency im looking forward to further revealing the executive order to understand the sharing of information environment and overseeing facilities and what implements this program. It has the potential to seriously limit americas chemical infrastructure. Shortly after the explosion, the chairman and i sent a letter to secretary napolitano asking for an explanation of the problem of identifying outliers and pointed to the lack of the interagency cooperation. Im pleased that the department to these concerns to heart when they crafted the executive order. I hope today we will be able to receive a more indepth understanding of not only the shortcomings but the efforts to end on. This illustrates the lever level of harm that we can suffer when even a small facility holding hazardous chemicals goes wrong. Whether the harm is intentional or the result is an accident, the effects are devastating. That is why it is so important that these outliers are accounted for. I appreciate the members of the subcommittee and are to witness panels that are recognizing this tragic situation that killed 14 people. What those victims in mind, we look forward to hearing your testimony for the work of this committee to address the best we can the shortcomings that have been recognized. The chair now recognizes the Ranking Member of the committee. The gentleman gentleman from mississippi, mr. Thompson, for a statement that he may have. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. I think our witnesses for their expected testimony. In the four months since this small town of west texas was shaken, shockwaves have been felt across the country here in washington and even at 1600 pennsylvania avenue. A scale of death and destruction has come under focus and americans have been forced to ask themselves some very tough questions could this type of event happened here in my community . You facilities with explosives or lethal chemicals pose a risk to my family and my home or my community. The likely response is maybe. And surely the federal government does. This west facility explosion undermines that sense of conflict. The firefighters who have gone in to do what they have been trained. Fight a fire. This was a chemical fire fueled by Ammonium Nitrate and until these explosions in the department of Homeland Security did not know that the west plant even existed. We administer the riskbased program that requires facilities with threshold quantities of certain chemicals to submit information through the top screening process. Dhs performs a risk analysis to determine whether the plant should be regulated and facilities that dhs determines to be highrisk are required in the vulnerability assessments and when i drafted the original legislation, i envisioned a high level of collaboration between highrisk facilities in the dhs inspectors to ensure that security practices would be tailored to actua envisioned the security plan information would be shared with local First Responders. Has that information sharing occurred in west texas, some of the death and damage could have been mitigated. Today for it to work, and facilities have to Pay Attention to the federal register. It is probably not too difficult. Facilities that maintain the national associations, like the ones we will hear from later today, also have access to this information. It is unaffiliated with outliers that dot our nations landscape of concern. Many of these facilities operate in areas where the responders are volunteers do not have the access to
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