U.S. State Attorneys General

One advantage ISIL has persisted in is its ability to recruit young men and women and influence actors around the world through its online media campaign.

I'm afraid that a five percent reduction requirement will put a lot of pressure on the agencies to focus on those that are--for which we have tools and which are more easily measured.

I think it also needs to be said that all these land managing agencies are confronted by hundreds of different kinds of invasive species.

The major concern is that the least expensive often will be something like use of pesticides, and the people in my state would be very concerned about that.

I have a concern that the least costly option would often time result in the use of pesticides, and in Hawaii we have major concerns about the use of pesticides on our islands.

So basically my concern was that the provisions of the percentages were really prescriptive and may not help in a particular situation.

The bill that is before us, S. 2240, mandates that no less than 75 percent of funds appropriated be used for on the ground control management...

I agree that more coordination and resources on the federal level are necessary to effectively prevent, control and mitigate invasive species.

I think Hawaii is known as the invasive species capital of the country, so this is a topic that is really important to us.

We have a rule with some kind of proceeding, sounds like a kangaroo court, based on untruths, half-truths, lack of transparency, facts that were not allowed to come into evidence, and testimony that was literally cut off.

I thank Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas. Her legislation laid the groundwork for the STEM Opportunities Act. I also wish to thank Senators Peters, Murray, Gillibrand, Blumenthal, Markey, Cantwell, Booker, Schatz, and Merkley…

The President's proposed budget for 2017 actually puts into our proposed base funding those funding levels that Congress has put in as one-time increases over the past two years.

We are absolutely committed to enhancing and providing additional assistance for volcano monitoring.

This particular Committee, in providing bipartisan proposed legislation to establish volcano early warning and volcano monitoring systems, is going a long way toward elevating the need and the kinds of activities that need to take place in…

Given the increased seismic activity at Mauna Loa on the Big Island, can you discuss any ways that Congress can continue to provide support to this critical work to ensure public safety due to active volcanoes?

Your organization's Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory plays a crucial role in monitoring Hawaii's active volcanoes, and as you know, Kilauea has been active for decades.

I think that you mentioned that at some point you would want the F-35 program to become a multiyear contract program so that we can lower the cost, which I think is a good thing.

Both of us talked about the strike fighter shortfall. I just need to know--this is probably for Admiral Manazir--what is the Department of the Navy's current estimate of the strike fighter shortfall because we have had different numbers…

I am wondering what the Navy plans to do with the need that is going to arise at Kaneohe Bay.

That is music to my ears.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too want to welcome our witnesses to the hearing this afternoon.

If one characteristic defines the future operating environment, it is uncertainty.

I commend the Department for the continuing emphasis and commitment on the rebalance.

Everybody understands, including the Governor of Okinawa, that if we can't build the facility in Henoko, we will be in Futenma.