I remember, Mr. Chairman, when I was the chair of this subcommittee, and it is a question that I still ask any agency head to respond to: there are the 'got to haves' and the 'nice to haves.'

Those funds were fenced off specifically to fund approaches to keep us safe in the wake of mass casualty attacks.

Are you in a posture where you will just ask for whatever we will give you and you will take whatever we will give you because you could always put it to good use?

What is the readiness state of the police? we have given you upwards of 8 to 10 percent increases with flatlining the other agencies.

Much has been made by many Members about the need for us to return to regular order in both the appropriations process and the process that we are using to move legislation.

A brilliant question. Thank you very much.

We want security, but we do not want security to the detriment of everything else that makes Congress work.

I, for one, lament that we do not have a House page program any longer.

How much of your request is due to your prioritization as the leader of the police force and your fellow officers and direction from the Capitol Police Board or the Sergeant?

I told you it would be challenging.

Thank you very much.

Just as important as how the decisions are being made within the department to prioritize funding, I would like to understand the process by which those decisions about preparing our force for how forward looking approaches are made.

Are you actually crafting a budget that is representative of what your actual needs are to be able to make sure that we can cover the Capitol complex and its security needs?

I am absolutely 100 percent behind necessary security measures.

Your service has been remarkable...reflects incredibly well on your management skills.

They also have the responsibility to be truthful when they are asked questions.

They are not plowed back into the service right now?

their actions suggest that their true intention is to keep coal in the ground, and they do so at a very high cost.