Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Good morning. I appreciate the committee holding today's hearing on Arctic security and its implication for the homeland.

I know he represents a coastal district on Long Island, New York, and I look forward to a productive discussion on issues of shared interest.

I want to thank Ranking Member Troy Carter for bringing the subcommittee to this Congressional district to look at issues regarding emergency preparedness and how the Federal Government can better support the needs of coastal communities.

Fortunately, the Biden administration is doing more to support communities like those in Louisiana and Mississippi, which frequently faced unequal impacts of disasters.

The other public policy question is, in vulnerable communities, primarily low-income, African American, or whatever, there are very few building codes.

Ranking Member Carter is a tireless advocate in Washington, DC, for the people of the 2nd district of Louisiana.

The lack of equitable resources during a disaster is appalling, which is why I, along with Representatives Carter, Titus, and Brian Higgins, created the Congressional Disaster Equity and Building Resilience Caucus.

Disasters often hit vulnerable populations the hardest, including low-income communities, rural areas, racial minorities, Tribes, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and children.

I'm looking for what safeguards can we put in place so that local businesses who have capacity won't be pushed to the side.

Republicans are directing politically-motivated attacks at these administration witnesses, and they are doing so to distract from Republicans' own failures at governing.

They ousted their own Speaker, paralyzing the House and bringing the legislative process to a standstill for weeks as they fought amongst themselves.

Our asylum laws are the laws of the land. If you don't like them, you are in the right forum to change them.

Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have a different agenda today, and we need to be clear about what their agenda really means from the outset of this hearing.

My Democratic colleagues and I plan to ask you about these issues, and we stand ready and willing, as always, to work with you to address these challenges on behalf of the American people.

They revere their Presidential candidate, who admires dictators and despots, calling them 'capable', 'competent', and 'smart.'

To be sure, Republicans have failed at running the House of Representatives.

They talk tough about strengthening our cyber defenses but then vote to slash funding for the agency charged with that important mission.

Cabinet secretaries shouldn't be impeached over policy differences. That is not what the Constitution says.

Serious threats demand action from serious people. Not politically-motivated attacks, not inflammatory language that divides us.

Unfortunately, based on their politically-charged rhetoric and baseless accusations about the Biden administration's border policies, I doubt my Republican colleagues intend to use this hearing to help find meaningful solutions.

Addressing human smuggling and trafficking is a critically important challenge.

More likely, my Republican colleagues have convened this hearing to mislead the American public about what the administration is doing to combat human smuggling and trafficking at the border.

In fact, the Biden administration and Secretary Mayorkas are going after the cartels and have implemented enhanced counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling efforts.

I still believe in America. I don't see us becoming a bully.

At the start of last Congress, the SolarWinds Supply Chain compromise laid bare unacceptable gaps in our approach to securing Federal networks.