Bennie Thompson

I think that it is a real problem for us now to try to reach back 5 years-plus and ask people to produce records that we know they don't have.

Some in Congress seem to believe that securing America's Southwest Border is the answer to our Nation's illegal immigration concerns.

I think ultimately by extending the time, I think the scanning mandate would be something that some of us would expect to be followed.

Let us take maritime cargo. As you know, Congress some time ago passed a 100 percent screening mandate, and there have been issues around it.

The picture it presents is potentially devastating to the Department.

Surely, DHS has a right to expect some predictability and certainty as it pursues its counterterrorism and homeland security activities.

The 112th Congress has not produced any of the 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the Government.

This notion that Government can provide all the defenses necessary to protect us from any of these threats, I think, at best is a novel, if not something that learned individuals know we can't fully accomplish.

Democracy is on the march in North Africa and the Middle East.

Therefore we have to have a regimen established so that we can secure those facilities.

While that has a cost associated with it, I think it is the risk of not doing it which you can't really put a finger on.

As you know, however, enhancing security of the chemical sector is a major interest of mine.

I have written you and continue to believe collective bargaining can improve workforce morale and productivity.

Your decision to grant collective bargaining rights to the transportation security officers at TSA is the right thing.

I absolutely join my colleagues in thanking you for the outreach that you have done since you have been administrator on keeping us informed.

My top concern continues to be affording TSOs the same benefits and personnel standards as other employees in the Federal pay system.

As the representative of the 37th district, I understand the need for law enforcement to constantly modify and assess anti-terror strategies.

We can secure an airplane. We can secure the border. We can secure a Federal building.

We must not become distracted from our basic mission to keep this Nation safe and maintain the security of the people.

Let us take care that nothing we do or say here today works to undermine those efforts.

I want to encourage my colleagues to remember that our words travel far beyond these four walls.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of September 11, we are constantly reminded that terrorists continue to plot to kill Americans at home and abroad.

In our zeal to combat terrorism and protect our country, we must be careful not to wrongly accuse our people because of how they look, where they live, or their cultural background.

Combating the terrorist threat depends on accurate intelligence and an unbiased assessment.

If we take the right action, many of our concerns about a terrorist threat from this region could be significantly reduced.