Bennie Thompson

I am concerned that those foundational documents were not completed until nearly 7 years after the BioWatch Gen-3 acquisition process began.

This hearing is timed only days after the Department of Justice announced indictments against five Chinese military officials for conducting cyber espionage against U.S. industries related to nuclear power and solar and metal products.

What's important to me is that in this time of increasingly tight budgets, and the current sequester budget for homeland security, we must depend on sophisticated risk analysis to guide us in making the tough decisions about our spending…

Since I have been on this committee, I have urged my colleagues not to use our positions of influence to promote fear in the public.

Management challenges become a distraction and have grave consequences for our National security.

I look forward to more ways that this committee can work to help advance the Department.

I look forward to working with Secretary Johnson to bring about needed reforms.

The preparedness grant programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency serve a vital role in every Congressional District, enabling critical disaster response capabilities.

I appreciate this subcommittee's effort to give stakeholders a voice in the debate surrounding the administration's grant consolidation proposal.

I would like to express my sympathies to those affected by the tornadoes that have devastated communities across Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi.

We owe it to the people of Boston and the rest of America to make sure that the appropriate officials do a thorough review of the situation.

I want to extend condolences to the families of the 4 people killed during last week's shooting at Ft. Hood.

I urge my colleagues to cosponsor that legislation.

Comprehensive immigration reform would help address that problem.

It is my hope that this committee continues to find effective ways to support cooperation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding today's hearing.

I would like to acknowledge Representative Waters, who represents the district the airport is in.

The state of affairs is unacceptable.

We place the security of our aviation sector in the hands of the men and women of the Transportation Security Administration every day.

The overall response at LAX left much to be desired.

I also ask unanimous consent that Representative Waters and Brownley be allowed to sit and question the witnesses.

I look forward to hearing from Administrator Pistole on how he intends to ensure all TSOs are trained.

Thank you for holding this important field hearing today.

Would you support legislation that eliminates this security gap for water facilities and other critical infrastructure?

Some of us are just trying to figure out what is the objective criteria for selection.