Kathleen Rice

I want to thank LinkedIn for giving opportunities to, you know, great Americans like you who have served our country.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for convening this hearing.

Because it sounds to me like we are playing politics here, and there is no reason----

So now, in your opinion, how secure is flying to and from Cuban airports compared to any other LPD airports in the world?

No one has a corner on the market of National security. There isn't a Democrat or a Republican in this Congress who doesn't have a priority of keeping this country safe.

I just want to assure all of you that this is not a criminal inquiry, much to the, you know, to the tone that the questions have taken so far.

Let's just take the politics out of this clearly politicized issue and get to the heart of the matter here.

Then don't play politics.

Now, so that is not to say that Cuba could not become a focus in the future, correct?

I think one of the earlier questions asked you about how many people who were not hired, veterans who were not hired, who would appeal.

Well, but don't you think that--I mean, to me, that is very relevant information, because if you are talking about training veterans and training employers and the hiring is not--I mean, I just think that the reason for why someone, a…

It is bothersome to me that a lot of veterans apply for positions because most of them are offered by either the VA, DoD, or Homeland Security.

We must remain cognizant of the fact that terrorists are always looking to exploit vulnerabilities, and our pipelines are a major target.

Pipelines are a potential target. With more than 2.5 million miles of pipelines carrying gas, oil, and other hazardous materials across the country, an attack against a pipeline could cause major commercial and environmental damage.

It's important that we're here today to examine how TSA implements and enforces policies regarding pipeline security.

I just want to echo what my colleague Pete King just said. I think it is very clear the Federal Government is responsible for protecting the homeland.

I appreciate your vision and your willingness to try to bring this agency up to the standards that we all expect it to be at.

I was struck by the fact that this budget request seeks only a $12 million increase in funding for surface transportation.

I think it is important for TSOs to know that they are being trained by the best at the same facility as officers and agents who are directly responsible for maintaining United States National security.

it's imperative that we make sure TSA has the resources they need to fulfill that mission and that those resources are deployed as effectively as possible.

I mean, one of the great failures, I think, of our government is we let too many veterans fall through the cracks.

I think it is one of our great moral failures as a country that we have even one homeless or jobless veteran.

Terrorists, ISIL, ISIS, all of them, they are innovating every day, and if we do not keep pace with that, shame on us.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First I want to thank you for convening this hearing and I want to thank the witnesses for coming to talk with us about TSA's technology acquisition process, its strengths, and weaknesses, and what TSA is doing to…

I think that there just needs to be a system by which the communication is more direct and that there is clear accountability.