"I think gender diversity is a goal for most public and private sectors, but I think for TSA, it is actually an absolute necessity."
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you for convening this hearing."
"When you couple this with high attrition and poor retention rates, it is clear that the organization is shrinking dramatically."
"We must ensure that our Air Marshal Service is also evolving and maintaining the strength needed to counter these threats and keep passengers safe."
"The 9/11 attacks made it clear that we needed a much greater presence on commercial aircrafts to counter the threat of individuals attempting to gain access to a cockpit."
"Thank you for convening this hearing. I understand this is actually the first time since 2012 that a panel in this committee has discussed the Federal Aviation Marshal Service."
"The 20-year study that Congress mandated found that 90 percent of participants are moderately to highly satisfied."
"It wouldn't be an ideal situation to have one counselor for three schools that are not always geographically friendly, but at least that is a start."
"Many of our veterans, and we hear over and over again, they face invisible barriers to employment."
"We just had the Brave Act passed out of here that actually would allow the Secretary of the VA to give preference to businesses that are seeking Federal contracts that show that they have a record of ..."
"What are counselors doing to help veterans find--find and retain housing, which is this--they are equally problematic, the joblessness and the homelessness, obviously."