Rob Portman

It is federally supported, State managed, and locally executed.

We need to be better prepared, and we need to be sure that FEMA is there to respond effectively.

I appreciate that. I guess I am glad to hear that, that you feel like, in this case, we have a handle on it.

I would hope we could talk about the important, not just the urgent, but the urgent is upon us again.

We look forward to hearing more as you have it, perhaps even in a classified setting, to understand what we can do to be able to respond, as you say, to be able to push back against these nation-state actors who continue to probe and to…

I think that is critical for us to be able to organize ourselves properly going forward.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to start, if I could, by asking unanimous consent (UC) to put something in the record that has to do with reporting.

Unfortunately, we live in a state of constant attacks, and we just had another one.

We had a conference call this morning with the oil and gas industry in Ohio. And what did I hear about, No. 1 issue? Workforce, No. 1 issue.

Our economy post-COVID-19--or, we are still in this COVID-19 pandemic, but in this time period, needs this more than ever.

We spend so much money as a Federal Government on higher ed. And I am not against that, but my gosh, shouldn't we be spending some money on actually training people up for the jobs that are right there and available now?

What we have been doing has not worked, and particularly with this dramatic humanitarian crisis with the Haitians coming.

I think we need some policy changes to be able, again, to let the men and women who are working for you... to do their job more effectively.

The so-called 'over the horizon' alternative that the Biden administration keeps talking about failed miserably, didn't it?

I sent a letter with Senator Rubio to Secretary Yellen to use all means necessary to keep internationally held reserve assets out of the hands of the Taliban.

You did not get every one of them out.

This withdrawal... has been an epic failure. No planning, no strategy.

I just think, sadly, we have shaken the foundations of a lot of our alliances, and we have work to do.

If the decision was made to pull out, it should not have been a precipitous, chaotic, and unfortunately deadly departure.

The Biden administration's missteps are numerous. Failed to start evacuation operations until the fall of Kabul.

Is the Haqqani Network considered a terrorist group?

I think it is a moral disgrace.

If you are talking honestly to our adversaries, they will certainly say it is a sign of weakness, as will terrorist groups around the world.

Is it true that the interior minister is a leader of the Haqqani Network?

We think about 30,000 at-risk Afghans were evacuated out of an estimated 60,000.