Summer Lee

What keeps me and my colleagues up awake at night is the vulnerability that we have along our entire 95,000-mile maritime border.

An attack on this system could have dire consequences, and criminals could use small vessels to smuggle narcotics, aliens, and other contraband.

I believe that this is, together, a very important hearing.

I believe we, the American people, are due a report, whether that was a local issue or what issue it might have been, whether it is factual, but it certainly is outrageous and appalling.

I think we have some real questions about the utilization--not the utilization, but the recording or the assessing of the expenditures.

What does that mean, and how do we fix that or how do we improve that?

I wanted to pursue the line of questioning that goes to whether we keep or whether we do not keep the SPOT program.

I would like to have the opportunity, if we could, to have that discussion.

Let me make a formal request that that inquiry be made, but more importantly, that that reimbursement structure be put in place.

I hope that concludes forever any comment that TSOs are not first responders or dealing with the security of this Nation.

I would be appalled and in great opposition if there was racial profiling.

I want them to be safe, but I want them to be in the arms of their loved ones.

I take no back seat to trying to give Iraq every opportunity to be the kind of human rights, dignified democracy that they allege that they want to be.

Will you demand of Maliki not next week, not months from now, but can we expect in the next 48 hours a call to the head of the Government of Iraq demanding the release of these hostages?

I opposed the war, but we were collectively supportive of Iraq being able to get on its feet.

I would say, Mr. Secretary, many of us have been down this road before.

Resources are necessary for enforcement, and I think that when I spoke piecemeal, I just want to correct the record.

I appreciate timely responses, Mr. Chairman. I hope that they will work to get timely responses.

I hope that we can rid ourselves of sequestration so we can invest more in the work that is being done by Ms. Stempfley and Ms. Correa.

But are you confident in your present structure in your oversight on cybersecurity?

So what--if we were to keep this system in place, based upon Republican amendments, into the ACA--checking income and immigration status, and that was being held--you deal with cybersecurity, you deal with the potential of hacking or…

But as your Department, or your subset Department, DHS, do you feel that there are competencies under your jurisdiction that are attentive to protecting information and preventing hacking through the DHS agency and in coordinating with the…

I think this is the perfect time to show that we are that Government.

Is it your highest responsibility to protect this information of the American people?

I take no back seat to that.