Mike McCaul

We have the geologic good fortune of having one of the richest and largest rare earth mineral deposits in the world at Mountain Pass, California.

We remain on time and on budget in constructing what will be the most technologically advanced, energy-efficient, and environmentally superior rare earth manufacturing facility in the world.

We must continue to move as rapidly as possible to a position where our economy and our national security interests are no longer tied to these declining Chinese rare earth exports.

The time has come to roll up our sleeves and get to work rebuilding our own domestic rare earth manufacturing supply chain.

Simply put, I strongly believe we can and should do the same.

Let me also take a moment to publicly acknowledge the hundreds of men and women who are working virtually around the clock to restore America's rare earth production capacity at Mountain Pass.

Well, I look forward to getting updates on the successes. I know you've had 2,000 arrests.

I can't imagine what was going through your mind, at that time. But you've been a real leader for the Nation, in terms of airport security, and you've really done a great job making this airport safer.

Let me just say that 10 years after the tragic events, this is certainly, in my judgment, a good news story.

I have to commend and applaud you for your efforts.

I want to thank the witnesses for being here today. This has been a very productive hearing.

I don't know, I don't think my son is a threat to the National security of the United States.

I just want to end with a general question, and that is, you know, I was Chief of Counterterrorism at Justice for a while.

To sit here and to think not too far from where we sit, Mohamed Atta and his band of hijackers slipped through detection.

Of course, my opinion is the hijackers came from a certain part of the world, and our intelligence assets overseas are in those areas.

I hope I never have to answer a question for my daughter again about airplanes flying into buildings because of a terrorist attack.

As Representative McCaul mentioned, that was an important 9/11 Commission Act recommendation.

I hope I never have to answer a question from my daughter again about planes flying into a building because of a terrorist attack.

It's a valuable model approach.

I just want to follow up on the 9/11 Commission again, Mr. Lord.

Yet I believe that the most fitting memorial we could make to those who were lost that day is to continue doing everything humanly possible to ensure that the tragedy which took their lives never happens again.

It is estimated that the U.S. stock market lost $1.4 trillion in value.

I think what you're doing will take this in the right direction.

So it's the individual. You know that's the individual with the card.

I appreciate the effort taken on behalf of all of those involved to have this important field hearing.