homeland security secretary, there is also the border czar, tom homan, who president-elect donald trump had selected, who's going to be at the white house and will largely be leading on immigration. but the department of homeland security, of course, is charged with implementing a lot of this immigration agenda with which sources have described to me will include three different buckets. for example, interior enforcement that is going to start pretty quickly after trump is sworn in. that could be ice sweeps in metropolitan areas like denver and chicago. and sources tell me the plan is still to target criminals. but of course, if there are other undocumented immigrants who are encountered, they too can be arrested and detained. now, another part of this, too, is the border executive actions, like the national emergency declaration. that might sound familiar because it's something they did the first time around, but this is a way for them to get more pentagon resources to the u.s. southern border. then the third is legal immigration.

so they plan to bring back the travel ban. that is something that president joe biden had rolled back. well, it's going to make a comeback, though sources tell me that the team is still discussing who exactly it's going to include. so in many ways, some of these actions may seem similar to what the first administration was, but now they plan to lean in even further. you see kristi noem there coming in, and i want to say, sarah, that she is going to be asked about the incoming president's immigration agenda. but another thing that democrats have top of mind is federal funding. so fema falls under the department of homeland security. and during the first term, we saw trump threaten to withhold federal funding to sanctuary cities, cities that don't work or at least limit their work with federal immigration enforcement authorities. so that may very well be a question. here is how much of this agenda could also mean threatening or applying consequences to these

democratic led cities? so certainly that could be a part of the questioning here. but the department of homeland security, as a reminder, is a sprawling department. it includes a lot more than immigration. but what we have seen with trump in office is that oftentimes it is those immigration enforcement agencies that get the most attention simply because it is such a signature issue to donald trump. sarah. >> all right. look, we're looking at these stories. sorry about that. we're looking at these live pictures in the hearing room. the governor, kristi noem, right there standing at the table. she's about about things are clearly about to get underway. first pictures, then gavel and then confirmation hearing begins. and the line of questioning will begin. mark preston, as we're waiting for that, one of the things i'm thinking about is the outgoing secretary of homeland security. alejandro mayorkas was one of the top targets of republicans throughout the biden administration. did i just hear a gavel? i think i heard a gavel. hold on, mark, let's see what's happening right here. >> the hearing to consider the

nomination of kristi noem to be secretary of the department of homeland security will now come to order. >> the department of homeland security, with 260,000 employees and nearly 20 distinct components, epitomizes in many ways unchecked power. its vast responsibilities from border security and disaster response to counterterrorism and cybersecurity demand rigorous scrutiny to ensure that they are executed within the bounds of the constitution and with respect to the freedoms of americans, of the american people. nearly two years ago, when i became the ranking member of this committee, my team sought to understand the extent of this bureaucratic labyrinth. we asked dhs for a comprehensive list of collaborative entities it participates in task forces, advisory boards, coalitions, commissions, and the like. the response was astonishingly opaque. they stated, there is

not a single comprehensive list to address all the collaborative relationships that the department and its components engage in. in other words, we do so much stuff and we're so big we don't we can't describe it for you. but if we can't describe what we have, we got a problem. in plain language, the dhs had really no idea. think about it. an agency commanding over $110 billion annually can't account for its own activities. this is not just bureaucratic incompetence. it's emblematic of a deeper issue. an agency unsure of its own boundaries and commitments. how can an agency fulfill its mission or earn the american people's trust, if it doesn't even know the extent of its own operations? but the problems don't stop. there. instead of focusing on critical threats like securing the southwest border, dhs has shifted its gaze inward, targeting law abiding americans. dhs under the biden administration has often used its vast powers to target americans exercising their constitutional rights. it's

become an agency more focused on policing, speech monitoring, social media and labeling political dissent as domestic terrorism than addressing genuine security threats. while cartels, trafficked people and fentanyl across an unguarded border. dhs has spent its time and resources creating partisan disinformation boards, spying on americans to invasive surveillance technologies. the mission drift is dangerous. every dollar spent monitoring law abiding citizens is a dollar not spent securing the homeland. every moment spent targeting political opponents is a moment not addressing real threats like border security, cyber attacks, or the rising influence of adversarial nation states. the priorities of dhs have been deeply distorted, and the american people are paying the price. and what about dhs response to covid 19? arguably one of the greatest threats to homeland security? the answer is clear nothing. they knew nothing of the origins. they didn't study the issue, and

they had no information about gain of function research. we've seen firsthand how unchecked government overreach leads to waste, fraud, and abuse. we cannot let dhs become yet another agency that operates behind a veil of secrecy. the american people deserve transparency, accountability, and leadership that puts national security and liberty hand in hand, not at odds with each other. today, we gather to consider the nomination of governor kristi noem to serve as the secretary of the department of homeland security. i hope this hearing will set the tone for this committee's work in the new congress to restore transparency and accountability to an executive branch that has grown unchecked. governor noem, if confirmed, you will lead an agency that has lost its way. your record as governor of south dakota and a former member of congress demonstrates your willingness to make difficult decisions in the face of significant political pressure and to put the interest of american people first. you have the opportunity

today to address how your background and vision will translate to leading one of the most critical and scrutinized departments in the federal government. this is the first of many consequential moments for this committee as we renew our commitment to the constitutional oversight role that congress must assert. i have no doubt that the nominee will consider, in the coming weeks and months, that you will be up for the challenge. governor noem, thank you for your willingness to serve, and i yield to the ranking member for his opening remarks thank you. >> chairman powell. governor noem, it's great to see you here today. and i want to first, thank you for making yourself available not only to the entire committee, but to the discussions that we had in my office going perhaps a little more in depth on the issues than is possible in a hearing like this. and having that open and frank conversation is something that i appreciate. i also appreciate your willingness to spend time with committee staff as we conduct our due diligence and review of your qualifications and the background to serve as secretary of the department of

homeland security as our third largest federal agency with more than 240,000 employees and an operating budget of more than $100 billion, the department of homeland security requires strong, stable and principled leadership. our nation faces serious threats and security challenges, from securing our borders and combating terrorism, to preventing cyber attacks and responding to our nation's increasing number of natural disasters. and dhs is the first line of defense in all of those areas. i appreciated the conversations we had at today's hearing, where we discussed the importance of ensuring that our nation's borders are safe and secure, and while we must address the significant challenges we face on the southern border, we also need to ensure that there are sufficient resources to secure our northern border. something i know you're very familiar with as the governor of your state, including building out our northern border mission

center. this is especially important in my home state of michigan, which has two of the nation's busiest border crossings, and we're going to be adding another span shortly. the gordie howe international bridge, which will open later this year to facilitate the lawful trade and travel of to those ports of entry that are absolutely critical to our economy. i've worked on legislation to hire additional u.s. customs and border protection officers to meet increased staffing demands. we must secure our borders, but we also know it is well. time passed to streamline our immigration and our asylum process as well. in addition to border security, dhs is responsible for addressing many threats that face our nation. just a few weeks ago, unfortunately, americans were shocked to see two horrific incidents in new orleans and las vegas a deadly reminder that terrorism and radicalization remain very real and ongoing threats to our homeland. in my role on this committee, i've made combating

foreign and domestic terrorism as well as extremism, a top priority in this complex environment. it is essential that dhs continue to focus on all terrorism threats, track and report data to congress and to the american people, and coordinate between all components to ensure the department is effectively addressing all types of terrorist threats. we've also seen the persistent cyber attacks are still a very serious threat. in fact, an increasing threat. a recent attack from chinese based hackers infiltrated the treasury department on top of ongoing salt typhoon hack that comprised numerous u.s. telecommunications companies. there's no question that dhs must continue to lead the way in protecting our networks from foreign adversaries, cyber criminals, and so-called hacktivists to prevent cyber attacks from becoming increasingly devastating to our security, as well as to our economy. and finally, the department of federal emergency management agency must continue to work hard to address the

increasing number of natural disasters affecting our communities as a result of climate change from violent storms like hurricanes that brought destruction to states across the south to the devastating wildfires in california and countless other severe storms and flooding events all across our country. we need leadership at the department that will ensure our nation effectively responds to communities when disaster strikes them. the safety and security of our nation and the american people depend on the department's ability to effectively address these wide ranging threats. so, governor noem, thank you again for your willingness to serve in this incredibly important position. and thank you for being here today. i look forward to having a comprehensive discussion about how you intend to lead this critical department through a series of national security challenges, if indeed you are confirmed this morning. >> governor noem will be introduced by majority leader john thune and senator kevin

cramer. senator thune, you are recognized. >> well, thank you, mr. chairman and ranking member peters and members of the committee. i'm very pleased to be able to be here today to introduce south dakota's outstanding governor, who has been nominated by president trump to serve as the secretary of the department of homeland security. i've known kristi noem for a long time. she has a very compelling personal and family story which inspired her entrance into the public arena. and i'm sure you'll hear a little bit more about that from her. but i've observed, as she has gone through the state legislature as a leader, their state house of representatives, the u.s. house of representatives, where she was our only member from south dakota representing our state's interests there for eight years and now currently as south dakota's governor. and i think she brings to this job a number of things that are going to be really essential. and one is obviously a skill

set when it comes to managing hard problems. she led our state through the pandemic, managed what were extraordinary circumstances all across this country in a way that made south dakota, frankly, a magnet for people from other states who were trying to flee or get away from some of the heavy handed requirements that were imposed in other states around the country. our state stayed open, stayed free, and and that was largely due to her leadership. and i would say, too, as we tackle what is an enormously complicated and hard issue, which is our southern border, it's going to require a skill set, which i believe she possesses. it's going to require a tremendous amount of persistence and determination, which i think she has an enormous amount of energy, which she has in abundance. and frankly, what i would say is just absolute toughness. it's going to take some some tough and hard leadership to get things back in order. and i want to refer to something she said in her state of the state

address earlier this week to south dakotans. and that is that over the past four years, we've seen a complete disregard for the security of our borders and the safety of the american people to say nothing for the rule of law. chaos at our southern border. and the biden administration has left our country vulnerable to a whole host of security concerns, from terrorist entries to cross border criminal activity like drug trafficking. i think it's well documented, and i think it's high time that it gets fixed and we have somebody nominated by the president that i believe has the capabilities, the qualities, the experience. and again, frankly, the determination and toughness to solve what is a very, very tough issue and one which is desperately in need of solutions. so i'm pleased to be able to be here today to introduce our great governor and and to thank you for your consideration. i look forward to this committee acting on her nomination, and i look forward to voting for her on the floor

of the united states senate to be the next secretary of the department of homeland security. thank you, mr. chairman. >> senator cramer. >> thank you. >> chairman paul. ranking member peters, colleagues, once again, i find myself in full agreement with the majority leader. it's a good place to be in our business. um, so this is a very special opportunity for me. and the first thing i want to do is thank nearly all of you. i got into almost every one of your offices with christie as her very amateurish sitting senator. sherpa. um, and the blessing for me was not only to be with my good friend and former colleague, but to learn a lot about this, this committee that i'm not on. and to get an inside view. and gary, especially learning how we can work together at the northern border and how similar, although very different, michigan and north dakota are. so thank you for your hospitality. you are all very kind to, to christie and to and to me. um, but christie is a former colleague. you know, when you're the only

member of the of a body of 435 from an entire state, it's really important to have friends. so together, christie and i, were to two out of 435. and if we could get montana, wyoming and alaska, there would be five of us that could take on the fight. but i know this. i remember our very first year, my first year, it was not hers. my first year in the house, the unthinkable happened, and the house of representatives failed to pass a farm bill. and all i can tell you is the least secure homeland person in america was the speaker of the house and the majority leader. the next day, when christie and i doubled up and and eventually we got a farm bill done. i say that because we are living at a time and and, senator peters, you used the words strong, stable and principled. i can't think of three better words to describe kristi noem than those three words. i would add this. i'm not surprised that

president trump turned to governor noem. securing the homeland is the number one priority. our number one priority, our number one constitutional priority as a congress. and it is for sure the number one priority of the voters in the last election. and it is the number one priority for president donald trump. so naturally, he would say, who is the toughest, smartest, most capable protector that i know? i think i'd like to find a ranch woman, mom, grandmother who knows how to protect her own. and when you grow up on a ranch in the prairies or the west, nobody else is going to look out for your critters. no one else is protecting your family. you do it. and she brings this skill set. as senator thune said, as a leader, as a legislator, as a member of

congress, as a governor, a very important, by the way, when i get into the room with other governors, senator hassan, i might as well have just left because i was now part of a club where i don't belong. but anyway, it was very, very rich because there's a there's an alliance there that's really, really important. and so for me, it's just a really special opportunity to be able to to be here with, with her and to have had this time in your offices introducing her to you. but i want to wrap up because last with this, because last night i received a very touching letter, unsolicited by either christie or me from the tribal chairwoman from the standing rock sioux tribe, which straddles north dakota and south dakota. they don't really care who wins the south dakota state north dakota state football game, but they do care about about their reservation. and chairwoman al-sharaa sent me this letter. standing rock is the home of sitting bull. in case you were

wondering about the credentials of their ability to protect the homeland, i'll just read a few words on multiple occasions, governor noem has invited the standing rock sioux tribe to her table at the south dakota state capitol to enter into meaningful discussions. that's what i witnessed when she came to your offices. and janet writes, it is of great excitement and enthusiasm that our north dakota governor, doug burgum, will be at the helm of the department of interior, and my hopes remain high that you will feel the same about governor kristi noem at the helm of the department of homeland security. these two governors understand the needs in indian country and what words like tribal sovereignty, jurisdiction and consultation mean to the indigenous people speaks volumes to her leadership and to her character. it's my honor to to support her and turn it over to her.

>> thank you for this great introductions. the committee has also received several statements in support of governor noem's nomination, including a letter from 22 fellow governors, the international association of firefighters, and six other organizations. without objection, these letters of support will be made part of the hearing record. and i know our senators have to go, but thank you for coming and doing those introductions. it's the practice of this committee to swear in witnesses. governor noem, please stand and raise your right hand do you swear that the testimony you will give before this committee will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god governor noem, you are now recognized for your opening statement. >> well, thank you and good morning, chairman paul. ranking member peters and distinguished members of this committee. i'm honored to appear before all of you today as the nominee for

the secretary of homeland security. i want to thank president elect donald j. trump for his confidence in my leadership and the people of south dakota for their fantastic support throughout my time in public service. i would also like to express my sincere gratitude to senator cramer. he has been an invaluable resource to me throughout this process and given me much wisdom as well as insight into the thoughts and the procedures of the senate and this body. and i'd also like to express my gratitude to senator thune, the majority leader of this esteemed body. he's been an advisor to me for many years, as well as a friend, and i'm so grateful for the generous support of these two men and their willingness to be here this morning, to speak on my behalf and to introduce me to this committee. now, i'm a wife and a mother and a grandmother, a farmer, rancher, businessperson. i have served in our state legislature, in congress for eight years and also a governor. i've spent my

entire life in rural america. i understand what it means to work hard every single day, and to build a better future for your kids and for all of our communities. i come before you today with a deep sense of responsibility and a humility as the nominee to lead the department of homeland security, and also a commitment to the more than 330 americans who we will work together to help serve and to keep safe and secure in their homes and in their communities. now, before i proceed, i want to introduce to you my husband, brian, who is here with me today. he is my constant 24 over seven reminder of our dedication to public service and that it's not a solo effort or done alone. he has been a rock by my side and i appreciate all of his love over so many years. i'm grateful that he's here with me today. now, securing our homeland is a serious, sacred trust that must be relentlessly pursued and can never be taken for granted. being safe within our borders

here in america is critical. and yet americans feel less safe than they have felt in decades. for the first time in 30 years, more than 40% of americans are afraid to walk alone at night within a mile of their homes. president elect trump is going to change that. i've seen firsthand the challenges and the opportunities facing our great nation in the 20 years since the department of homeland security was formed, the nature of the threats to our homeland has grown and they've evolved. this department was created in response to the failures of the government that led to the september 11th, 2001, 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. and that reality is not lost on me, especially in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks over new years. now, i've led south dakota for the last six years with a focus every day on making our state safer, stronger, and freer. i focused every day on making the best decisions, not just for right now, but for generations to

come. i've overseen a state budget of over $7 billion and a state employee workforce of more than 13,000, including more than 7000 that report directly to the governor. i've addressed important issues like cyber security, human trafficking, drug interdiction, and also natural disasters. the same challenges that are facing so many of you and the people that you represent back home. i've secured our state and supported the rule of law, and if confirmed as the eighth secretary, that is the same approach that i will take to leading the department of homeland security as we face the evolving threats of the 21st century, the mission and the success of dhs is more critical than ever. we must be vigilant and proactive and innovative to protect the homeland. the challenges in front of us are extremely significant, and we must secure our borders against illegal trafficking and immigration. we must safeguard our critical infrastructure to make sure that we're protected against cyber attacks, respond to

natural disasters, and also terrorism. i firmly believe that we can meet those challenges head on with resolve innovation. we can use collaboration with federal and with state partners and senators. i want your input. border security must remain a top priority. as a nation, we have the right and the responsibility to secure our borders against those who would do us harm. and we must create a fair and a lawful immigration system that is efficient and is effective, and that reflects our values. president trump was elected with a clear mandate. he needs to achieve this mission because two thirds of americans support his immigration and border policies, including the majority of hispanic americans. i was the first governor to send national guard troops to our southern border. when texas asked for help, and when they were being overwhelmed by an unprecedented border crisis. if confirmed as secretary, i'll ensure that our exceptional,

extraordinary border patrol agents have all the tools and resources and support that they need to carry out their mission effectively. the same is true of my commitment to the outstanding men and women of the u.s. immigration and customs enforcement. they are responsible for apprehending, detaining, and and deporting illegal immigrants and getting criminal aliens off of our streets and out of the country will help american communities be safer. again. the bravery and the dedication of the border patrol and ice are unmatched, and i will restore dignity to their work. the rising threat of cyber attacks also demands our utmost attention and our critical infrastructure. from energy grids to financial institutions, is under constant attack by foreign adversaries and criminal actors. as secretary, i will prioritize a comprehensive whole of government approach to cybersecurity. in fact, in the coming days, we have to plan bigger and think faster and

smarter. i fully acknowledge that people in washington, d.c. do not have all of the answers, and therefore i will leverage private public partnerships. i'll advance cutting edge, state of the art technologies to protect our nation's digital landscape. and i will have a proven track record of doing this in south dakota to back me up, i've helped make dakota state university a global leader in cybersecurity education because we recognize the need to address this emerging threat, and i will take a proactive approach if given the opportunity to serve as secretary. now, president-elect trump has been a tremendous friend to law enforcement over the years, and i will do the same in my role as secretary. as governor, i've worked closely with law enforcement to make south dakota safer. i've overseen hundreds of state troopers in the south dakota highway patrol, and on several occasions, i've convened groups of law enforcement from across our state to address policies that will make our people safer. in fact, while some in this country were attacking law

enforcement and defunding them, we took the opposite approach. in south dakota, we recruited law enforcement officers to move to south dakota, a state that respects their service and their sacrifice. and we revamped our law enforcement training to provide the first ever state led, tribal focused law enforcement training academy. i'm very proud of the work that we've done in cooperation with our tribes to help make their communities more safe, and we must remain vigilant against terrorism and against others who wish to do us harm to our country and to our great people. i'll ensure that our intelligence and our law enforcement agencies are working together, hand in hand, that they're fully equipped to detect, prevent and respond to threats from radical ideologies and foreign adversaries. this requires resources, coordination and collaboration across all levels of government. and once again, i will seek your wisdom and i will seek your input into the months ahead for the sake of

the people that we both represent. we have to get this right. now. i recognize that homeland security isn't just about prevention, but it's also about resilience. when disasters strike, as we know they will, the department of homeland security must be ready to respond swiftly, efficiently and effectively to protect the lives and the property of americans. as governor, i've worked with fema in response to a dozen natural disasters in south dakota. these have included historic floods, tornadoes, blizzards, wildfires, a derecho, and even a global pandemic. as secretary, i will enhance our emergency preparedness and strengthen fema's capabilities, and we will ensure that no community is left behind and that life saving services like electricity and water are quickly restored. as secretary, i will oversee the secret service, an agency that is in serious need of reforms. we all saw the threats to president-elect trump last

year, and the consequences of failure. now that should never happen again. and i've worked closely with my own gubernatorial protective detail, and i'm familiar with what works and what doesn't work. and i'll bring that experience towards strengthening the secret service once again. i'm committed to working with this committee, with congress, and with the dedicated men and women of the department of homeland security to fulfill our mission, and together, we can ensure that the united states remains a beacon of freedom, safety and security for generations to come. so thank you for the opportunity and the honor to appear before you today. thank you for the meetings and the time that you took in your office to discuss the department and what we can do in the future to make the american homeland much more secure. i look forward to your questions, and i hope to earn your trust and hopefully also your vote as we embark on this critical work together. and with that, mr. chairman, i yield back. >> thank you, governor. we will now proceed to questions. each member will have seven minutes.

we will have a vote that will start at 10:10 a.m., but we're going to continue the hearing and keep people in line as you come and go to vote. we'll keep the hearing moving. um, i want to be clear from the outset that we will not tolerate any disruptions. the capitol police have been asked to escort anyone immediately from the room if they disrupt the hearing. um, this is a standard question, governor noem, that we ask of all nominees. governor noem, do you agree, without reservation, to comply with any request or summons to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of congress? if you are confirmed? >> yes, mr. chairman, i'm going to reserve the rest of my time for my questions and go to senator peters. >> thank you, mr. chairman. governor noem, the the dhs secretary, has many competing priorities, as you well know. and you outlined certainly in your in your opening comments from our borders to wildfires to cyber attacks. but as you and i discussed at length, and i appreciate you bringing it up in your opening comments as

well. we do have a northern border in addition to a southern border. that's absolutely essential that the dhs has the resources necessary at the northern border to carry out its mission, both between ports of entry and all along the the border. in fact, we've seen an increase in unauthorized crossings in recent years at the northern border. so my question for you is, if confirmed, do you commit to ensuring, along with the southern border, that the northern border is sufficiently staffed to maintain its security and robust trade between the u.s. and its neighbors, including at the gordie howe international bridge in my home state of michigan, have the resources they need to facilitate trade while keeping americans safe. >> yes. senator peters, you and i talked about this in your office and also with senator slotkin as well, how important it is to continue to remain focused on our northern border and all borders and ports of entry that the united states has. i think there's been some universal concern from some of the committee members that as

we focus on the southern border and what we're seeing as far as the invasion there and the amount of people crossing that the northern border would lose focus, but that that will not happen. and we will ensure that our borders are secure and we're addressing all threats that may come in from any direction. and also with the with the bridge as well. and staffing up on that, that as well. and i've assured senator slotkin as well that our focus is there to make sure that it is staffed appropriately. >> very good. and as we discussed, the department is diligently working to stand up the northern border mission center at selfridge air national guard base in michigan, following the authorization and funding that i was able to secure in the last congress. this center is critical to supporting the department's northern border security missions and addressing evolving threats. so a quick question. if confirmed, do you commit to working with me to fully build out the northern border mission center? >> yes, senator, we will look forward and i look forward to working with you to ensure that that that is a priority and that it's adequately resourced

and working with congress and senators to make sure that we have what we need to to make sure that that mission for that base is fully fulfilled. >> great. thank you. on new year's, we witnessed two incidents that reminded us that terrorism and extremism remain serious threats to all americans, both dhs and the fbi have consistently said that the most persistent threat to the homeland is from u.s. based individuals or small groups radicalized by a variety of ideologies, from white supremacy to i.s.i.s. to al qaeda. we must certainly continue to focus on people who are radicalized here in the united states with the intent of terrorizing our communities. so my question for you, ma'am, is how do you plan to address this threat of u.s. based terrorists? >> senator, this is a grave concern for our country, as we all agree that the number one threat to our homeland security is the southern border. in fact, since joe biden has been

president, we've seen 382 individuals that have come over that border that are on the terrorist watch list. i behind me have the governor of louisiana with me, and he and his state and people in this country went through a horrific event on new year's day, and one that we never want to see repeated again. but this governor behind me is concerned also about an upcoming event, which is the super bowl coming shortly, which we need to do all that we can to work together, that he has the reassurance that the federal government, that the department of homeland security is prepared to help him protect that event and to keep people safe while they are there. those 382 terrorists are known terrorists that have come over our border. um, we don't know necessarily where they are because of what has been happening under joe biden's policies. now, president trump obviously won the last election with a clear mandate, and that mandate is for the american people to secure that border, but also we need to focus on domestic terrorism and

homegrown terrorism, which you just referenced in your in your question, uh, homegrown terrorism is on the rise. we see more and more incidents of people that are u.s. citizens that have become radicalized. and knowing when people are leaving the country and coming back and changes to their behaviors and, and what their actions are is critically important. so the resources that the department of homeland security has needs to be utilized as far as identifying those threats and being proactive to prevent them, but also protecting civil rights and liberties in that process and making sure that the department is on mission to do what it was called to do, why it was created, and what authorities that congress and the senate has given them. my hope is that governor landry and his his staff and his people and the people that attend the super bowl know that the department of homeland security is there, partner is on watch to protect them and to keep that event safe. i hope all americans know that leadership has consequences. i hope that we can get through and get your support for this

nomination and get confirmed quickly, so that we can address the threats that we currently face and make sure we don't have any repeats of the day that we saw just starting this year on new year's day. >> in the last two years, we have increased. we have seen increasingly aggressive and expansive cyber attacks against our federal agencies. just last month, chinese hackers infiltrated the department of treasury and stole potentially thousands of unclassified documents. so given these concerning trends by the prc to hold our federal networks hostage, do you believe that federal agencies should be required to implement cybersecurity upgrades and maintain the highest cybersecurity standards to protect sensitive or classified data and u.s. citizen information as well? >> well, senator, the mission of cisa, which is the cybersecurity and infrastructure agency, the mission of it is to hunt and harden. it's to find those bad actors and help work with local

and state infrastructure critical infrastructure entities so that they can help them be prepared for such cyber attacks, and that they can make sure that they're hardening their systems to protect them in the future, recognizing the vulnerabilities that they have. this has gotten far off mission. they're using their resources in ways that was never intended. the misinformation and disinformation that they have stuck their toe into and meddled with should be refocused back onto what their job is, and that is to support critical infrastructure and to help our local and small businesses and critical infrastructure at the state level, to have the resources and be prepared for those cyber attacks that they will face, you know, salt typhoon was a campaign of espionage by the prc and china against our telecoms, where large amount of data was was stolen and taken and people's private information was taken as well. and we've also seen china and the prc go after our critical infrastructure with the volt

typhoon hack. and that was extremely dangerous because there was no reason for them to do that, just to steal people's data and information. the reason for them to go after that was to control our critical infrastructure, for the ability to see if they could shut down a water plant, a utility company, and that was to cripple our country. so these threats are real. cisa needs to be much more effective, smaller, more nimble to really fulfill their mission, which is to hunt and to help harden our nation's critical infrastructure. >> thank you, thank you, thank you, senator scott. >> governor noem, congratulations on your nomination. thank you. i think you're going to do a great job. um, i think it's great that you're a governor and you bring, you know, bring that expertise to the table. so i just went through the campaign to get reelected, and it was after the butler shooting. i asked people, i said all my events. they say, raise your hand if you think the acting director of the secret service

is going to tell us what happened. not one person. i said, what about secretary mayorkas? you know, he's running hhs. what do you think our homeland security. what do you think? i said? how about christopher wray, you know, head of the fbi? not one person. can you just talk about in the importance of transparency and accountability in government and how you're going to bring that to the table? >> yeah. senator scott, thank you for that question, because that's what i have found across the country as well. and i know it's certainly true in my home state of south dakota, is that people don't trust the federal government. they don't trust our leadership in this current administration that's in the white house right now, to tell them the truth, to tell them the truth about what the threats really are about our agencies and departments when there are failures addressing them and fixing it. the secret service is is one of those perfect examples. they they need leadership that understands why that secret service was created and what it needs to do. there's

two elements, really, that the secret service is tasked with, and that is protective detail and then also investigations. yet we see investigators within the secret service out there investigating antiquities and other things that are off mission when they should be focused on making sure we're addressing national security events with the protocols that are necessary and protecting the individuals that they're charged with, and getting that skill set and training that are necessary. that's been compromised by not having enough people there and being adequately staffed and resourced. but frankly, the leadership hasn't been honest about talking about it. we saw this with the drones over new jersey as well. the federal government not answering the questions from the public. and when they finally got a straight answer out of president trump, they felt reassured that somebody recognized that this this was something they were questioning and that they deserved answers. um, my goal and my mission is to build trust. we will undertake a large job and a large duty that that we have to fulfill, that the american people expect us to do by securing our

border, to make sure that our nation is a nation with borders, or we're no nation at all, and that we are making sure that those criminal actors that are perpetuating violence in our communities and in our in our cities and towns and states are removed from this country, that there's consequences for breaking the law in our country. again, there has to be consequences, because when americans break the law, there's consequences. and why would we ever allow someone to come in from another country and not allow them and not not have consequences, or allow them to continue to go forward and to to commit rape and murders and other break other laws that that endanger our society. so we've had over 13,000 murders that are loose in this country that have come over that border. we've had almost 16,000 rapists and sexual assault perpetuators that are loose in this country right now. 425,000 plus people have criminal convictions that are here illegally in this country that that our current

administration is doing nothing to round them up and get them out of our country. we will be doing that immediately, and that will be the priority. and that is one of the reasons that today the american people have lost their trust. president trump will build it back and know that their federal government is accountable to them and is working to put america first again. >> so joe biden completely opened our southern border and dismantled our entire immigration system. um, as a former governor, governor, i know that when the federal government policies are broken and failing americans, you see the impacts in your state, just like i did when i was governor. and you take the steps necessary to protect the families in your state. i know you've done that. one thing you did is you talked about before you sent troops, our national guard, to the southern border. can you talk more about how biden's open border policy has affected your state and communities, and the role your state resources play in helping secure the border? >> you know, we certainly have seen the effects in south dakota that many of your states did. and i would say every state has seen the effects of an open border and the policies that have been under the biden administration. we saw

increased crime, but we also saw increased drug activity. we saw cartels and their affiliates moving into our state to proliferate trafficking. and we saw people being victimized and a lack of accountability with the federal government. so when texas was addressing the situation and asked other governors for help, um, we sent help. i know many of the other governors at the time were sending law enforcement. um, but i made the decision that at that time that it was more appropriate to send the national guard, that our national guard could be activated under title 32 and sent to assist another state from the invasion. that was happening. and because the national guard is trained for just such a mission, because of this invasion, that it is a war zone down there with what they are going to see, the threats that they would see and that they are trained specifically to interact with other agencies. the national guard is used to falling in with other agencies and cooperating with them, and could do that seamlessly. and their families and their communities are

normalized to them being deployed. so we have, in south dakota, deployed our national guard to the southern border eight different times. two of them were federal deployments that the biden administration sent them down there. one was to send our lakota helicopters, which were used for surveillance in the drug interdiction that was going on down there. but six other times i sent them under state activation to partner with texas and other states in securing our southern border. they did security operations. they also did building of the wall and partnered with texas. um, recognizing the failures of the federal government, the failures of the federal government are significant. and we've seen our families and communities devastated by those effects, by the drug epidemic, by the trafficking that's going on, the increased crime. and we recognize that just because the federal government wasn't doing their job, we could not fail our state. and i needed to protect the people of south dakota, and the people of south dakota were overwhelmingly supportive of these deployments and very proud of our national guard.

>> when i was governor of florida, there was a terrorist attack in paris by syrian refugees. so president obama was president, and i said, i'd like to know if you're going to send refugees to my state, that you give us some background on them. you know, i assume you vetted them and tell us what's going on. you have to tell me, but you have to tell our state law enforcement and our local law enforcement that they said, go jump in the lake. they meaner than that. but they said, go. you know, you have no rights as a governor, which made no sense. we had over 70,000 people come here after after afghanistan on planes into this country, completely unvetted. right. they've never given our governors any information. so would you change that? >> yes. the communication between states and the federal government has been absolutely broken. and that's what i love about this committee, is you do have governors sitting on this committee that have been in that role as a commander in chief and have the responsibility for being the ceos of their state. it's a different perspective than

serving. i served in congress, too, and both are extremely important, and they're just different in that responsibility that weighs on your shoulder. i often told folks that that is the thing that that most times if something was going to keep me up at night, it was the responsibility that i had being commander in chief, recognizing the decisions that i made. and i'm sure you had this feeling as well, senator scott, as governor, that impacted those families, those soldiers, and it impacted their communities when we pulled them out. and the importance of that, and when they were bringing refugees into the country, i as well communicated that to the federal government. they were bringing refugees. and i asked how they were vetted, how we were working with their home countries to find out who they really were, what their intentions were, and why they were coming to the united states and received no information from this, from this administration, that that vetting process was being done, that we knew where they were going. in fact, they kept us in the dark and didn't communicate to us even what states and where those refugees were being placed. so that is something

that we need to change when we have programs that fall under the purview of the department of homeland security, there needs to be communication, especially with the governors, so that we can coordinate to ensure that it's the right thing for that state. >> thank you, senator hassan. >> thank you, mr. chair, and welcome, governor noem. >> i really appreciate you being here. welcome to your family as well. and, uh, families do share in this kind of public service, and we appreciate them very much. um, as we discussed at our meeting last month, as a former governor, i appreciate the important responsibilities that governors have to ensure the safety and security of their communities, including by managing public safety and emerging and emergency agencies. >> and i will uh, say that in many ways, i agree with some of the things that senator scott just said about improving communication between the department of homeland security and governors around who is being sent to

states. >> it's a critical issue and something that i was frustrated by when i was governor. >> so i look forward to hearing more today about your priorities, if confirmed about how if confirmed about how your experience as governor would help you run the department of homeland security. >> um, let me just start by following up with a question, uh, that senator peters had also touched on. >> we have recently in new hampshire, seen a dramatic increase in unauthorized border crossings at the northern border. and when i was at the northern border recently, law enforcement told me about the need for more personnel and resources. uh, we still don't have cell phone coverage in a lot of the stretch of our northern border. i've worked with senator cramer on bipartisan legislation to strengthen our northern border strategy, because it's clear more support is needed. so, governor, if you're confirmed, would you deploy additional full time personnel and upgrade equipment

along the northern border? >> you know, senator, i enjoyed our meeting that we had and you identifying the northern border issues that are going on, the lack of security and the lack of technologies that you really need to cover some of the landscapes that are that are they're very different than the southern border, some just as equally challenging, but all need to be addressed. so i definitely will be working with you to ensure that our northern border is adequately resourced as well. and we do have to have the resources in order to be successful. that's something i want to work with congress, with the senate and the house on, to ensure that the resources are there to meet the challenges that we have. we have not fully utilized the technologies that are available that are necessary to really secure this country and to compete with those bad actors which wish to infiltrate our country. and having the ability to utilize them will make us much more safe. so i'll work with you most definitely. and ensuring the northern border is protected. >> well, i appreciate that. and i would just note too, that at the same time, there's real concern in new hampshire and

all along the northern border that we strengthen the border and have the resources we need. we also have a really strong economic relationship with our partner, our friends to the north, and a lot of family relationships. so i think it's important that we're smart in the deployment of technology. we don't want to impede that flow of economy and people. that's lawful. but we do want to make sure that we have the resources we need. um, i want to turn to the southern border now at the southern border, we need significant technological investments to support law enforcement personnel in their efforts to catch fentanyl smugglers, to stop human traffickers and seize the cash and illegal guns that criminals traffic southward to the cartels. and we talked about this a little bit. there's bipartisan support for these investments. and i've worked with colleagues, including senators lankford and cornyn, on legislation around these issues. governor noem, could you identify specific technological investments that you would make at the southern

border? and are you willing to work with me on increasing southbound inspections? if you're confirmed? >> yes, certainly, senator, you've heard president trump talk about the need to build a wall and the wall and infrastructure is critically important. but also at our 382 legal ports of entry, we need to have technology so that flow can happen north and south, and it can happen in a legal manner to ensure that our commerce can continue to operate, and that we can continue to make sure that we're also secure. i think de minimis shipments are a concern, and the need to look at those and how traffickers and fentanyl distributors are using that. i think we also need to use scanners, surveillance, um, operations. there's new technologies out there to cooperate with satellites in some area where the topography does not necessarily, um, facilitate having actual infrastructure and then also the ability to make sure that we're utilizing that technology that allows us to know what is going south,

that might be fueling some of the violence that ends up coming back north and ensuring that we're stopping that before it has the chance to supply those cartels and bad actors that would come in. >> i really appreciate that, because the the southbound flow, particularly of cash and weapons, fuels the cartels and strengthens them. and it's something that we really have to focus on. um, i also want to follow up on the issue of cybersecurity. recently, criminals launched a successful cyber attack on powerschool, a cloud based record management system that contains personal information about tens of millions of kindergartners through high school seniors, including many students and teachers in new hampshire. this cyber attack on powerschool comes as schools and local governments across the country have seen a surge in cyber attacks on their systems. and when a small school of maybe a couple of thousand system, maybe a thousand students or so, has to pay $2 million in

ransom, i want you to think about what that does to one of our small communities. right. so, governor noem, if you're confirmed, how will you empower the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency to improve the cybersecurity of state and local governments in the united states? >> well, thank you, senator. if i am confirmed and have the opportunity to serve as secretary of this department, i'll be following the constitution and the rule of law and then getting these departments back on mission to why they were created and why they are existing. the what cisa should be doing is helping those small entities, those schools, those local city governments, the state governments, and the small businesses that are critical infrastructure that don't have the resources to stay on top of the critical protections that they need to enact. >> well, let me follow up just quickly on that one point. it's something we discussed when we had our meeting. i worked with senator cornyn on a bipartisan bill that became law that created a cybersecurity grant program for

state and local governments. this is in addition to each state getting a cyber coordinator to help on the ground. we discussed this program, and i know you as governor had some reservations about the structure of the program, but if confirmed, will you commit to working with congress to adjust it? i'd love your input about what gave you pause. as governor, i think there were only two governors who didn't participate in the program, and i hope that as we work on the concerns you have, you'd work with me to adjust and reauthorize the program. yes. >> all grants within the department will be evaluated. and when i come in and be looked at to see what we can do to make sure that they're actually fulfilling the mission to which they were established. what i would say about the cybersecurity grants in south dakota when i came in as governor, one of my main priorities was to bring the next industry into the state. and i determined that that would be technology and cybersecurity. in fact, we have dakota state university in our state, which is a cybersecurity

national leader in training those cyber warriors that we need to protect us and keep us safe. i've since then partnered to grow and double the size of that school. we train a lot of nsa employees in south dakota, and so understanding cybersecurity and my experience in that, i think is critically important to the department and bringing it to the table to do this. you talked about why we didn't take that cybersecurity grant in south dakota. and it's because the requirements of that grant would have caused me to grow my state government. the administration costs of it would have been much more than what it would have been able to facilitate at the local level. and our state was already proactively helping these individuals that needed the resources to secure their systems. well, i appreciate that. >> i'm way over time. there were very few requirements purposely in that grant program other than to make sure the money was being spent the way we authorized. but let's continue to talk about that. thank you, senator hawley. >> thank you, mr. chairman. governor noem, welcome. >> congratulations on your

nomination. >> i'm delighted to see you here. i do notice the chairman of the ways and means committee is over your shoulder there. i have to question your judgment about who your friends are based on that. the great, the great chairman from the state of missouri. it's fantastic to have you here. you know, the department of homeland security is not particularly old, but you already have the what i hope will soon be the distinction of of succeeding the worst secretary in the history of the department of homeland security, alejandro mayorkas, has been an absolute disgrace to that department and frankly, to this country. and i'm delighted to see you willing to step up and serve. let me just ask you something. i repeatedly asked your predecessor when he sat where you're sitting, whether the southern border was secure, and he repeatedly told me under oath, it is secure, senator. and he repeatedly said under oath, our policies are working, senator, meaning the biden administration policies that, of course, gave us this devastating open border. so let me just ask you, is the southern border secure as we find it today, senator?

>> no, the southern border is not secure today. but in just three days, we will have a new president in this country, president donald j. trump. and he will secure our border. >> that is refreshing candor. i'm glad to hear it. let me ask you about a young man from my state. this is travis wolfe, who's 12 years old when he was killed just over a year ago by an illegal migrant who mowed him down. and i choose my words carefully, mowed him down in a motor vehicle, hit him head on, doing 75 in a 40, killed him. others were severely injured. just yesterday, a witness sitting where you are sitting today told this committee that migrant crime is, and i quote, not an actual concern, not an actual concern in a hearing before this committee advising us to drop the laken riley act and not focus on migrant crime. you know, in my state, with the death of people like travis wolfe and officer david lee, who was assaulted and killed in saint louis, and officers in kansas city who have been

assaulted by illegal migrants and others who have been carjacked and stabbed. would you agree with me that migrant crime sure as heck is an actual concern, and that you intend to do something about it? >> yes, senator. absolutely. and i am so sorry about travis and his. my prayers go out to his family. i can't even imagine what that is like. and and thank you for telling his story, because there's so many families in this country that have that same story, and they don't understand why the federal government is allowing people to come into this country illegally and then perpetuate crimes against their people, and then give them resources and shelter and food and, and debit cards to go take care of their families when they go to work every single day to make sure that they're providing for their families and are held accountable to when they break our laws. >> let me ask you this. will you work with president trump to reinstate the remain in mexico program that the president had in place in his first term, which does so much to ensure that those who would seek to abuse our asylum system are not allowed into the country, and those who have legitimate asylum claims, their

claims are processed in due order and in due course. but they wait in mexico until those claims are fully processed. will you work to reinstate that program? >> yes, senator. the president and i have talked extensively about this and will 100% partner with him to reinstate the the remain in mexico policy and make sure that it's in place. >> fantastic. i think travis might be alive today if that policy had been in place. let me ask you about cbp one, the phone app that i've called concierge service for illegal immigrants. i'm sure you're familiar with it. this was the biden administration's effort to allow asylum seekers to apply ahead of time using their phones, but not actually to provide any evidence that they needed asylum. there is a newspaper report, a press report that said the only problem with the app is it never asks users, are you seeking asylum? they don't ask for any asylum evidence. they simply release these so-called asylum seekers who use the app into the