the national civic asian alliance. the american community development. the national love asia-pacific americans. asian-pacific about so foreign and last but not least, asian association of asian pacific community health organization era we are documented. we are dreamers. as a worker exploitations from our families and children.

in the united states since 1400, however we do not have to look far back do that we don't have such an honorable history of legislating who is or is not worthy to immigrate to the united states. workers versus students versus teacher is versus brothers versus sisters versus parents versus children. and yet we still have not learned from our past. we are here again began to debate here who is or is not defined as family. who is or is not worthy of a green card. who is or is not worthy of basic physical rights, basic human rights. that is not right. it's been clear that high-tech employees and people we value finite preference and we must

give up the ability for u.s. citizens to sponsor our brothers that's not right. our families are not used as a bargaining chip to accommodate big business. how quickly we forget same immigration system that small businesses have derived and was across the country sleeping towns and cities. collectively employing hundreds of thousands of employees and companies millions of dollars of money into the economy. i do not know how our legislators have families, the family to me as my partner commend my children, my mom, my dad an aside uncles and as a father sponsored you now run small businesses. a young woman from chicago and

her father and brother are currently the philippines being to reunite. family is candidly come nature has been documented living in fear. any attack on the family-based immigration system is an attack on families. we are tired of the talk. are you tired of the top? we are tired of congress pitting our communities against each other. asians against latinos. latinas against african-americans. men against women. we are tired of being separated from their families through backlogs and deportations. we are tired of women being an afterthought. we are tired of young people unable to go to school him where tired of immigrants being treated as criminal and living in fear. [cheers and applause]

we are tired of the talk. if you're going to talk the talk, it's going to walk the walk. the time is now. the time is now. the time is now. the time is now. it creates a process and citizenship and recognizes contributions of women's work and women workers. it increased in strength immigrant workers and their family. all people in the united states support the voluntary creation coming pleading access to affordable health care including reproductive health care and other antipoverty programs. along with you, we have forced

her electoral power in 2012. we will be watching closely as congress makes immigration reform and we'll keep them accountable. the time is now. >> and immigration bill failed in congress in 2006 over concerns that the legal border crossings. this is two hours. >> i had three glasses of water here. it's going to be along carrying orange going to need a lot of nourishment. i just want to bring us into

order. we are grateful for your presence here and thanks for your willingness to testify and to respond to the questions we have. i had a breakfast meeting with secretary napolitano and he had to run over to the house for a little bit free meeting over there and he'll be joining us during the course of your testimonies. i think this is the second in a series of hearings or communities holding to secure our borders and to identify what challenges remain to be addressed. now when i go home at night and early breakfast meeting this morning as the invention. i got to start most of my days by working out initially said the ymca back home for a run back in delaware before you catch the train. this morning i stopped off at the senate june that we have. it seems like most of the

senators working on immigration reform what they are. they're trying to figure out our borders mark and secure and how do we measure that? today's hearing is even more germane than the tank. it's something we talked about above breakfast morning with dr. coburn as well. the last two men which had the real prevention of visiting border security personnel among our northern border. turns out i'm a huge detroit tigers for and for no really good reason but to be in detroit the first week of baseball season and spend some time with senator levin along the border with canada, which you know is enormous. i was privileged to go senator mccain won the border in arizona along mexico and spend time down there with secretary

napolitano. during my trip to arizona in february, i saw a border that appears to be more secure than it's ever been or has been in a long time. in addition, i spoke with senator mccain come his local mayors of one-person officers who took a mature and crazed with the lowest level in decades and continuing to decline. i saw parts of the border overrun as recently as 26 and the border patrol station. today those agents tell me they have a busy day if they arrest even 50 people. that is a remarkable development and clearly a significant change for the better. it's consistent with the dramatic reduction specie nationwide for people trying to cross our borders illegally, which have reached their lowest level since here the 1970s.

i also saw the advanced surveillance technology such as cameras and radars. we are deploying a force multiplier circuit sonogram. amendment and tell me these technologies help them quickly pinpoint where people are trying to cross the border illegally to agents can be set in time to make an arrest or turn them back. we heard about a remarkable radar tested on a drum called a theater providing border patrol with an unprecedented view of people across the border. it allows agents to detect physical changes to the ground such as footsteps to identify where they call traffic is having. while some technologies are expensive, i thought aircraft called to six airplane easy to fly and efficient platform and we heard about an expensive one

deployed to help agents detect illegal activities. what i've seen gives me great hope they've made measurable gains in security nation borders of the past decade and have a good sense of what we need to do to build on that process. we do have advanced technology to identify when and where threats are crossing borders and part officers on the ground. despite the gains we've made, we still face significant challenges as you know. first is the rest cannot be the only metric available to measure the performance of efforts at the border without knowing how many people are trying to cross the border will never know how this effort sire and that's a hard thing to come up with, isn't that? witnesses while noting the progress also pointed out the

department of homeland security keeps a variety of statistics act in between the entry that does not make public. i just don't think that's acceptable. it is critical of the department of homeland security do a better job of educating the public and congress on how it measures its effectiveness on the borders and must include estimates without proper documentation. another one of the charges the most concerns me is the growing sophistication of the smuggling networks operate in one or borders with respect to illegal drugs. joe cartels are using tunnels, ultralight aircraft can even severance to avoid detection of lung orders in the coast. to help them avoid law enforcement on top of our mountains, it my mind that we have these folks sitting on our mountain that was somehow her

name able to take them out. if they sit on a mountaintop in afghanistan, iraq, we are taking them out. one of the things we can talk about today is their inability to replicate that kind of success here. but they're a troubling links between organized crime in mexico and terrorist groups overseas. in order to meet these challenges and continue to improve security affairs, we have to evolve our purchase securing borders. we have to become smarter in how we deploy limited resources and focus on deploying force multipliers witnessed in arizona. in addition, it is important to note what the issues between our ports of entry for much of the illegal traffic comes their actual pores. since 9/11 we've made tremendous improvements in how we enter our screen. today, all travelers must present a secure i.d. at the

border. they are screened against terrorism databases in order to ensure the dangers people are not allowed in our country. we continue to be faced for infrastructure challenges. after falling off after 9/11, travel and trade have ramped up in recent years and that's a good thing. rivals to the u.s. have increased by 6% a year over the past several years staffing and air, land and sea ports is not kept out. ports of entry needs to be modernized. the travel and trade burstein should be encouraging. we need to make ports of entry were artificially sweetened focus inspections on threats rather than travelers. this includes expanding traveler programs, creating public private partnerships and working with the public to better identify viewers. you can also include modernizing our feeds of their falling pain

for travelers and goods. we expect to hear from the later this morning on that when the president's budget is released. lastly come as organized crime evolves and becomes more sophisticated, witty criminal investigators to do the same and continue to focus efforts on integrated city agency teams such as border enforcement security task force they allow investigators to collaborate across agency lines come to sharing information about known suspected smugglers to generate intelligence about their operations used to attack criminal networks. there's no doubt we have more work to do. i believe any honest assessment of the exam today will conclude that made tremendous gains in securing our border over the past decade. as the senate begins to consider comprehensive immigration reform this month, i blew the conversation will be different than the ones we had to does six. in 2006, the perception the

borders out of control at high rates immigration. today, legal immigration is at historic lows and is increased and recently michigan this last week in california a couple years ago the unprecedented taxpayer-funded investments to secure our borders are working. yesterday met with the commissioner of customs and border protection alan burstyn and the increase in border security is one of the greatest bipartisan accomplishments over the past 25 years because it's been three administration come has strong supports and presidents from both parties. frankly i agree. i support the effort to modernize immigration laws and applaud efforts of senator mccain and others to make the u.s. were competitive in the 21st century. i look forward to working with colleagues to ensure investments to secure borders are targeted to the force multipliers to

represent good investment. i will try to dr. coburn who was in a house meeting and will be here shortly. normally i don't turn to other members of the committee to make opening statements. we've got a couple key players here. senator mccain spent a lot of time working with them and colleagues to find a path toward an immigration reform and is good not to take me along the border. anything you'd like to say before i ask her chair other appropriators here. please go ahead. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i think your opening statement covered the issue. i welcome the witness is and i look forward to seeing comments and testimony on this issue and it comes at a very opportune time as we are hopefully concluding the negotiations.

i want to thank you, mr. chairman for taking the time to visit our border and the people who live there and i know all of us are appreciated for your continued intense interest in this issue. >> happy to be here. >> mr. chairman, thank you for taking a leadership to do this. for overview as we enter into at the most important days for a nation and i particularly want to underscore the importance of understanding the financial requirements that will be behind such an important undertaking. we have in the last 10 years almost tripled -- my than tripled from 1 billion to 3.5 billion come in the resources going into protect the borders of arizona, california, texas, borders of our country,

but impact and we can find resources to do more. mr. chairman, it's been a real push in our budget to actually fun the outline of what this committee and other spurs forward. it's going to be real challenge and are tough times. i wanted to let people know are doing the best we can in a $42 billion budget, but there's pulls and pushes on the budget right now. thank you. >> thank you, madam chair. we're lucky senator landrieu serves on this committee and i think it's potential to be fully realized. i want to say good morning to senator tester. i'm going to go through this brief introduction of witnesses.

is it mcaleenan? >> is perfect, chairman. >> first, kevin mcaleenan from acting deputy commissioner of u.s. customs and border protection in his capacity the deputy commissioners of chief operating official of customs and border protection. looks down to have that responsibility. previously mr. mcaleenan served as the acting assistant commissioner cbp field operations and leaving the the ancient seaport security operations. welcome. second by mrs. michael fisher. mr. fischer is the chief of the u.s. border patrol and in this position responsibility for planning, coordinating and directing efforts to secure our nation's borders. prior, served in a number of leadership positions within the border patrol. cheap shared joined in 1987.

i reserve that mrs. randolph, also known as tax mr. last night pronounced alles? >> yes, sir. >> commissioner for border protection office of air and marine. mr. alles, how do you really pronounce it? >> alles if you want to be technical. >> alles, thank you. sure in the office of air and marine as the deputy assistant commissioner in march of 2012 and before joining the cbp, mr. alles served in the u.s. marine corps for 35 years, retiring in 2011 as a major general. semper fi, way to go. mr. alles was designated as a

naval aviator in 1978 with 5000 flight hours. this is pretty impressive. within 5000 flight hours. what kind of aircraft? >> f-18 air force, sir. >> 300 combat hours. >> reformat time, iraq. >> install the service, too. final witnesses executive associate director of homeland security investigations for the u.s. immigration customs enforcement. as direct care, mr. dinkins is direct oversight of i.c.e.'s operations and dennis position held key leadership positions within 73 in washington d.c. and baltimore. sir sidney 296. your entire statements will be made part of the record.

i ask you to keep your statements to seven minute. if you go beyond that we have to rein you in. the full statement will be part of the record once we finish -- we are grateful for your service and the progress being made. part of our job is to help you in the folks who need to do better. welcome, please proceed. >> thank you and good morning. chairman carper and distinguished members, thank you for the opportunity to be here to discuss important issues that be. we appreciate the leadership and commitment to the american people and look forward to discussing progress is outlined in securing the border and how to measure the progress we need to address. the field operation today and we carry out orders security activities in 330 ports of entry and globally at 70 locations in 40 countries abroad. our priority mission is to

prevent teen terrorists and weapons from the country. illicit drugs, agricultural pests and animal diseases, unsafe imports and as to violate trade laws. under ports of entry, securities to buy probably by ability to prevent dangerous goods and people from entering the country, but how well we support travelers and cargo. in other words, and ports of entry come a secure border is a well-managed border, where mission rags are identified and addressed in legitimate trade and travel expedited. with the committee support from the cbp is market rule will remain continued to improvement is shared to develop programs and operations to make efforts increasingly effective. as part of that come the process of measuring addressing progress is a constant focus. cbp uses different metrics to assess performance and manage security risks and facilitation

responsibilities. these are both qualitative and quantitative and include effectiveness and efficiency measures and are assessed at the programmatic regional levels. we use key indicators to assess performance and evaluate trends and developments over time. it is to emphasize there's no single number or target level that can effectively capture the full scope of security facilitation efforts at ports of entry. instead, import indicators we use to assess and refine operations. qualitatively whether they are comprehensive and can be improved. quantitatively we used examinations of people and goods to assess how effective the first identify and address threats are whether we use efficiency measures to determine security operations properly targeted. lastly we as facilitation measures whether we are pursuing requirements and deploying

resources in a matter of cross-border traffic. i would like to highlight the progress we've made. in our antiterrorism mission to measure our success by how effectively we identify risks and how early we take direction. the interagency and private sector part turns. cbp presented 4200 high-risk travelers from boarding flights to the u.s., almost a tenfold increase in 2009 and identified the decayed risk and hundred thousand cargo tenets in 2000 shipments before they could be made on a vessel destined for the united states. our ability to deny permission is a core mission released a marked improvement with the implementation of new technology solutions. the hemisphere travel initiative

has been enhanced biographic of biometric checks serving as a deterrent to illegal entries in the use of fraudulent documents. overall at ports of entry or increase what tennis by comestibles to diminish. we are continually assessing how border security activities have challenged the ability to move illicit drugs into the u.s. through ports of entry. the increase of large-scale nonintrusive inspection of the past five years has driven improvements in the effectiveness of examination. as a result, smugglers had changed tactics and much deeper and more sophisticated concealment methods and measures you outline, chairman. hard narcotics seizures increased significantly, especially heroin and methamphetamine. we've also enhanced efforts in agriculture and trade protection to focus on threats that present

the greatest risk to the u.s. economy and public. we measures in three key metrics. total examination, interceptions and seizures they produce an effect in this region undertaking exams. all three show positive trends. in 2009, 2010 but focused efforts on interceptions of the highest risk agricultural past the result in damage to u.s. agriculture. receiver tha receiver than 400% with the most serious tasks. these missions are pursued in the context of significant growth. last year's cbp welcome 350 million travelers and process 25.3 million cargo containers in over 100 million air cargo shipments of the trade value $2.3 trillion. air travelers at more than 12% over the last three years and expected to grow 4% annually.

our trade viands are at record levels and continuing to grow. we've seen increased wait times in some environments. securing his traffic levels without impeding them as our core challenge and we tackle head on to innovative efforts to deploy detect knowledge and transfer america's is processes. we increase enrollment at traveler programs that global entry, automating paper forms in the playmobil tech elegy to support officers work is happening. the omission border processes that are seamless, paperless and traveler directed at me are pursuing them. in some come with increased effectiveness and security across all threats and environments while facing growing demands in continue to seek ways to improve. chairman carper, members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify. i look for to answering your

questions. >> thanks so much for that statement joining us today. mr. fisher, please proceed. >> chairman carper, it is indeed an honor to appear before you today to discuss progress busy men and women of the united states border patrol. in border security progress, one only needs to talk with front-line agents to fully appreciate investment made over the last decade or two. new roads and access to the border have increased. numerous technological advancements both static and mobile systems have provided critical situational awareness and intelligence collection capabilities but the same time supporting agents during ground operations. primary barricades to fundamentally change the way smuggling organizations operate an aerial platforms of event technology substantially increase the movie to plan the ground and have led to effectiveness throughout the corridors along the southwest border. thanks in large part to the

committee support comes substantial investment in personnel, technology and infrastructure during the past several years has led to reduction of cross-border activity. this reduction is now enabling us to respond to threats and managing risk. over the past two years, advanced analytic produce programs such as consequence delivery system. cvs has allowed us to reduce the percentage of apprehensions that resulted in a voluntary return from 41% and 2011 to 22% in 2012. moreover, the consequence delivery system has contributed to reduction in overall rate of recidivism from a six year average of 24% to 12% today. as i've articulated in prior testimony, i'll work to reduce the likelihood of an attack against the nation and provide safety and security to citizens is an ongoing mission.

our focus is to expand operation by taking an integrated approach that includes their partners at the federal, state, local and tribal level, playing a risky strategy were moving towards a mobile and flexible workforce that can rapidly respond to emerging threats. our challenges are many, not the least of which is our ongoing requirement or information intelligent can which provides critical insights about those that take a look launcher into the country. in addition, detention capability continues to be a critical need in our implementation plan. response to an immediate threat to provide strategic situational awareness. i am often asked the question, when will the border be secure? my general response is a misnomer dangerous people seeking entry to do us harm. the extent to which the border is secure is more to do with

known and evolving rats and her ability to respond to this threat and messages fluctuations in exec apprehension numbers. although our progress has historically been described in terms of technology and a structure enhancement, the true value of our achievement rest of the agents and missions to poor personnel. their selfless sacrifice and commitment to excellent exhibited every day nationwide is on nacht and law-enforcement. what are agents continue to achieve in the face of adversity is no less than exemplary. i'm proud to represent them here today. i look forward to identify and measures to adequately assess the border. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you, mr. fisher. general alles, please proceed. >> it's an honor to appear

before you today to discuss a critical role of u.s. customs and border protection and secure nation's borders. i appreciate the leadership to the security of the american people. air and marine for oam are the largest maritime law enforcement organization with a critical component of cbp enforcement strategy for border security. are composed of 1200 agents, 267 aircraft than 289 vessels from 84 locations throughout the united states. oam protects the infrastructure through the coordinated use of air and marine forces to detect, interdict to prevent acts of terrorism in the unlawful movement of people, illegal drugs and contraband across the sea borders of the united states. cbp cvp antiterrorism admission includes people and contraband nine orders and transportation vessels.

to accomplish this, we have developed partners of the federal state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to ensure assets are in the right place at the right time and effect a successful resolution to activities. they utilize the unique era in my capabilities to provide support for lawn for us it an emergency response operations. over the past years the strategic plan has to really verdin advanced array of assets, some of which you saw was capable distribution capabilities in a variety of marine vessels. zero and delivered a seven aircraft with an additional service cited a fraction of the cost to the new aircraft. additionally over the past seven years we've added 70 new or updated helicopters, 18 new or upgraded aircraft, 10 unmanned aerial systems, 56 interceptor

marine vessels another maritime aviation centers. we also stripped the first processing exploitation at the air and marine operations center north dakota. the most recent capabilities have been the aircraft and electronic centers which were referred to by a chairman at the start of the session. the mea provides cbp to support security missions. the electronic sensors provide unparalleled situational awareness across the borders and give border regions near real-time actionable information without limitation or sensors. the key component of security capabilities is the unmanned aircraft systems that provide critical aerial surveillance to personnel on the ground. the content of the systems and its maritime carding composes through the 10 systems.

they can monitor large areas and have situational awareness and particularly assault for detecting and targeting incursions. from june to july 2012, to play whenever i said the 237 hours with the uav and at a total of 3900 pounds of cocaine tied at 300 million street value. recently conjunction with state and local enforcement in their search for christopher dorner, former l.a. police officer suspected in multiple homicides and alluded capture for more than a week. our area and it launched a helicopter to assist local authorities in their search after they traced the san bernardino counties where he barricaded himself and a cab and then launched a 12 aircraft and are delivered to one of

mr. dinkins ages to command-and-control center with equipment that allowed the s.w.a.t commander to see the video feed for the pc 12. very helpful to that apprehension. mr. chairman, you're familiar with the peter aircraft in effectiveness. the flow of contraband from reaching the united states by detecting suspect vessels while still thousands of miles away from the u.s. border. in fiscal 2012, crews are crews are involved in the seizure of 117,000 pounds of cocaine valued at $8.8 billion. in the first-quarter dip involved in the seizure of $2.4 billion of cocaine. working in conjunction, oam operates waters to combat airtime smugly coarser max of terrorism. these are the most powerful vessels in the first to step

maritime smuggling. integrated security efforts are operations center utilizes federal international partners to provide aged at the border and within the interior of the united states. because a continual support of congress, oam has been a contributor to progress in securing the border. how am will continue to transform the maritime fleet to enhance capabilities and work international federal partners to combat the risk and be prepared for tomorrow. chairman carper, thank you for the opportunity to discuss our rule in cbp's role in securing our borders. i look forward to answering your questions. >> thank you for the testimony. and idp three as my son used to call it. it is not a new airplane when i was starting to fly. they served in iraq, drug

interdiction in the caribbean and it's really pretty amazing. i present cost effective. mr. dinkins, thank you. spinnaker murnane chairman carper and members of the committee. thank you for the opportunity to discuss significant contribution i.c.e. has made in our investigative work to disrupt and dismantle trade national kernel organizations. over 26 years ago i began my tour in the federal government and unseen watershed on this and border security. as we all know, not where to find the 9/11. at that moment of time the plane hit the world trade center at 8:46 a.m., border security changed forever. as a special agent u.s. customs in detroit, michigan in my office just got to a u.s. canadian border and there is a complete to secure further borders as well as southern border. since that time the department of homeland security, we've made

great strides. for example, said three homeland security investigations can hsi come with an increase of 25% fy 2012 over fy 2010. as the department's investigative agency in customs and border protection investigated arm, i.c.e. has deployed a 50% of resources to the northern and southern borders remain resources based on coastal borders and ports of entry throughout the united states. in addition, we special agent with 75 offices in 40 countries around the globe. the slippery has addressed the cross-border crimes we face in today's global society. this includes that the border were criminal organizations seek to smuggle people, contraband money into and out of the united states as well as throughout the

united states for the organizations distribute contraband at the advocate profits and romantic criminal organizations is command-and-control structures. in 2005, with a degree straightforward as you mention in remarks remarks of establishing the border enforcement task force. today we have 35 across 15 states and puerto rico, which leverage 765 federal, state, local, tribal law enforcement officers representing 100 different agencies. to assist in addressing threats abroad, we create transnational investigative units we refer to as pci you, bilateral multidisciplined investigative unit in my first partners. we are talking its operating at 10 countries dedicated to investing in foreign ace criminal organizations throughout our nation. in an effort to prioritize investigation, with an increased resources granted over the last

two years, they launched the review process, in fy 2011. this is focused us on the most prolific criminal organizations. as a result of armor, 175 of the most dangerous individuals have been disrupted or completely dismantled. these are organizations that i want and have the capacity to modernize the proceeds smuggle weapons into and out of the united states. but no more. this past year, i.c.e. develop a strategy. the whole government approach both domestic and internationally that addresses the smuggling pathways and methods they use. they use these methods and packers were reasonably take a whole government approach to identify what is the underlying

reason to exploit the pathway. experience has shown if we try to disrupt criminal activity by focusing on person efforts in one area, criminal organizations will shift in another area or method. the goal is to not only stop the criminals, but also disrupt, dismantle entire criminal enterprise and do everything we can to eliminate the seek to destroy. thank you for the opportunity to be here. there's no question that collectively made great strides in progress over the past decade and would be my pleasure to answer any questions. >> thank you for your testimony. i'll ask him questions and then take it to senator mccain, senator tester, senator landrieu from the sender to pay out. glad you were able to join us today. i'm going to that, maybe mr. fischer to talkers some of these. one of the questions and going

to ask is do you think the borders are more secure, yes or no? to the extent is it still a work in progress or do they have one or two additional things we need to do? what we need more of them myself? be very specific if you will not. and then we'll go down from there. would you walk us through the u.s.-mexico border. >> s., chairman. obviously think the briefest possible if we need further clarification. the first chart is your identify the southwest border to the compared of own apprehensions. if you look at the very top of the blue numbers are the apprehension numbers dissectors, the southwest border broken into nine chapters in the blue numbers represent the apprehensions at the end of fy

12, corresponding to each one of those sacked tears. below that in the lower numbers in red are the apprehension numbers at a point in time of the highest apprehension the corresponding vector and as a reference, it if you look just above the red number, you'll see black number, which is the year in which we call the high water mark was established. generally what they do is compare apprehensions of the previous year. kind of one of the default metrics. >> apprehensions are generally down along the border? down substantially compared to how many years ago? half dozen, 12? >> the earliest recorded his 1992 in san diego. from 1992 after it looks like about 2005. during that period of time, the border patrol historically was

averaging billions of apprehensions per year. but we look at now in the comparative and 2012, and each one of our sick as we see continued decrease to give a little to include apprehension. >> one could argue the recent apprehensions go down is because were not affect his and apprehending people. there were a whole lot better. it's sort of counterintuitive that we as apprehensions. to measure progress and make the border more secure. how do you respond to that? why is this one of the key measures to use? >> mr. chairman, if we just talk about apprehension, it is misleading because whether it goes up or down, one can make the case they were doing a better job. three years ago we looked at

apprehension only at the start of metrics we try to describe at any given point in time. what apprehensions does give us any reason we hysterically use them is because it's a solid number. those represent people with apprehending city could show you biometrics in the view confidence about the number. it doesn't tell the story. start spot, but not the end. >> do we have the ability to know if they've been apprehended for the second, third, fourth time? >> we do, mr. chairman. as a percentage of those apprehended? >> as a percentage, less people are apprehended multiple times. we can do that through thayer fingerprint identification number based on biometrics to be a lot to do a lot more

analytical work in terms of who these people are, where they show up at the ports of entry, between the ports of entry and they consider that over time. it helps inform agents in terms of networks operating smuggling us and gives us information about capabilities and vulnerabilities. >> anything else you want to say before we look at photos? can someone help us with the cherries? please, thank you. what do we have here? can we put that one up? thanks a lot. what are we looking at here? >> this is a before and after photo within the tucson sector of the state of arizona. we have captured by nasa's failed to send us literally hundreds of photos which help us understand not just within headquarters, this certainly does unlike yourself with have the opportunity to go to the

border recently and early two thousands. the picture top was taken in 2006. there's a lot of debris. typically you would have thousands of people on any given shift going across the desert and in some areas it took 10 hours and in some areas took them days to get from the point of entry across the border to either a stash house or into a vehicle and along the way a typical area like this would be a boat out area getting ready to transition into a vehicle they would dump of old clothes and water bottles and eggs during their trip and leave it in the desert and continue on. the lower picture basically is a depiction of the same area as of the president, which i assume is in the last year or so. >> maybe they're just better recyclers with recycling containers and better human

beans. that's not true though, is that? >> i would be a machete with the border patrol agents are tracking a shift in terms of how many people are going through their and getting good in terms of individuals that utilize technology and i wrote a date skills and tracking to not a complete science, the track people in areas like this. >> have a look at the next chart, please? if you just describe it for us. >> this is a depiction of a before-and-after in terms of the type of technology we would utilize along the border. to the left, of old generation night vision mentioning to the general before the hearing. it looks like one of the night vision equipment stabenow circuit in arizona area is given from the military.

back then come the same three feet in front of you is a big deal because that's in that we didn't have the ability to do that. many fassler is a knowledge he available today in terms of their ability to see further and with more clarity of some differentiate the type of threat they see in the desert. this depiction captures one piece of technology over the course of the last two years that the enhanced durability to protect this country. >> one more and i'll yield to senator mccain. >> again, this is a snapshot of april for an after picture. if memory serves, this is up in the tucson sector. the top photo depicts a section of the border many years ago. we refer to it appropriately look at the photograph essay --

and the picture below is the same area with a level of infrastructure includes primary offense and all weather roads with access laterally from one area to the other to respond to different threats. you'll see a secondary sense in the background and integrated towers that provide border patrol agents advanced information on the approach of anybody seeking entry over or through the primary sense. one interesting piece when you look at this technology, what it does is present the amount of the porter patrol agent apps in that technology and infrastructure would require more border patrol agents membership to patrol those areas. >> thank you for sharing with all of us. senator mccain. >> thank you. i think the witnesses. mr. trent eyes, and it all of us are agreement. i've been on the border for the

past 30 years and there has been significant improvements, but we really don't know how sick as a kid they are. as you said the only measurement. the fact is we have no measurement. let me read to you a quote from the government accountability office reported last december. border patrol is developing key elements of its 2012, 2016 strategic plan needed to define border security and the resources necessary to achieve it, but it's not identified milestones and time frames for developing and implementing performance goals and measures importune abstainer practices and program management. what are patrol officials stated goals and measures are in development are assessing progress of each of the efforts to secure your between ports eventually and since fiscal year 2011, dhs is used apprehensions

on the southwest border as an interim: escher. however, gao previously testified this measure does not inform program results and therefore limits dhs and congressional oversight and accountability. my question to you is i agree with you apprehensions are not the only measurement. we have no other measurement rate now. incredibly the testimony before the house, mr. bartkowski, representative kenneth miller that will be a tool for the measurement you are suggesting. when are we going to have these measurement of effectiveness as the government accountability office says we need. if you don't believe believe apprehensions ideas here, what is the answer? we have right now at our

disposal in order for congress to make a judgment. >> thank you, senator. i will does two things in particular. versus the effectiveness ratio. one of the things important if we want to know too that technology and observation how many people come across the border and how many people do we apprehend or turn that? that allows us to understand -- >> each of the metrics and standards are not? >> we have. >> you have? the >> yes, sir. >> and you're using them? >> we're trying to understand where it makes sense to capture that. >> what can the members of this committee have as a basis to determine the level of border security. >> one of the things -- >> are you sharing that with congress? >> we are just starting to.

>> since the rebecca gambler report in gao, this is some incense reported during their study at the exhibit were convicted that orders in the field of doing better. >> @nature doing that. certainly not this member has been informed. certainly not any other has been we have to make judgments particularly since we have a pending incredibly important piece of legislation. i hope you can get the information unestablished unestablished those metrics and i'd be more than happy to hear from the government accountability office seemed to go assured of time that has been happening. >> in the final stages that can tell you that. >> is certainly gratifying to know because that's not what was testified before the house by mr. bartkowski, whoever he adds. in fact, the arizona republic

had a very interesting article -- editorial that basically we don't have the metrics and we need to metrics and we need them badly for going to consider overall immigration reform. and the secretary of homeland security says we don't need a trigger, that gives a skepticism as to how forthcoming were going to be. apprehensions are up this year on the border, right? >> 13% compared to last year. >> 13% at me something to do with approving an economy perception south of the border. one is the job market in two sequestration is having an effect on operations and that's my next question. a sequestration harming your ability to carry out assigned duties?

>> it isn't some degree, yes. >> mr. dinkins. >> absolutely. >> it would be helpful if we could get specific areas where your ability to carry out the border security mission has been. because obviously that's an incredibly significant. mr. dinkins can i sent a letter to secretary napolitano asked him what was reported to be 3000 detainees released from separate detention facilities around the country. i've received no answer. can you tell me how many were released? [inaudible] >> i'm sorry, sir. within my chain of command and so forth, not the detention and

removal. >> whose jurisdiction does that follow? >> i would be my counterpart. >> sedo about answer the question? >> at about the answer, sir. >> general alles, you're familiar with petr radar? using it in operation in iraq? >> pasting it in operation in arizona. >> i've seen it in operation in iraq. it seems to be an incredible type ologies tool. have we got plans to acquire more of that? >> currently in the appropriation bill as money for tumor systems. for a ticket to an object of this fix. >> which is supplied for the record what is necessary to have coverage for the border? >> for the entire border? i have to calculate and get back to you.

>> that's what i said. would you submit for the record? >> what is presenting country and preventing the use of uavs in high-traffic areas 24 hours a day? >> part of that as all things this time name. we need to do some things inside to give our operational utility. the other part is i have to have more systems. the one i have right now with the above system from the army. ..

i have seen both you adn the radar in action including places where it has been extremely effective. detection is the first step. so let me just say for the record, requirements that would be necessary for greater cross the border would be necessary in high traffic areas. if you will indulge me one second, mr. chairman, in arizona today there will say that there are guys sitting on mounds of in arizona guiding all the way up from the board to phoenix where it is is treated to most of the country.

to you agree with that assessment? >> i am aware of both networks and their capabilities in arizona. >> and the cost of cocaine has not come up a dollar in the last five years. that is the ultimate indicator of whether we are restricting the flow of drugs are not, and that is a part of this equation as far as border security is concerned that i think we need to pay a lot more attention to. i wanted thank you for your interest and involvement in visit to the border. a very busy schedule, and we appreciate your understanding and appreciation in the challenge that we face. at think the witnesses. >> thank you for letting me come down and spending time with me. the point that is being made, apparent to all of us.

we want to be able to say we have a more secure border. how do we measure that? we have a more secure border, that is counter intuitive. a number of measure that we use. maybe if we had the ability to actually quantify the number of folks who are trying to get across the border, let's say it's 100, the number that are turned back, and then to be able to measure when they come across and then the arithmetic and figure out how many cattle away. but i hope we can do is work toward a system, not just folks on the ground, ground support radar, but in order to do that

we can say with certainty the borders are secure. but they have the numbers to back that up. that's an oversimplification but that is where we need to go. >> thank you. i want to thank all of the folks who testified for their testimony. i have changed my focus of the northern border. i have been aware of opportunities for smuggling drugs across the northern border with low-flying aircraft and have long thought that the deployment of military great radar would be positive choice. i would -- i was encouraged to intercept. encourage that we entered into an agreement to begin receiving

canadian raider feeds. can you provide me and whoever, but can you provide me an update on how this initiative is going? the effectiveness of those fields as far as your ability to determine what is going got? >> they are fully integrated into our operations center in california and are combined with the hundreds of fees we received from across the united states in military feeds. they are integrated and very much give us a much better picture of what the air flow looks across the canadian border , so it has been a great advantage to us in terms of the security. >> is that able to be monitored 24 / seven. >> yes, sir. i should qualify you will have areas that have gaps, something

five, 2000, 1,000 feet. >> to be honest with you, mountains, that is low, but truthfully a lot of the area, and i have talked about the rise in elevation of the ground is not much. you can be read on the ground. so the question becomes, from your analysis are we still talking abut anything under 500 feet? >> if they are at low altitude we will have a difficult time getting them out. >> so we are now where we need to be. >> in terms of risk reduction recently have reduced the risk by integrating the fees that we currently have. i don't really have -- know where across the states to we have coverage that extends down to the ground. >> i just think that -- and i will say this again. i have that there are are

virginities to expand, there it is done with cooperative agreements or by ourselves, but the bottom line is set to and i live 75 miles from that border. and these planes come across the border and landed in airports, put in a credit card and go anywhere they want. that is concerning to me in the habit is to you. there are proposals to be put forth to deal with that situation with a talking about drugs or weapons of mass destruction, nor have we might be talking about. that put that fourth as an opportunity to move forward in a positive way. on a recent trip i spoke with some custom border perfect to the protection agents who were frustrated by jurisdictional efforts.

in one case they had actionable intelligence to make a number of arrests and were ready to move forward, but ultimately they had to defer because the matter was qualified as interior enforcement. at the end of the day nothing was done. the folks who could have been arrested and sent back to their country because of being an papered or not. can you clarify how they're currently handling overlapping jurisdictions or gaps in regards to the rest of undocumented individuals? >> i would be happy to. in a couple of locations i will tell you, south texas, we along with other enforcement partners are sitting down in advance of an operation in doing what is called the joint targeting where we bring the law enforcement components and and understand

those networks and organizations that we ever would individually and there were added to find with the best enforcement approach. in some cases it will be investigation and in some cases it will be interdiction. >> but what about the issue -- and you can jump in if you would like. what the issue -- and i do not remember whether it is 50 or 75, but there is actionable intelligence to move forward. katie does not have the manpower and customs and border protection is saying that is not your jurisdiction. what are we doing? if that is happening -- that is a problem that must be fixed. what are we doing? the president talks about we have to quit working in silos, and i agree. we have to work more as a team. what are you doing when they're

is a problem like that? is there an opportunity for agents said make you aware of it? if there is actionable intelligence go after a. get a hold of i.c.e. and tell them we are doing it or vice versa? >> i can tell you, i have established very good communication with mr. fisher. so what you just mentioned i have not heard about in years. so i am not sure if they are referring back. >> i am more air of this situation and facility that was being built. it is relatively recent turmoil within the last year. >> i will say -- >> we have communications that only at the field level between the chief of special agent in charge, but also, we have an advisory group that comes together to make sure.

from a i.c.e. perspective i don't have the agencies and resources to do it. hair make sure we are coordinating and have seen this communication. >> and i appreciate that. i think that in the end when it comes to these things, and it was the customs and border protection issue because it was far enough away where they did say it is not my job, but on the other side of the coin, if they cannot do it, and there are other issues of manpower. it is a big state. there has to be some ability, and i guess this is a question for the folks on the ground weather and they're working with i.c.e. or cbp to say this is what is going on and we are not doing anything about it that being reprimanded. is that fair? >> i will tell you, have instructed all the field commanders and supervisors that make those day-to-day judgments about the plummets and managing risk and ultimately i leave it up to them in terms of the altar

respond. border patrol agents generally will not say it is not my job. it will try to understand their priority. and without the aggregating that priority mission on cases we will be able. >> i appreciate that and would say, why time is long gone. mid-level management folks that this is important. my guess is it will work out better. and several other questions i want to introduce for the record. unappreciated. we have more work to do, but you're capable of meeting your needs. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i think the witnesses for what

you do to protect their country. i have a question for you. what is the current protocol for cbp to inspect cargo ships arriving at a seaport? i understand right now in new hampshire obviously we have a seaport in the portsmouth area. ships arriving during the night of being held at sea as cbp agents are unable to board them to inspect the cargo for hazardous materials. you get there at night and wait and they are not boarded until the morning fix. one of the concerns is that this delay could create an unnecessary risk and obviously if someone has contraband on board or people that should not be on board because they are there illegally he gives the men opporunity to sneak off well you

card during the night in tell the inspectors come the morning. can you help me understand what the policy is to malign this happening? >> that will be my area of responsibility. thank you for the question. we have a sense of protocols for arriving vessels into our seaports. under terms of the crew on board, we are aware of who they are up to 96 hours of four rival and have vetted and you're targeting databases prior to arrival. we have mechanisms to receive informational the carter coming in on these vessels that has been addressed prior to arrival. i can look into this specific question and get back to you. the hours of operation generally , core hours and we have regular expectations for the vessels that call on our ports in terms of when they will be a will to be there. there being held that was merely an effort to insure the security

of the crew, as you noted, potential contraband and cargo before it was coming you know, offloaded. >> i would appreciate your looking into this issue because when i was over there when i heard is this is a change in policy. that is why on the ground level what i'm hearing is a lot of concerns about a being done differently. from the perspective on the ground it is a change in policy. this is an issue of resources. i would appreciate your follow-up. >> thank you. >> and also, you know, the follow-up, they ask you about

the northern border. whomever this is most appropriate to answer this question. certainly appreciate the slides that we saw on the southern border and the challenges we have there. my state, of course, boars 58 miles with canada in addition to our seaports that we just talked about at the port of entry. he also of a port of entry on the manchester boston regional airport to was a lot of places that certainly we focus on in new hampshire. can you help me understand what the biggest threats are with respect to the security along the border with canada? particularly, i think, about the border, we have a 58-mile border . obviously other portions. what are the challenges there? >> thank you for the question.

we look at our borders in compared north and south. one of the difference in how we identify a general threat stems from the fact they have approximately 90 percent of the population canada that lives within 100 air miles of the border. differentiating death threat verses to me your know, hundreds of people coming across the border to the south, we have to look at it differently. one of the things that we do with law enforcement counterparts in the region and with the community police and others within canada is over the years worked jointly in terms of the integrated border enforcement teams, and we come together frequently come in many cases along the border where we are constantly sharing information, bringing resources together, and try to understand what the broad picture is in terms of threats in the region. we have very good working relationships.

we try to establish the emerging threats in the best way to approach them from a joint commission national standpoint and working with the investigators tried to fill either intelligence gaps or identify what additional resources we may need to bring into the particular area at any given point in time. ♪ the biggest threats right now? >> that goes back to measuring border security. i can tell you what we're seeing as far as it continued persistence, and interdictions. what we found, hydroponic marijuana continues to be persistent. the laundering of those illegal proceeds back into canada. we have often seen drug trafficking organizations predominantly used to be involved with startling cocaine marijuana into the united states

but often a gauge the traffic they organizations from canada and route it to the united states ultimately for distribution in canada and as well, there is intellectual property. many of the same press that we face, but just to some different degree in extent depending upon the type of situation. >> can you tell me on the air bridge and measure the you were talking about, how that has chase of the northern border? if you look at historical averages on apprehension. so whenever metrics we're going to establish of the southern border, presumably those mature to apply to the northern border as well. can you tell me. >> over the years there has been very little fluctuation in terms of apprehension numbers. i think you get it right. in a lot of areas along the metrics that the allies in the southwest border it would not necessarily make sense in trying to the -- we use those.

effectiveness ratios. we want to know how many people came and. that makes sense in areas where the threat has been established. it would not necessarily in my judgment be a good value measure in areas where we do not see a lot of that type of activity, but nonetheless there are richard need to establish to be able to baseline the extent to which our borders secure. it would be known and likely criminal activity that is coming in between the ports of entry and how we worked as chess and international for sibila to disrupt and dismantle the works which would make sense. >> my time is up, but i appreciate you being here. >> they cue for those questions and for you being here. good to see you.

>> lake superior. international waters. thank you, mr. chairman, ranking member. of want to think all of you for your service to our country and for being here today cal and i hope that you will convey to your hard working agents our indebtedness for what they do to focus on territorial integrity in economic security. at dawn i might be the only senator deviating from the focus on the southern border, but all politics is local. my question actually focuses on a couple of issues that are of particular concern. we have a large manufacturing base in the state of wisconsin and two major shipping ports in milwaukee and green bay. i wanted to take this moment to

inquire about the relevant customs and border patrol responsibilities in these areas. if i have time after that conversation i want to ask a question about potential effects of border surveillance on constitutional civil liberties. first, manufacturing represents a large share of wisconsin's economy, and many jobs are supported by manufacturing. very concerned about unfair trade practices, and dumping practices by other countries, particularly china. i have heard concerns about two techniques that are regularly leaked -- used to avoid import tariffs, mislabeling kids and falsification of country of origin through trans shipment. and so i wonder if you can address for be the views on how

great a problem is this. secondly, for what they're doing to protect these efforts. thirdly, i recognize the department of commerce and international trade commission play. i am curious to hear how they are integrating efforts with other key players to insure full enforcement such as real time information sharing. at the gala will throw this out, and others can pitch in if you have other points to make. >> they keep. an important question, and one of the critical responsibilities is to protect the u.s.

businesses that rely on it. in terms of the problem of trade fraud in this classification and labeling, that can be done for several reasons, to avoid dumping fish caught to seek is lowered charge on the duty and to try to increase in market share. this is a problem we are focused on. it is one that is interagency in nature and we partner closely with i.c.e. and i will ask my colleague to chide made on our joint effort because we've reinvigorated our trade fraud efforts with the investigative partners. in terms of what we do day-to-day, we realize a lot of our targeting systems, advanced data in the ability to validate those. we have what we call our compliance management efforts which includes verifying

sampling of trade from a variety of sources to make sure the compliance rates are high. we maintain an effort to make sure we are not missing anything . we tried to focus the examination of high-risk source countries and importers to take action. i think we have had some significant successes in the past two years as we have built our efforts. >> yes, ma'am. and this is something that over the last two years, to ensure that we're doing everything the weekend to protect the u.s. businesses that airplane by the rules. one of the areas of july could go on and on because we have done so much. one measure that will tell you the level of seriousness that

we're taking this, this past year we dedicated more resources and spent more time on criminal investigations and commercial fraud and we did any time in my 26 year career which started at the age of 16. so we have spent a long time. we are using your breast -- best practices in sitting down with his office of trade to say the criminal organizations, loopholes, and all the abilities they're trying to exploit in share that information so we can generate additional targets. one of the big areas, really between our two agencies the way that industry operates to this day.

>> your metrics, your measurement. obviously you don't inspect 100 percent. how do we know how we're doing? >> in this area i mentioned our compliance measurement and effort which does do that random sampling of trade coming across looking for violations, whether it is mislabeling, fraud, improper classification and so forth. we know from those assessments that we are well over 95 percent compliance. also, those assessments help inform areas that are a fire risk. the other key metric is a number of participants in our trusted trade program and a related smaller program that as accounting practices that have aligned.

55 percent. and how they interact with customs cut-rate fraud efforts. >> they keep. i would like to submit ifs to additional questions for the record, but i have run out of time. >> we have you do that and ask you to respond. >> i want to apologize for not being here fear opening testimony. let me thank you for your service. you don't get a lot of kudos. you get a lot of complaints. i may ask you questions that have been asked.

just tell me and we will stop. since we have had discussions on going and immigration reform, a tips at border crossings have increased. is that accurate? fifth. >> i'm sorry, could you repeat -- repeat that? >> the last three months since we have vetted discussion ongoing about immigration reform the reports that have gone from some of my contacts have said that the number of attempted crossings has increased. is that accurate? >> this particular year we have seen an increase in an attempted entry. we are up in terms of apprehension about 13%. the reasons and the motives behind that are varied kelleher sequestration or immigration reform and some of it, they just want to come and be with their families.

>> ndf fadel lot of questions on metrics and it was the testimony than 90% is what you're looking at in terms of control. my question is what happens to the other 10 percent crossing the border illegally. ..

>> i don't have the exact number, senator. the vast majority of that 30% from three primary countries in central america. auto mall and and el salvador. >> would you get back to me on that number? >> guest: thank you. >> you want no more about your area that any member of congress. you know the ins and outs. if you were given the flexibility of data sequester to manage your areas of responsibility by prioritizing what is most important job to what is least important, what if you have any difficulty doing that? >> no, senator. >> anybody else quite >> out, i think we are working through the issues. >> appointments if we were to give you flexibility, you are

the people. you know what is most important, the most important. would that make your job easier with sequester? >> yes, sir. unequivocally, one area we must note at the office although much of our budget donated salaries and excellent. >> as a whole, you could be worth that is under the sequester if we gave you the flexibility to manage your operations for the people in the private sector and it stays that they are held responsible for an outcome. you would agree with that? >> that's a fair statement, senator. >> nobody disagrees with that. how many of you are familiar with what the gao has done in terms of looking at duplication and combining the reports dig said doug and looking at

duplication and waste and lack of metrics. have you all read that? >> and generally aware of the affair, but couldn't speak to it in any depth. >> what i would suggest is you take those last two records. they've now finished the entire federal government. each of your agencies therein there. what i'd like you to do is look and say here's where we agree with that. here's very disagrees and the things with action on it. here's the things that are a waste of our time. they have some savings, but not a good expenditure to go after. theology that for me, that puts a check for me back on gao. they're not always right. one of the things my staff and i get to learn when we get

feedback based on what their assessments are your particular areas. if you do that for me, it would prove beneficial in terms of helping you. i think you that exceptionally well on this. our job is to help you. it's not to be critical. where's the money, how effectively are we doing it and can we make any difference on this committee in terms of streamlining and making it more efficient and affect. with that, i'll submit questions to the record that i appreciate you get back to me on. thank you. >> unanswered questions. i'll ask you to raise your hand or not. how many think the border is far more secure than it was half a dozen years ago? reach your hand. how many think we can do to

improve a whole lot more? how many of you think we can do a good deal more? that's different than a whole lot. a whole lot is a whole lot. senator coburn and i were on the finance committee talking about deficit reduction, something he and i care a lot about. former vice chairman of the federal reserve, any tax about health care costs if we cut her arms around health care costs rising, we're never going to do a good enough job on deficit reduction. i asked him, what do we need to do in order to get health care costs under control? he said here's my recommendation. find out what works and do more of that.

and later on i suggest we'll find out what doesn't work and do less of that. we need to find out what works and select the improvement you bought talked about today and what we need to do more of. we need to understand as well what doesn't work so well, was of marginal value in the budget constrained world. the porter appeared to me in order -- i'm told we now spend more money on border patrol and the folks at customs and border protection, more money for the security forces then we spend on fbi secret service command dea, atf all combined. it's a huge investment that were making. in order to make sure to get her

money's worth out of those forces on the ground, what can they do this for small suppliers in the air, on the sea in terms of intelligence? going back to what alan told us works on mac, what else do we need to do? one of them is on the. dhs doesn't even own it and it's not out by dod, but a think the company that developed it. i'm told that costs about 8 million bucks apiece. can someone confirm that for us? >> that's roughly correct, sir coming out. >> talk about the platforms that could be used on. >> the only platform we have is manned platforms that give us more flexibility. we're going to piggyback on that because it's similar in type two

ours. when they finished that, we will piggyback on the same work. >> i would certainly try to find out what the drones schedule is pure to try find out which the reader is on and the ones that are not. one of the lessons are to part with his furniture resource to drones. we need to figure out how to get the smaller airplanes and how that can be used effectively been assassinated. can the theater or some other system be mounted on the lighter than air and neither areas along the border. talk about this applications that take knowledge that makes sense, can be good and the

thousands and thousands of men and women across our borders that went into the mexican border to the other. >> from my standpoint, as you noted a table system. would like to integrate the unmanned platforms. the other piece is enough, obviously saw the assessment when you're out there. the actual sensor costs five times as much as the aircraft. we had looking at putting more sensors a lower cost airplane because it gives us better efficiency and harp says nsa money saver. >> we sat -- i didn't ask the cost of the drones. we'll leave that to another day. but she meant and evader may be

about $8 million. the surveillance systems on the aircraft -- >> is a million dollars on the aircraft. >> the cost of the aircraft? >> maybe 100,000. i >> how do we figure out how to use to six neither complements the drones in the lighter than air quite >> tickets back to the integration piece, what we're working on. the one we have to get right in the church field command would have there working hard on that particular operational integration. >> one of the things we haven't talked about his intelligence. i want to take a minute on that. before you do, the appropriations subcommittee deals with homeland security.

we have a guy here who chairs the armed services. you have literally in this committee and other areas some folks that can actually make sure the additional resources needed can be provided. i don't know where going to get to the simple example i cited earlier, we figuratively of 100 approaching the border? yes, we do. i've since urgency, yes we can do that. we know how many people we apprehend and the tuskegee, that things had got away. my real question then is, a city full of scary to think we can develop the technology underground resources, a multilayered effort in the technology he combined with ground resources and the other to make those calculations?

that is symmetric. i believe in that. the other stuff i think the department is working on the recounts right here today and with my staff, i'm not sure that's going to convince everybody the borders more secure. it's a fool's errand to think we can put together the multilayered technology resources on the ground and the air come in different aircraft, different platforms. is it just not realistic? go ahead. >> summoner, it is realistic and you hit it right on the head. >> microphone. >> you are on the right track in the dust to work with you in your start as they get smarter about what we're learning about the technology but that gives us in being able to report out the specific variables you're talking about. >> anybody else?

>> just a comment, sir. as chief issue mentioned before, work and i want to use the technology we have any radars send links to help us characterize it aside with the investment makes sense. we'll do it along the entire link would be fantastically expensive. i think that it's an area with a capacity talk before about where it makes sense. >> as my dad always said from the use of. senator levin, my heartfelt thanks for not just the great hospitality in michigan and the canadian border, but share your expertise and insights and i really appreciate it. >> we appreciate your taking the time to come to the border with canada, which is an amazing border in a lot of ways.

in some of the space you're able to personally but this can take the time to get a hands-on experience of our borders, whatever borders there are. i want to focus on the northern border issue. this is that the gao said in their report. a few years back we asked report on border security and misses some of what they said in their report. historically the united states has focused attention and resources with mexico, which continues to experience higher levels of chart trafficking in illegal immigration in the u.s. canadian border. however, the gao says the dhs reports the terrorist threat on the northern border is higher, given the large expansive area for minutes on first enforcement coverage. there's also a great deal of trade and travel across the

border, illegal atreides predominate presents networks of illicit criminal act candidate smuggling of drugs, currency, people and weapons between the two countries. is a huge gap in terms of the resources allocated to the northern border versus the southwest border. there is growth in the last 10 years in terms of the number of border patrol agents, which nearly doubled in the southwest area, which nearly doubled 10,000 to 21,000 in this concentrated on the southwest border, were almost all the the added agent were sent. for the added agent, 10,600 went to the southwest border, 1400 order patrol and cbp officers

sent to the northern border. there's a huge disparity. we try to get into that with times despite the fact the terrorist threat is greater in the northern border than it is the southwest border. nonetheless, we see this huge gap in terms of resources. but the ones that began and repaired before 2004 and the ones at its. so let me ask you, why is this? given the finding that dhs has been the terrorist threat is greater on the northern border. the amount of trade is far greater. that means the risk of that trade is greater because by this huge disparity? ones that grow?

>> i'll achieve feature speak to the border ports adventure in the failed operation. you're correct, he encounters the terrorist watch on the southern border, but were very focused on that in a partnership has changed dramatically in the last 10 years in terms of intelligent and information sharing, benchmarking and targeted approach is in a whole series of programs in terms of joint integrated border enforcement teams we participate on. this is a serious focus for a and i don't think the ports adventure he, for sure to research bubbles are diminishing our ability to address her antiterrorism mission. >> okay, mr. fischer. >> senator, would approximate

300 order patrol agents in the northern border prior to 2011. we were at 2200 border patrol agents across a order. we maintain that level of staffing and as mr. mcaleenan mentioned, our cooperation with mexico -- with canada has increased in terms of enforcement and intelligence sharing. if we do have any intelligence on what that threat is, which increases capability between the ports of entry to respond accordingly, we will move agents from anywhere i want the united case borders, whether north or south to mitigate and minimize the impact and risk the threat they pose to the country. >> so we rely basically and better intelligence cooperation between herself and canada. >> is certainly a key indicator for us to identify this emerging rats and may be coming their

borders. >> we have better intelligence cooperation with canada than we do at texaco? >> i wouldn't necessarily qualify it is better. there's different program set up independent of what our relationships are with those countries come at things on treaties and what we can or can't share. but we do on the northern border with canada, although it may not do it in the same manner come with the review with partners in mexico as well. >> senator, i would just make the comment that we have a substantial air presents, but most of what i see folsom cooperation in terms of intelligence development and targeted enforcement to provide security. >> they are entry points, we have lakes that they are better huge, what there's voting going on all the time.

it seems to me it is a much easier border to cross illegally than the mexican border. we are building a fence where we have seven or eight times as many ages as we do in the northern border. to say the northern border is porous just to exaggerate. it's not poorest. it's nonexistent places. i mean, there are hills, mountains right along the border where people walk across without any awareness of it. and with the gao has found and dhs had knowledge is that this border is a series of a greater terrorist threat than the mexican border. it seems to me that should be considered the number one problem i have more than illegal immigration, which we act on it

so many of their ways. my time is up. i do have a question i will submit for the record, mr. chairman, about the so-called administratively uncontrollable overtime. has that been inquired about? i'll save that for the record since we apparently appropriated funds to continue that over time but the plan therapy agency in that regard. again, i'll submit that. >> senator -- thank you, senator levin. any other questions? thank you for your interest and participation. a couple more questions i'm going to ask. a few more will be out of here within two minutes i promise. one of the things that struck me

when i was the senator levin on the canadian border was the work we do with the canadian government in terms of sometime sharing resources. their ability to move across the border into our country, i said two days. working with him in a collaborative way as teams. the amount of intelligence we share with one another. and we talk about multiplier is on the southern border, one of the great force multiplier since obviously intelligent. if we're going to use the kind of vader systems that better allocate and deploy ground forces on the border, one of the best ways to do that is intelligence. going to ask you if you can to compare for us the extent of the degree can the degree helpfulness of information sharing among the northern

border to the extent you can compare and contrast. is there anything we can learn for deploying our southern resource is on the mexican border from what were doing up north? lessons learned, please. >> i'll start and defer to my colleagues for any additional response. i think we were trying to do in terms of the ports adventure he our fireback in a travel site on supply chain. so that involves intelligence on the threat and how that threat might move towards this. that's trying to understand is going to get into canada and mexico share information in terms of overseeing estate to and targeting approaches. the data and things into canada

and mexico to pick out those people in good they might present a risk. so we are doing very similar things with both countries in terms of working together and targeting vendors to share that information to benchmark how we the threat and identify in the collaboration and sharing is going very well. >> senator, thank you for the question. we continue to learn how important information and intelligence is in our ability to protect this country. as they learn thinks he may have implemented in terms of collection or dissemination, we apply that on the northern border. one of the most important characteristics from our standpoint is recognizing there is a convergence of trends national criminal organization, something that changes the

length gave and how we have to continue to learn from dod and others and supporter agents and pre-deploy resources to minimize risk. one of the list of understood how to do that better is to work with the intelligence community through our own office of intelligence and certainly the department and telling analysts and collectors what is important to us. historically we never did that. we didn't talk a intelligent priority. as we get smarter about that, -- >> i grew up in an organization that is complaining that the border patrol agent but now it's giving me intelligence. if i get are perhaps wiser in my ears and no one knew what i

wanted. the new strategy is set to rise. by the way, i can make the mistakes with the border patrol intelligence division years ago. when i found out and said we need to know of intelligence requirements are, we developed about a 30-pound binder and handed him 247 intelligence requirements and i sat back and waited. we are learning each and every day how we work within the intelligence community and they learn from our cooperation and efforts at the department of defense and we are each and every day getting better at identifying the intent and capability of those individuals who make up each and every day and about nothing but to do harm to this country. for getting better in that regard i appreciate your leadership in helping us do that. >> sir, i'm going to jump in here, but i think you brought up a good point because we've been

talking a lot about the physical border in the security measures taken tell you. like i said, i was in detroit and 10 years ago if he'd known i was going to cross with drugs, there is a good chance that it's going to get through because we didn't have the resources and take knowledge he. he might get the license plate ran in time and that was it. after 9/11 we shut it down by just running peoples name with a 12 hour backup. now that they've been takes about 12 seconds. so that's changed, but also we pushed the border out much farther in international partners so we know the threat before they get here. shortly hear somebody sitting in a cave and a place that wants to do is time is going to be fêted at night and one of the threat before rescheduled interview at the counselor's office.

the technology has really changed a lot as those are international for print ,-com,-com ma which provides that intelligence. if i get investigative leads and i can tell air and marine, they'll have better success at utilizing those resources and man hours to fly. so it's a continuous cycle that all four of us are dedicated 100% two. >> you want to add anything, general? >> we do share heavily at the mexican government in terms of air tracks. if we have nefarious tracks either way, record meet interdictions on those tracks. it's quite good cooperation. more falls to erlang with her command of the north american air defense command. >> this is a question that kind of flows from the work that senator mccain and other senators trying to lead the way

to a thoughtful comprehensive immigration reform proposal. but if we are able to keep requirements to come to that agreement, based on what were talking about here come our borders more secure? what is working, what's not working, what more can we do? my question is comprehensive immigration reform make it easier to secure the border by creating legal pathways for some, not all, the son of prince making it easier to focus on the criminal side. we focus on risk in trying to be sensitive to risk and deploying resources are the risks their greatest. how would you respond to that question? i don't care who goes first. >> any word, yes.

>> i agree senator, yes. >> general? >> as commissary. it makes sense to me. >> absolutely commissary. anything you want to say in closing? [inaudible] >> closing today to reiterate how much we appreciate her service in the service of those men and women with who you were. this is important work and important to our country. i believe are making progress in the picture would suggest that in the metrics we use tend to be encouraging. one of the reason is the economy is stronger. the comprehensive immigration reform may just pass and i think that's moving some people as

well. in terms of the questions, our borders more secure or do they have been in the past? i think it is clear they are. we're doing everything we can do? no. are we doing everything we should be doing? no. are there a number of ways we can take to do an even better job? guests. you've given us an indication to what those might be. do we have the ability to pay for them? not really. the presidents budget comes out today and is designed to keep us on the glide path to rein in the deficit. when additional revenues. we talked about how user fees might be helpful to enable us to deploy resources discussed here today and had a chance to talk about better intelligence. it can be very help all as a force multiplier.

and understand the difficulty, the complexity and challenges, but us as well. are getting smarter and using pretty common sense to get us closer to the goal we seek. one of my favorite sayings is the road to improvement is always under construction and that's certainly applies here. though we still have some work to do and the extent we can continue to work on it together, will make a whole lot more improvement. in doing so, we make a better foundation for thoughtful, comprehensive immigration policy that would reduce decided the need to make these entries into our country. with that having been said, how much time do her colleagues have? the hearing record will remain

open for 15 days for the submission of additional innocent question. please respond promptly and we will look forward to continuing to work with you. with that, the hearing is adjourned. thank you so much. [inaudible conversations]

>> senators joe sat down to west virginia and pat toomey announced a bipartisan deal unexpended background checks for firearm's purposes. their creed that would expand checks to cover commercial sales such as icon shows and over the internet. this briefing was about 20 minutes. >> good morning. i'm going to be covering up some peoples phones here. let me say good morning to all of you and i'm very proud to be here with my good friend pat toomey for my sister state. we are side by side to make him state that had deep-rooted cultures, as you know and we believe very strongly in that. i also want to give special thanks to two people who weren't here today have been invaluable

to this process and work from the beginning, trying to find common ground than that of senator chuck schumer, my good friend and my dear friend mark curt. mark has been with me from the beginning and has never loved and chuck and his staff has worked so hard. i also want to thank tom coburn. tom has been invaluable to the processcoming from a culture we come from and has agreed and put other through this process. i want to make it clear from the start that this is a start and not the end of her work. we still have a lot to do. we have an agreement with senator curt and senator schumer to prevent criminals fundamentally failed and insane from getting firearms. that's extremely important for all of us. also, we agree we need a

commission on mass violence. this would be made up of people with expertise. people of expertise in gowns come mental illness, school safety and people have expertise in violent. we have a whole generation who basically has been desensitized. if you go talk to the young people today, it is what it is we've got to find out how we can change to reverse that. we also need to protect legal gun owners like myself and pat are basically cherish the second amendment rights we have and we have done that also. today's the start of a healthy debate that must admit the senate and house passing these commonsense measures from the president into law. back home i come from way of commonsense, nonsense and now we have got sent. that is what we're talking about. true to the events of newtown

changed us all. they change their communities, towns and our hearts and minds. this amendment will not ease the pain of the families who lost their children on that horrible day, but nobody here, not one of us in this great capital of virus with good conscience could sit by and not prevent a day like that from happening again. americans on both sides of the debate can and must find common ground. that is that pat and i have been working on them but we been able to use the first step of common ground that we all agree is crucial to keep our children safe. this is a bipartisan movement and bipartisan amendment and made a bipartisan solution is a lasting solution yet nobody in good conscience could sit by and not prevent a day that's

happened at newtown from ever happening again. i can't say enough about my friend, pat toomey and i appreciated so much for working hard from his staff doing done it all coming together today. are they to introduce my friend pat toomey from the great state of pennsylvania. >> thank you, senator manchin. i want to commend senator manchin for the work he's put in for a long time on this. our staff has worked hard as well. they continue to work together on many things. i want to mention the terrific work senator curt has done on this. he's been an invaluable asset in important ways and i appreciate that. pennsylvania has a long partisan tradition of supporting gun rights would have been proud to be a part of that and i continue to be. i'm a gun owner and the rate

insurance are very, very important personally as they know they are to so many people across pennsylvania. i record shows this. also you can did the idaho consider background checks to become control. it's just common sense. if you pass a background check on the database had no problem. is the people who fail, a criminal or mental health background check that we don't want having guns. my time in public life -- i'm not taking the how part of her role. i spent most of my time and energy focusing on policies that help generate economic growth and job creation and put us on a sustainable fiscal path. that's been my focus and will continue to be my focus. that may explain why and with senator manchin. i am here because over the last few, several eggs became apparent.

first is that gun legislation appeared destined to reach the senate floor. it's not something i thought, but something inevitable. the second thing as it became apparent there are a number of gun control proposals that would infringe second amendment rights and i will tell you categorically nothing in our amendment prevents the ownership of guns and i would support it if it did. what also became apparent to me in this debate is the danger they might end up accomplishing and not making progress where we could. that's why started talking to senator mansion and senator curt to see of they could find a place for this common ground and i think we found it. common ground rests on a simple position that criminals and a dangerously mentally go shouldn't have guns. i don't know anyone who

disagrees with that. the broader current rights issues. if we start date notion that dangerous criminals and mentally ill people should have guns, the question is how can we account for stock? they are not a cure-all, but can be helpful. from 1999 to 2009, third blocked by the current background check system because people were not qualified to own a gun. it's a part of background checks past and i support them now. pennsylvania effect exists for all purchases. if it passes that the measure will do will expand background checks at gun shows and over the internet. do not require record-keeping by private citizens. the fact is the national know

we've had in the experience had done nothing to restrict the lawful ownership by law-abiding citizens and neither will learn in. the words we hear about background checks leading to an erosion of second amendment rights simply hasn't happened. but got to make sure that it doesn't. i also should point out that this amendment is a genuine compromise in addition to expanded background checks includes measures of how to secure second amendment right and items gunowners have long sought. if expanding background checks to include gun shows and internet sales can reduce the likelihood of mentally ill people from getting guns endured in a fashion that does not infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens, we should do it and in this amendment we

do. thank you are a match. >> will take questions and you can direct them how you want to direct them. idea back >> i can't speak for the nra, but we've been constant. i've been a constant dialogue and i'm sure pat has to. but taken all sites into consideration. when you have senator schumer coming to the table, wanting to see some thing to move in the right direction and also the direction he may come from, but be able to sit down with us. all people on all sides of the gun issue, knowing it's all were trying to do is basically saying if you go to a drugstore today, you are subjected to a background check.

basically states haven't done the work they should done. we're going to make sure they do. next ozzie go to a gun show, to be treated the same. if you go online coming of the subject of the same ui or if you buy a gun online in another state. those are other things were doing. we've spoken to the nra and i cannot tell you what their position is, but we've done the things pat said we did. we strength and basically the rights of law-abiding gun owners to exercise their second amendment right, but we've also done a tremendous favor to the citizens of our great country on background checks come expanding them to keep eagle scouts that shouldn't have them. people have been criminally adjudicated and mentally

adjudicated. ibm back >> what matters to me is doing the right thing and i think this is the right thing. most pennsylvanians who agreed making it more difficult for criminals and mentally ill people to obtain guns is the right thing to do, securing the rights of law-abiding citizens is also the right thing to do. so that's what's most. [inaudible] >> i've had conversations with several of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. i can't speak for them. it's too soon to know how people will thought on this. are you lack

>> we have been promised and confronted on the bill. [inaudible] >> i intend to support with this. i cannot support. i don't predict how i will vote on a measure for that i hope it will be a process. i don't know which will proceed or fail, sonic my final judgment when i see the final product. [inaudible] >> its range. there's some people very interested in learning more than they are openly considering whether they might embrace this approach. others are not very interested. kind of runs the gamut.

ibm back >> what we have done if you go to a con show, you have to do about background checks recorder is a federal firearms. same as the times story. other than that, no. personal transfers are not touched whatsoever. weekend needs to understand that right. >> you mentioned items in their. i want to hear more about that. >> the way of it characterizes as securing gun rights. i think we've distributed the list. i give you a couple examples. occasionally it happens a law-abiding citizen who is has everything a right to own a weapon is transporting one state to another.

maybe he is bringing it to his son or daughter. he is transporting proper fashion, but he has to transistor you state that might require a license. he has many lessons in that state and sometimes a person may be has to stop for gas or stay overnight in a hotel. they should be subject to criminal prosecution. current law pervaded active-duty personnel from my neck out in their own states. it's terrible policy frankly. they're only permitted to buy guns in the state in which their station. but we would do is change that and allow enacted to keep to buy a gun in their home state. that's two examples. >> in the past few spread work for reciprocity and touched upon a little bit, senator toomey.

[inaudible] >> i support it. i hope we get there. >> and really gives us much better control. if pat and i have so many of you out early coke on orders and enjoy hunting and shooting a gun like we do. there's something wrong, but we make sure we do it in a safe manner. with that, this goal is to make sure that people will not have access to the guns. gun show, internet sales. ibm back >> well, if they have a permit

to carry and goes through much extensive background check to get a permit to carry, they would be treated as law-abiding defense because they happen to have the estate doesn't accept that. >> what do you think the prospects are for this event and should the senate passed a thing, what are the prospects in the house? >> my answer is i don't know. i'm looking forward to the debate. i'm hopeful, but i think this is a situation is hard to predict. >> i have spoken this morning with all of my friends in the gun state of west virginia, the gun culture of west virginia and who appreciate and enjoy the rights we have. i explain they detail what the bill dohave. i explain they detail what the bill does. i think i have support from who would be the most critical gun advocate than anybody in the

country. this is gun sense. we're not infringing on the rights of individual citizens. you should be subject to the same as the gun school. you should do the same across state lines the same as the viewer and state. we're saying this makes them. talk to your children who are watching this video games today. talk to the people at newtown basically if we had just bulletproof glass, these are things we never took into consideration before. there's so many things for school safety. ibm back >> i have had several conversations with house colleagues and i know there are a substantial number of house republicans supported by this

general approach. first they want to look at specifics, but there's definitely republicans in the house to support this. thank you very much. [inaudible conversations] >> next, connecticut senator chris murphy speaks on the legislation followed by senator mike leigh of utah on his opposition. >> thank you, mr. president. mr. president, because it does say that we do our jobs here that we seek the united states senate for a reason. we decided to run for this high

office because of issues we deeply care about, whether it be more affordable health care, better housing. in a job like this come you're driven to frame the issues that review. and sometimes there are issues that find you. when i was elected to the united states senate last november, i never imagined my name beachwood e. about god or about gun violence. just like i could never imagined he would be standing here in the wake of 20 little kids having died in cindy had her of those who protect them. sometimes issues fine you. so here i am. i'm so pleased with the majority leader and majority whip in so many colleagues on the floor with me here today. i want to start with the

unpleasant part. it is important for my colleagues to understand why we're having this debate to speak at next week about gun violence in life for the first time we were able to break the logjam and do some things about how it's easy to avert your eyes from the horror of what happened in newtown. it's easy to box your ears weekend that it didn't happen. we can't ignore the reality because it's here and on disturbing regular basis it here in tucson, aurora, sandy hook. the next is just waiting to be added to the list if we do not saying. see you so happy. sometime in the early morning hours of december 14, a very disturbed, reclusive young man named adam lanza went into his

mother's room and shot her dead in her sleep. a few minutes later, hours later got into her car. about 9:35, shot his way through doors this semi on a manic rifle on by his mother and begin a 10 minute rampage that left 06 and seven euros and six adults who care for them dead. in 10 minutes come he got up 154 rounds from a gun that could shoot up to six bullets a second. be assured that every single child adam lanza shot died. we shot 11 times the loan. the medical examiner and on the job for decades said he'd never seen anything like this.

the six kids were courageously head in a classroom closet by their teacher who showed up because the bullets and died that day. kids ran out of the room with trouble reloading. i've kids alive today because the shooter had to stop and switch ammunition magazines. because he had trouble reloading again for the police are coming into the building and the massacre at bad. not before 26 people were dead. that's the reality. the worst reality is this. if we don't do something right now, it's going to happen again. really mr. president, it is happening every day in this country has gotten so callously used to gun violence raindrops. it's just background noise and

that reality that we are losing 30 americans a day in which a chart that shows you how many have died is almost unreadable because it's a cast of thousands. that reality is just as unacceptable as what happened to sandy hook that day. are we going to do anything about it or sit on our hands and accept the status quo with respect to gun violence and increased incidences of mass shooting. if you're serious about doing our jobs we can. this isn't a debate. this is a discussion. 87% of americans think we should have universal background checks. two thirds of americans say we should restrict high-capacity ammunition. 76% think we should crack down on people who buy guns legally

and sell them illegally. the american public know we have to do there. why have we been stuck for so long? first is because members have been listening to the young people. one third of americans are really important constituents. the problem is the nra doesn't speak for gun on her psyche east to. and yet we listened to that organization more than we should. 10 years ago, the nra came and argued in the wake of column nine. today they opposes background checks, even though 74% of nra members support universal background checks. i don't have the exact reason, but may be increasingly the nra is financed not by its members, aggregate, and since owners for by the industry.

tens of millions of dollars, a program that allows the nra to make a couple bucks off of every guns sold in many guns stores across the country. we are not listening to gun owners. if we were, this wouldn't be a debate in this chamber. ..

>> trapped by an assault weapon in wielding madman? what type of liberty does said kidd just from washington d.c. have when he fears for his life to walk to the corner store? that is not the wife liberty pursuit of happiness that our founding fathers talked about. but even if we do except part of liberty is owning and using a gun but then we have to ask ourselves these questions to what degree is are they infringed upon if we suggest there is a handful that are too dangerous to own? to what extent are our freedoms trampled upon by

saying you have to reload the semiautomatic weapon after 10 bullets instead of 30. how gravely do we risk security when the moderately restrain the size of the purchase of a clip? if that is our chief concern than protecting kids has got away against the weapons. if we except the balance then it is simple guns should be available to people of sound mind with no criminal record. we have believed that for a long time. the brady bill was passed we have 2 million people who we're stopped from buying guns because they're legally prohibited to do so. the brady bill works by 40 percent of those sold to not go through a background check. i hopefully i will have good

news by the end of the day but that is the premise that criminals should not and long dash own guns. some are just too dangerous for retail sale. we have drawn a line that they were reserved for military others are private citizens. we know what happens when we began to last time. they dropped by 37%. nonlethal gun crimes dropped by the equal percentage. third, some ammunition in need -- easily enables mass slaughter. what reason is there to walk into a movie theater or a religious institution or school with 100 round drama of ammunition? why do we need that? one hundred rounds nevermind

30 rounds. that does not sound too radical, does it? what is the gun lobby tell us and what is wrong with the approach? we hear two things over and over the only way to stop the bad guy is to have the good guy. and second that people kill people bought guns. the first argument comandante owned guns for a variety of reasons but she was divorced and lived alone and pointed to protect herself. the guns that nancy used were not used to fire upon in treaters but killed her and 26 others. that is not an anecdote but the statistical trend if you have a gun in your house it is more times -- four times more likely to be used in the accident and an intruder

it is more likely to kill you than someone to break into your home. as a second to argument argument, guns don't kill people they enable people to kill people. it is only about 4 percent of felonies views than 20% of all felonies with bodily injury cahow. how do we know this? by what happened in sandy hook but also by what happened that very same day on the entire other side of the world. on that same day 20 kids die in newtown, in china, a madman walked into a school and attacked 23 schoolchildren with a deadly weapon. the same day.

in newtown all 20 kids who were attacked, died. in china all 23 kids lived. because in china and the assailant had a knife. not of a gun to spray six bullets per second. so forgive me if i dismiss those like the president of the nra that ignores the laws we are debating. when he said all we're talking about is feel-good legislation. he is right about one thing. it would feel really good if daniel got on the bus this morning to go to school. daniel was immensely compassionate and always sitting next to the kids in

school who sat alone and he never left room without turning the lights off. when his family would go to vigorish restore, they would get halfway across the parking lot and he wasn't there because he was still holding the door open for people. he loved snores. it would feel good if and them was still singing the song says she loves she sang in performed everywhere she went and given musical family and her mom said her preferred mode of transportation was dancing she loved to sing and dance and in church she loved it when her parents read to her from the bible. it would feel really good if been wheeler got to enjoy the beautiful spring day to day.

he was a piano virtuoso. his first recital as six years old but he loved to play outside with his older brother. they love to play soccer together. the morning he was killed he told his mom as they were leaving for school he wanted to be a paleontologist that is what my brother will be. i want to do everything that he does. that is our task to be back the naysayers that we can't do this or will change the way things are. i believe we can and we're good enough to doing now -- drawn up the voices but in the next couple weeks we are good enough to change the way things are. finally, i want to tell you one last tory to explain why i know we're good enough. when we see people in

need, when we see childrens' trip to their dignity we're just to compassion to close our eyes. sometimes we wonder what we really are inside. are we truly -- truly good or is it a learned behavior? it may sound strange but after december 14th i know the former to be true. because after the shooting to swallow up those 10 minutes of evil, millions of acts of kindness rain down on newtown to the firefighters, the teachers, the millions of backs of humanity for kids and phone calls from the rest of the world. because of an marie, a special education teacher charged with this little boy the most wonderful said

cheryl to lives with autism. he was doing great. she loved dylan. and he loved her back. there is a pitcher on his refrigerator of anne-marie and almost every day he would point* and say anne-marie with pride to his parents. his mama's here this week and said it his funeral that when she realized he would not show up at the firehouse that day with the kids who were returning she hoped she would see mrs. murphy. but she knew she wouldn't. she knew that and marie would not be but dillon's side if he was in danger. she did not. when the bullets started flying, she brought dylan into her arms, she held him tight inside the classroom

and that is how the two of them were found. on monday nichole flew down to washington with myself and president obama to make the case things need to change for dylan, anne-marie and thousands of others before and after who have been killed by guns. and as nicole walked up the steps of air force one, one mom raised a piece of paper above her head with the note she had scribbled and the cameras caught it. it said simply, love and i believe today more than ever before that if we are truly doing our job here in this chamber then love pass to win. every single time.

>> mr. president i yield the floor. >> thank you and i want to congratulate or thank my colleague from connecticut's senator murphy on his profoundly eloquent and powerful statement and join him to call attention to the horrific tragedy that has brought us to this point* in the debate on gun violence. his eloquent and powerful summary of our loss is a way to begin a potential turning point* after newtown gave us a call to action. is a tipping point* and my colleague from connecticut

and i have spent literally days and weeks with that community and have seen the courage and strength that they have brought to this town and to our colleagues because they have been meeting with our colleagues and benjamin and his father david is here today. and comment her mother and father are here today. dylan. his mother nicole is here. daniel, age seven and his mother and father are here. jesse louis , aged six and his father is here. mary, one of the six educators, heroic educators killed at sandy hook, her

husband is here today. we can draw inspiration not only from the memories of those children and great educators that were killed here but from their strength and resilience and resolve to come to the halls of this building and meeting with our colleagues, they are with our colleagues looking him in the eyes to say how can you not to approve a bill that stops illegal trafficking, strengthen school safety, imposes a requirement for criminal background checks? how can you not stop the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that were integral to our killing in newtown? how can you not do something

about gun violence that has caused more than 3,000 deaths since then? how can you not allow or how can you defy the american people of the votes on a measure that is so essentials to their safety safety, their well-being, the futures of their children and communities? the president of the united states said so eloquently and was so important of the cause, and the victims of virginia tech, newtown, aurora, deser ved a vote and the likelihood has been increased by the leadership of my colleagues senator schumer, senator to me who have worked hard with senator mansion to have profoundly constructive turning points in this process and i want to thank

our leader leader senator harry reid for his determination and resolve on the morning of december 14 parents throw connecticut and newtown and sandy hook brought their children to school. thinking of the rest of their day and the rest of there-- when there would have played gates, brakes gates, brakes, holiday parties, christmas, hanukkah parties, christmas, hanukkah , a paper angels, gingerbread, songs, but those were the memories. and the futures day brought with them. just hours later, i was at sandy hook as 20 families of

those children emerged from a firehouse and i will never forget the cries of pain and grief that i saw there that day. when there is a public official because i felt a responsibility to be there. but i saw through the eyes of a parent as all of america did that day. also of six heroic educators who perished trying to save the children. those sights and sounds changed america. we're different today. this problem is with us and the same problem that existed for decades. but we're different because we know we can and must do something about it. there was evil that day but there was also great goodness.

the goodness of the first responders to stop the shooting through their bravery when they appeared he turned the gun on himself. they saved lives. the courage and bravery of the clergy. monsignor bob do that evening conducted of vigil that we attended that many resolved to light candles instead of curse the darkness. the greatness of leadership demonstrated by many public officials beginning with the first woman of newtown, the legislators who passed a measure to provide a model for the country in attacking the problem of gun violence and the leadership of our governor. of course, the great goodness of the educators

who threw themselves looking to save young people heroically gave their lives. there models of courage and leadership should inspire us at this critical moment to think better and do better and resolve we will not let this moment pass, a feed the opportunity and demonstrate the kind of a leadership the majority of americans expect and deserve and need at this point*. they want common sense to stop the gun violence. the majority of americans want to a vote and action from this body. we need to keep faith with them but also the victims. the victims who should not be forgotten.

this is not dissipating. but out of that tragedy, the unimaginable horror of that day and the days since then and the days to come, we resolve this country will be better and safer. as we begin this debate as colleagues of ours announce a very promising compromise to lead us forward with the path to the bipartisan action, there is nothing republican or democrat about law enforcement we should resolve to go forward as one country. i have been working on this issue many years.

i hope to author and support connecticut's first assault weapon ban in the early '90s. i went to court to defend it when it was challenged constitutionally and argued in the trial then in the state supreme court to uphold the law. i work with law-enforcement colleagues for three decades. and i know that they support these measures they supported national background check and school safety and they support bans on military-style weapons better simply designed to kill and maim innocent people and they support a ban on high-capacity magazines.

those are the weapons of for enabling us to outgun them and put their lives at risk for our listen to my colleagues to say we need to do something about gun violence. the people of newtown say can read do something of about the gun owners i have respected but none of these would take guns out of the hands with experience and lawful gun owners for ago but some people that should not be in use and there are some weapons of war, high capacity.

half of the mass high killings high-capacity magazines enabled the shootings that occurred so rapidly. in newtown. the changing of the magazine enable children to escape. in tucson arizona the killing of a nine year-old girl, christina taylor, by the 13th bullet would not have happened if that magazine was limited at 10 rounds because the shooter was tackled as he tried to change magazines. the high-capacity magazines enabled the shooter to fire 154 bullets in five minutes. so these common-sense measures may not prevent these tragedies with all of

the 3,000 killings that occurred we can't look back and say with certainty so those all or some of those children might be alive today. they would be in their classrooms now and the challenges to save lives, to do something to stop the carnage and killing on our streets in communities like newtown. if it could have been in newtown it could happen anywhere in america. as we go forward in this debate i hope we will listen to those brave band resilient families that are

here today. listen to them when they say to us we must keep faith them listen tunicle when the president visited connecticut a couple of days ago. she said that now there is no going back for me. no way. if you want to protect your children, if you want to avoid this loss, you will not turn away either. i ask my colleagues but aerospace this reality and let us not turn away and let us resolve to go forward and keep faith with the children and educators to buy their examples provide us with an

enormous and historic opportunity to make america safer and better. the nation we all believe is the greatest in the history of the world and will be greater still. after removed for word. >> the senator from utah. >> i ask the quorum call suspended. >> without objection. >> madam president for several weeks washington and the rest of a the country have been debating several new gun-control proposals. with the number of my colleagues i declare my intention to resist the immediate vote on any new restrictions to serve primarily to limit the freedoms of law-abiding citizens rather than reduce violent crime in america. unfortunately the proposals would do just that. more than two weeks ago we

inform the majority leader real exercise the procedural right to require an the 60 vote threshold to bring legislation to the floor. we have bringing -- brought this up for three principal reasons. first, the senate serves the important function by encouraging deliberation making it more difficult for a temporary majority to impose its will unilaterally. on my house the senate's rules and procedures allow for meaningful debate to have a bare majority of senators cannot impose controversial legislation on the american people without robust debate, discussion and broad based and bipartisan consensus. contrary to statements made by the president and my friends across the aisle and a few within my caucus we have no intention to present

a debates or boats. quite the opposite. by objecting to proceed we guarantee the senate and the american people have at least three additional days to assess and evaluate how this particular bill may affect their rights of law-abiding citizens and whether or not it has any significant impact on violent crime. already we have seen consensus against passing any new gun legislation at least not without broad bipartisan support. during the recent debate i offered an amendment to establish the two-thirds vote requirement and six democratic senators and voted within nearly united republican caucus by a vote of 50 / 49. that vote demonstrated the bare majority of senators

believe that new gun legislation should have broad support in the senate before it is passed and has the opportunity to become law. the 60 vote threshold insurers gun laws are not forced through the senate with the narrow support of one party. second, this debate is about more than bag is seen -- magazine clips and pistol clubs and why our constitution protected right of self-defense is the essential part of self-government. and it helps to ensure individuals and local communities served as the first line of defense. any limitation on this fundamental right makes us more dependent on our government for our own protection and. government cannot be everywhere at all times so the practical effect of