right now, the way to think about being effective is think down the ballot and demonstrate where the interests are that matter to them. i am a member or city council person, i can the food policy council at the local and state, but mostly more local is a very powerful organizing tool to bring people into the process at literally the retail level. that has a way of trickling up quickly in the political process. when you have super delegates on the democrat side going to the conventi convention, talking about the fact -- they are mayors; right? when super delegate chose up it is like i have a thousand people coming and yelling about blah blah and dealing with food and i don't know anything about it. same thing here. that is how you move the process now. >> all right. with that, please join me thank

n our panel. [applaus

[applause]. a reminder if you missed any of this conference you can watch it online in the video library. tonight on c-span2, we have been featuring booktv beginning at 8. tonight, authors featured on after word will be with us. tonight, beginning at 8 p.m. eastern here on c-span2. yesterday, marked 30 years of gavel to gavel senate floor coverage on c-span2.

our special program featured video from the senate floor going back to the first televised session. here is a look: >> the senate is trying to make the best use of the technology in the 21st century to remain true. it is difficult to forge compromise. everybody has to give and that is not photogenic.

>> this indeed is a humbling moment for me. i am honored to serve as majority leader. but i recognize the majority is slim. we have witnessed something that never happened before in senate history. the change of power during a session of congress. >> watch that entire program looking back at televised senate saturday at 8 p.m. eastern on our companion network, c-span. >> booktv has 48 hours of non-fiction books and authors every weekend. here are some programs to watch for: on saturday night at 10 eastern on afterwards, senate

majority leader mitch mcconnell discusses his life in politics and his book. he is interviewed by tennessee senator alexander martin. >> all majorities are fleeting and depending on what the american people decide i could be the minority leader. the majority position presents a real opportunity even in a body like the senate which is very difficult to make function. there are advantages to setting the agenda and where you want to be. >> then steve forbes join us to talk about his life and career and latest book reviving america in which he argues with repealing obamacare, repealing the tax code and reforming the fed.

money, manifesto and power, ambition and glory are some of his other books. we will take your tweets live from noon to 3 p.m. eastern. sunday night at 11:15 p.m. eastern, cbs 60 minutes correspondent leslie stall discusses the science behind grandparenting in her book. ms. stall interviewed colleagues, friends, doctors and scientists about the changes that occur in women as they transition to the role of grandparent. go to booktv.org for the complete weekend schedule. president obama delivered the commencement to the u.s. air force school yesterday. he spoke of his appreciation for the air force as well as the other military branches and talked about the national security lessons he has learned over the course of his

presidency. he is introduced by air force secretary debra lee james. >> thank you so much, general johnson, mr. president, general welsh, distinguished faculty and community leaders who are with us today, and most importantly to the mighty mighty class of 2016. i can't hear you. that is more like it. isn't it cool, mr. president, when they do that? i love that part. as your other speakers have said, i too, could not imagine a more beautiful day to be sitting at the base of the rockies celebrating four years of hard work, and rigorous training, and looking forward to what our graduates will add to our service in the years ahead. we are so honored to be joined

by our commander and chief, president barack obama. in just a few shorts moment i am going to yield the podium to him. but first, i just have a few things to say and i am going to direct myself now to the class of 2016! all right. let's rewind, if you will with me, four years ago when you were sitting on the front third of your chair and hoping not to get asked scofepld's quote. you made it through cadet raining because of team work. team work is essential. when it comes to team work our president is second to none. our president unified allies and partners across the globe. from the transpacific partnership deal, to passage of

the affordable care act, to putting millions of people back to work, and championing same-sex marriage the president led with strength and con conviction. as you graduate, i charge all you have to follow the president's lead. the air force you will lead is much more diverse and inclusive than when you started four years ago. you, too, must build and celebrate diverse and inclusive teams. you must foster an environment of integrity and dignity and flourish in an environment with no sexual assault at all. you were engrossed with summer activity, soaring, trying to survive and trying to do a little bit of sleeping. that same summer, president obama and ms. obama, led the way for improvement in veteran

services. to the post-9/11 gi bill to joining forces which is an important program to encourage american companies to hire our veterans and military family members and modernizing our veteran's affairs system. the president and first lady believe that all who serve should receive top-notch benefits and worldclass care. as you graduate, i charge all of you to follow the president's lead. you must take care of your fellow airman, both past and present, and never, ever leave behind a fallen airman. two years ago, you were taking part in operation air force, you were working, and making that awful track from the lower to dig parking lot. at this same time, president obama launched a strategy to degrade and it will ultimately destroy isil. the u.s. and our coalition

partners regained key areas in iraq and syria. be proud of your air force because the air force of the united states has led the way in this coalition fight and isil now controls about 30% less territory than it did two years ago. so as you graduate, i charge you to follow the president's lead to become experts in the mission. because this president and future presidents will call you know to safeguard the world. as you entered your senior year, president obama was guiding america through a stark agreement with iran and five other world powers. this agreement, of course, blocks iran's pathways to a nuclear weapon which ultimately is going to create a more stable world. as you graduate today i charge you to follow the president lead, have the courage to make the tough calls in the face of criticism, and never, never, give up.

i can promise you that critics are bound but true leaders are few. today you are surrounded by your classmates, your brothers and sisters in arms. you are also surrounded by your parents, family, your loved ones who have supported you throughout your entire time here, and who will continue to support your continued service as officers in the greatest air force in the world. as commander and chief, our president has made taking care of our military and families top priority. so has our secretary of defense, so has general welsh made it a top priority. for me, it has been my number one priority since the day i began the job. please joining me now in celebrating and giving a round of applause to the people in the stands today. your family, friends and loved ones who are most responsible to bringing you where where you are today.

[applause] >> when you graduate, rest assured you will have to necessarily equipment and training to execute the types of mission we ask of you. whether it is fighting global terrorism or leading a nuclear missile crew or delivering humanitarian aid when disaster strikes, we will take care of you and your families so you in turn can take care of all of us. believe me, you have big ch challen challenges on the horizon. you will face the south china sea, the surge in russia, on going dangers from iran and north korea. but here we are, class of 2016, soon you are going to be facing these challenges head on and you

will be entrusted to carry out the nation's will with our most precious resource and that is not equipment but america's sons and daughters. i have no doubt that you are ready. as you graduate, you must lee. aim high, airmen. aim high. now it is my distinct honor and privilege to welcome our commander and chief, the president of the united states, president barack obama. [applause] the president: hello, air force! [applause] the president: thank you so much. thank you. it is wonderful to be back at the united states air force academy! [applause]

the president: thank you, secretary james, for your service to our air force and to our nation. governor hickenlooper, academy leaders, faculty and staff -- especially your outstanding superintendent, lieutenant general michelle johnson. [applause] the president: and most of all, congratulations to the class of 2016! [applause] the president: as he prepares to conclude a remarkable 40-year career in the air force -- a career that started on this day 40 years ago -- please join me in saluting someone who many of you look up to and whose counsel i've relied on as well -- chief of staff general mark welsh. thank you, mark.

thank you, mark, and thank you, betty. [applause] >> the president: and although he's not here today, i am proud to have nominated another academy graduate -- and a combat-tested pilot -- to serve as the 21st air force chief of staff, general david goldfein. cadets, you can take enormous pride in all the hard work that has brought you to this day. i also ask you to give a big

round of applause to all your moms and dads, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles who supported you and sacrificed for you so you could be here today. give them another round of applause.now, i have to tell you, some days i spend more time with the air force than my own family. especially on air force one. you take good care of me. you are always on time. you never lose my luggage. i don't have to take off my shoes before i get on. so i'm really going to miss air force one as well as the incredible airmen that i've come to know.

and that includes the pilots who flew me here -- lieutenant colonels dan thorn and rob tobler and major brett ellis -- all three of them proud air force academy graduates. give them a big round of applause. [applause] the president: this academy is one of our nation's most selective academic institutions. just being accepted is a big deal -- a testament to your talent and your leadership. and we are particularly grateful to those of you with prior enlisted service, including cameron kistler, who deployed to iraq [applause]. the president: robert parati and clayton logan, who deployed to afghanistan. we thank you. your country thanks you. cadets, here you were tested by fire -- literally.

when you went through beast, as general johnson noted, waldo canyon was actually on fire. during recognition, you ran to the rock in a blizzard. so you have more than earned your unofficial motto -- "forged in fire and tempered in ice. " (applause. ) which is a great motto -- although it does sound like something out of game of thrones. and through it all, you've become like family. you survived morning accountability formations, survived living in sijan hall. that night in f-1 where you learned to "earn each day. you cheered coach calhoun and the falcons as i've welcomed them to the white house to present the commander-in-chief trophy -- (applause) -- which air force has won a record 19 times.

and i look out into your ranks and i see airmen who will excel as pilots and engineers, analysts -- so many specialties. the first cyber graduates in this academy's history. (applause. [applause] and david higgins, a marksman who's going to the olympics in rio -- bring home the gold, david! applause. [applause] in you, i see men and women of integrity and service and excellence. and you've made us all proud.

and perhaps no one would have been more proud of your success than major david brodeur, whose sacrifice in afghanistan we honor, and whose family joins us today -- 2016. [applause] >> the president: you've learned other lessons, as well, like what happens when you paint one of the planes on the terrazo in your class color. with such "achievements" in mind -- i hereby grant amnesty to all cadets serving restrictions and confinements for minor offenses. only minor. today, we congratulate our newest air force officers. on behalf of the american people, i thank you for choosing a life of service. in the coming weeks, some of you

will head to the chapel to get married. in the years ahead, you and your families will serve around the world. as officers, you'll be responsible for the lives of those under your command, and you'll be called upon to lead with wisdom, courage and compassion. that's what i want to talk with you about today. i've served as commander-in-chief for nearly eight years now. it has been the highest honor of my life to lead the greatest military in the history of the world. it inspires me every day. today will be the last time that i have the honor of addressing a graduating class of military officers.

and there's a debate going on in our country about our nation's role in the world. so, with that in mind, i hope you don't mind if i share some lessons i've learned as commander-in-chief -- lessons that you may find useful as you lead those under your command, and as we work together to keep our nation strong and secure. [applause] first, as you look at the world, be guided by an honest and clear-eyed assessment. remember what you learned at this academy -- the importance

of evidence and facts and judgment. we have big challenges in our country -- in our politics, our economy, our society. those are challenges we have to address. but look around. we have the world's strongest economy. our scientists, our researchers, our entrepreneurs are global leaders in innovation. our colleges and universities attract the best talent from around the world. our values -- freedom, equality, opportunity -- those values inspire people everywhere, including immigrants who come here, ready to work, and integrate and help renew our country. our standing in the world is higher.

>> our soldiers are the best trained, best equipped, tested by years of combat, able, able to sustain power anywhere in the globe. nobody can match our army. our sailors serve on aircraft carriers that can go almost anywhere in sub submarines i can go undetected. the largest and most lethal navy in the world. nobody can match our navy. our marines are ready at a moments notice. first to fight, or deliver help

in a crisis, the world's only truly global expeditionary force. nobody can match our marines. our coast guard has been served on the most advanced cutters in history. special teams can shoot engines, hooker climb aboard, protecting our protecting our shores, nobody can metrical scar. as for our airmen, [applause]. with your unequal vigilance and reach, unrivaled fifth generation fighters, a new generation of remotely piloted aircraft pilots, astonishing precision that calls to mind your actual class model on target, on time, nobody can match america's air force. [applause]. not only that no other nation

princes forces together like we do in one joint force. as we saw in operation against isis and syria last year. army aviation assets deliver special operators, a salt for submarines and soldiers to the target and one of i sold top leaders was eliminated. that that is the power of america's military. we need to keep it that way. here's one more fact is you got to the world, we are blessed to be living in the most peaceful, most most prosperous era in history. now that sounds controversial until you survey the history of the world. it's hard to see with all the violence and suffering of the world. what is reported on the news every day, but if you step back for a moment, think about last week when i was in it hiroshima and to remember all who are lost in a world war that killed some 60 million

people. not 60000, 60 million. for decades, there there have been no wars between major powers, wars between nations are increasingly rare, more people live in democracies, more than 1,000,000,000 1 billion people have been lifted from extreme poverty, from the americas said to africa, to southeast asia, there's a new generation of young people connected by technology and ready to make their mark. they look up to america, they aspire to be our partners. that is the hope that we have to build on. so much of that drives from the extraordinary leadership and sacrifice of our air force and other branches of our military. so we are well-positioned, you

enter this moment with a lot of good cards to play. but we face serious threats. terrorist networks slaughter the innocence of plot attacks against our nation. civil wars, like in iraq tear countries apart and create humanitarian catastrophes, and havens for terrorists. russian aggression against ukraine, disputes in the south china's see, these are testing international order that we built with the sovereignty of nations is respected and all nations abide by the same rules. nuclear weapons as a north korea, and the specter of nuclear terrorism still threaten us all. so how to meet these threats will also seizing the incredible opportunities of this moment in history come of that is going to be your challenge.

the challenge of your generation. this leads me to a second lesson, as we navigate this complex world, america cannot shirk the mantle of leadership, we cannot be isolationist in this inner globalize connected world. and these uncertain times it is tempting to pull back. we try to wash our hands of complex and let other countries fend for themselves. but history teaches us from pearl harbor to nine/11 that oceans alone cannot protect us. table ideologies can spark terror from boston to san bernardino. in a global economy is not possible to stop trading goods and services with other countries. we public health systems on the other side of the world allow diseases to develop that end up reaching our shores.

we cannot turn inward. we cannot cannot give into isolationism. that is a false comfort. allowing problems to fester over there make us less secure over here. as americans we have to keep leading and working with others to build the security of prosperity and justice we want in the world. by the way, one of the most effective ways to lead a work with others is through treaty to advance our efforts. lately there has been a mindset in congress that just about any international treaty is somehow a violation of american sovereignty. so so the senate almost never approved treaties anymore. they voted down a treaty to protect disabled americans, including our veterans, while senator a world war ii veteran bob dole was sitting right there in the senate chambers. in a wheelchair. we don't eyes realize that

treaties help make a lot of things in our lives possible that we take for granted. from international phone calls to mail. those are good things, those those are not a threat or sovereignty. i think we can all agree on that. also from nato, to treaties controlling nuclear weapons, treaties help keep us safe. so we are truly concerned about china's acts since the south china sea, the senate should help strengthen our case by improving the love is the convention as our military leaders have urged. by the way these treaties are not a new thing, the power treaties is written into our constitution, founding fathers ratified and it's time for the senate to do his job and advance advance american leadership instead of undermined it. [applause].

part of the reason it is so important is because the united states remained the one indisputable nation and world affairs. i say this all the time. after eight years i've not gone to an international conference, summit, meeting, where we were not the ones who made the agenda possible, even if we're not posting it. we have more alliances with other countries than anybody else. they are the foundation of civility of prosperity. on just about every issue the world next to us to set the agenda. when there's a problem around the world they do not call beijing or moscow, they call us. and we lead not by dictating to others, but by working with them as partners. by treating other treating other countries other peoples with respect. not by lecturing. this isn't just the right thing to do, it is in our self-interest, it makes countries more likely to work with us and ultimately it makes us more secure.

so we need smart steady principled american leadership. part part of leading wisely seen threats clearly. remember ebola? that's a serious serious threat and we took it seriously. in the midst of it there was hysteria, flights must be banned, quarantine citizens, these are actual quotes, feel the seal the borders. and my favorite, remove obama or millions of americans die.

that's an actual quote. the thing is when we panic we do not make good decisions. so with ebola, instead of responding with fear, we responded with facsimile responded with science and organization. thanks to a coordinated global response enabled by the american military and arm medical workers who got in there first, we stopped the spread of a bullet in west africa and saved countless lives. we also protected ourselves. [applause]. so we have to engage with the world, we cannot pull back. of course it also means resisting the temptation to intervene militarily every time there's a a problem or crisis in the world. history is littered with the ruins of empires and nations that overextend themselves, and draining their power and influence. so we have to charter a smarter path. as we saw vietnam and the iraq war, often times the greatest damage to american credibility comes when we overreach, when we

we do not think through the consequences of all of our actions. so we have to learn from our history and that also means we are doing right by our men and women in uniform. so connect, in your positions of leadership you will be called upon to sustain this balance. to be hardheaded and bighearted. got it by realism and idealism, even when the forces are sometimes. [inaudible] we have to see the world as we is where sometimes uncomfortable compromises are necessary. where we have the humility to recognize that there are limits to what a nation even as powerful of ours can do. there may be wars that we cannot stop right away or life that we cannot save. we also need the idealism that sees the world as it ought to be.

a commitment to the universal values of democracy, equality, and human rights. the willingness to stand up for them around the world, not just when it's easy, but when it is hard because that is who we are and that is american leadership. at times is securing our country requires a force. as commander-in-chief i've not hesitated to use force unilaterally where necessary to protect the american people. thanks to our military, intelligence and and counterterrorism professionals, bin laden is gone. trant two, a leader of isis the al qaeda leader is gone. mohammed, the leader of the taliban, gone. leader after leader after leader in isil, the number two, the man who brutally american murdered americans, the isil leader in libya, gone.

the leader of their chemical weapons program, capture. the list goes on. because if you target americans justice will be done and we will defend our nation. [applause]. even as we celebrate the troops who serve in the war, even where we do not hesitate to act on behalf of our security, we should nellis celebrate war itself. war, no matter how noble our intentions may be promises agony and tragedy. nobody knows this more than those who fight those wars. our wounded warriors who bear

the scars seen announcing, veterans who remember their fallen comrades, our goal start families whose hearts ache with pride and loss. we have a solemn responsibility to these americans who sacrifice in our name. we have a responsibility to be guided by intelligence and not ideology. to never rush into war and to explore other options first because sending our troops into harm's way must always be a last resort. [applause]. sometimes those decisions are tough. i know for example that my decision not to conduct against syria after they used chemical weapons was controversial. but because we see diplomatic option we accomplish far more

the military strikes ever could have. all of syria's syria's declare chemical weapons were successfully removed. acting militarily we have responsible responsibility whenever possible to build coalitions and partnerships. there times we have to do it alone, but on a lot of global problems the united states not bear the entire burden of global security by itself. others have to step up. that is wise we assist and train afghan forces were part of a 39 nation coalition. our coalition. our coalition against isil includes 66 partners including arab nations. we have learned that often the best way to defeat terrorism is not bison a large number of american ground forces to occupy and control foreign cities and towns, is better to train and build up local partners, they are the ones who have to stabilize countries over the long-term. [applause]. compared to when i came into office when we have nearly

180,000 american troops in afghanistan and iraq, today that numbers less than 15,000. most of our troops have come home. our local partners our local partners on the ground are in the lead. and as isil continues to lose territory in iraq insert syria and the terrace are loot learning the same lessons as lows before them. you'll never be strong enough to destroy america in the way of life you're going to lose. part of that is where on the right side of history and part of it is we can mobilize others to work with us. [applause]. when we use force, we have responsibility to use it proportionally. unlike terrorists who unlike terrace who tried to kill as many people as possible. the united states military goats to extort their lengths to avoid civilian casualty. it is the tragedy of war however, whether it is

conventional warfare or precise strikes that innocents are sometimes caught in the crossfire and these are deaths that haunt us all, nobody more than me. the technology evolves we can never grow numb to the consequences of our actions. we have have to hold ourselves to high standards. be even more transparent and do everything in our power to prevent the loss of innocent life, that is how america goes to war and that is how ultimately america also wins piece. [applause]. we have responsibility to always give our troops a clear mission. the support they need to get the job done and a plan for what comes after. i insisted for example that our forces in afghanistan be met with the transition and with afghans took responsibility for their own security. in libya, we, we are right to launch in their campaign to prevent

qaddafi from massacring innocent civilians but we do not do enough to plan for the day after when deep-rooted tribalism plunged libya into disorder. in syria the suffering in the civil war has been heartbreaking. to see nation shattered and hundreds of thousands kill the millions driven from their homes. it is gutwrenching. as a father i look at serious children and i see my own. that is white we have said the dictator bitter, aside must go and why we support opposition and why american provides more humanitarian aid to the syrian people than any other nation. suggestions for a deeper u.s. military involvement in a conflict like this it means civil war have to be fully thought through. vigorously examine, with an honest assessment of the risks and trade off, how well it will alter the conflict. what comes next? when we asked those questions we prevent the kind of mission that history teaches us to avoid.

if iran and russia want to spill their blood and try to prop up their syrian climate and get sucked in, that is their choice. as president of the united states, i've made a different choice. the only real solution to searing conflict is a political solution, including a transition away, including a transition away from the side. that takes diplomacy. not american soldiers dragged into the middle of another civil war in the middle east. for policy has to be strong but it also has to be smart. [applause]. brings me to my last lesson i want to share. as powerful as our military is, we have to remember that many of the threats to our security cannot be solved by military force alone. we have to draw on every tool, all elements of our national power. when we invest in the development that promotes education and opportunity around the globe, it can make conflicts

and military interventions less likely later. if you want to support our military, he also have also have to be in favor of foreign assistance to help some young person learn in a very poor country. and manned up making it less necessary to send our son and daughter somewhere to fight. you cannot separate the two. [applause]. when we encourage economic and political reforms, when citizens, especially young people in other countries have jobs and can choose their leaders and have their human rights and dignity upheld, that can help reduce the appeal of violent extremists. we now have hope of averting the climate change and instability that will threaten our national security. because american leadership helped rally the world and forge the most ambitious to fight climate

change. so if we going to seize the possibility of our time we have to use all of these tools. we have to have the courage to chart new paths. because we negotiated with iran and a four strong sections we reach a deal that prevents iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb, and we did it without firing a shot. with the policy, not war. clapmac we put aside 50 years of real policies and now we are seen americans returning to cuba and the cuban people looking to us and have a new hope for the future. for decades after the conflict between us, vietnam and and america are forging a new partnership, showing the world that pieces better the more. war. perhaps no element of our powers more enduring than what we set ourselves, the value that we

live as a nation and as individuals. that is how we won the cold war. not just with the strength of our arms but with the power of our ideas. the power of our example. it is how we defend our nation including our refusal to torture because america just doesn't insist other countries respect human rights, we have to uphold them as well only play. back it is how we treat those we capture. is one of the reasons we have to close the prison in guantánamo, because america has to stand for rule of law. we live our values when our military like america itself truly welcomes the talent of all people, we are stronger when our gay and lesbian troops can serve their country, country they love without hiding who they love. we are stronger when could ask.

[inaudible] know that we celebrate their service as proud, patriotic, muslim americans who americans were also serving in our armed forces. [applause]. and on this 40th anniversary of the first female cadets arriving at the academy, we are stronger because general johnson lead this institution, because air force general lori robinson leads northern command, our nation's first female combat commander. and because all combat positions in our military are now open to women like you, we are stronger because of it. [applause]. there you have it. a few thoughts from your commander-in-chief on how to keep our military strong in our nation secure.

we can never know what the future holds, but in the not-too-distant future when i am no longer president, i will sleep well at night because i know that men and women like you served to keep us free [applause]. take care of each other, take care of those under your command, and as long as you keep strong that long bloom, stay true to the values you have learned here, integrity, service before self, excellence, do this and i'm confident that we will do this and i'm confident that we will always remain one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. congratulation classes 2016. god bless you all. clapmac god bless the united states of america. [applause].

tonight, here on c-span2 with congress out this week we have been featuring book tv in prime time beginning at 8:00 p.m. tonight on afterwards include shaka senghor, ellen malcolm, don watkins, and senator mitch mcconnell. that's tonight beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span2. our live coverage of the presidential race continues tuesday night with primaries in six states. california, montana, new jersey, new mexico, and north and south dakota. >> a more different vision for our country than the one between

our side of democrats for progress, for prosperity, for fairness and opportunity, then the presumptive nominee on the republican side. >> we are going to win on education, no more common core, bring it down, bring down, bring it down, we want local. we are going to win with healthcare. we are are going to win at the border. we are going to win a tray. we have got. >> we have got to redefine what politics means in america. we need people from coast-to-coast standing up, fighting back, and demanding a government a government that represents all of us, not just the one percent. clapmac. >> join us live at 9:00 p.m. eastern for election results, candidate speeches, and your reaction. we will look ahead at the fall battleground states. taking you on the road to the white house on c-span, c-span radio, and c-span.org. >> u.s. cyber commander says the

notion that america king combat isis of propaganda on the internet by shutting it down to something not doable. his comments came as he testified before the senate armed services committee on the nation's cyber security infrastructure. senator john mccain chairs the committee while senator jack jack reed serves as the ranking member. [inaudible] >> good morning. the committee meets today to receive testimony from admiral mike rogers, commander of the u.s. cyber command, director of the national security agency and chief of the central security service. that's a lot of titles admiral, that's good. thank you. thank you for your many years of distinguished service and for

appearing before this committee today. press try national security in cyberspace continue to grow in speed and severity. new attacks appear in the headlines on an increasingly free basis. as nationstates, criminal organizations, terrorists seek to leverage technologies to steal, chorus, and deter. when you appeared before this committee in september admiral rogers, you noted that september admiral rogers, you noted that we quote. competitors in cyberspace and that some of them have quote already hinted that they hold the power to cripple our infrastructure set back our standard of living if they choose. since that hearing, russia has demonstrated the ability to cut power to hundreds of thousands of people in central and western ukraine. this can from the source first

successful attack on a large scale grid. it demonstrates that this gated use of cyber weapons as a destabilizing capability and an effective deterrence tool. with russia, china and other potential adversaries developing capabilities intended to deter us, along with our friends and allies we must develop in an effective deterrence policy and also the capabilities necessary to deter any nation seeking to exploit or coerce the united states through cyberspace. after significant urging of this committee, i believe the defense department is recognized this need and putting progress has been made at cyber command. there's still a lot of work to do. for the most part, services appear to be on track to meet the goal for the development of a 6200 person cyber force. unless we see dramatic changes in future budgets, i am concerned that these well-trained forces will lack the tools required to protect,

teacher and respond to malicious behavior. in short, unless the services begin to prioritize and deliver the cyber weapon systems necessary to fight in cyberspace, we are headed down the path to a hollow cyber force. just as it would be unacceptable to send a soldier to battle without a rifle, it is unacceptable to the prybar cyber forces the basic tools they need to execute their missions. some service budgets omitted bunny for even the most basic tools like those necessary for cyber protection teams to assess and triage compromise networks. this is unacceptable and i look for to hearing your assessment of the military services commitment to equipping the cyber force. i also look for to hearing whether the new acquisition authorities we provided cyber command in fiscal 2016 and daa will help address some of the service -induced shortfalls. while i'm encouraged by the progress the department of defense and cyber command, i remain concerned that the

administration cyber policy as a whole remains detached from reality. for years our enemies have been setting the norms of behavior in cyberspace while the white house set idly by hoping the problem will fix itself. in december, the administration provided its response nearly eight a year and a half late to this committee's requirement for a cyber deterrence policy. the response reflected a troubling lack of seriousness and focus as it simply reiterated many of the same pronouncements from years past that have failed to provide any deterrent value or decrease the vulnerability of our nation in cyberspace. i applaud the recent efforts of the justice department to name and shame iran for its cyber attacks against our critical infrastructure and financial sector. i remain puzzled as to why took nearly five years after iran began attacking u.s. banks for the administration to begin

doing so. that kind of indecisiveness is antithetical to deterrence in our nation supply cannot afford it. limitless by thinking you, admiral rogers, you have been candid and forthcoming to this committee and we appreciate that very much. we are finally beginning to feel the cyber capabilities we need for the future as we confront the challenges ahead this committee remains committed to doing everything we can to provide you and the men and women you lead with the tools necessary to defend our nation in cyberspace. i look forward to your testimony. >> think you very much mr. chairman, i too would like to welcome admiral rogers back to the committee. thank you sir. i like to express my gratitude to you and the men and women you lee, who worked to secure the cyberspace and defend the nation

against major cyber attacks. cyber command is that another set of crossroads. the committee received testimony last fall for multiple witnesses recommending elevation of cyber command to a full unified command. i understand that elevation has been could discuss by the joint chiefs and the secretary is to consider and recommendation as part of the reform effort. i like to hearing your testimony in your comments your views of the readiness of the command for elevation and on the related issue of sustaining the arrangement under which the cyber command experience as director of the national security. six years after it was established military services are just now presenting trained military cyber units of command. a little more than half of the planned units have reached initial operational capabilities. this is a major milestone. trained individuals are only one part of military readiness.

other pieces are unit level training, proficiency and equipping forces. the defense department is only at the beginning phase of building a unit level training environment. their shortages and shortfalls and toolkits available for the cyber protection teams. and the department has not yet developed a plan for or selected a service executive agent to acquire foundational, situational awareness and command and control systems for cyber forces. i look for to a report from you about the pace of the progress in these areas. other foundational challenges, the department has deployed and is in the process of acquiring cyber security sensors at all layers of its networks. from gateways to millions of computer spread across the globe. cyber command has dozens of cyber protection teams assigned to defend key segments of our networks while the military services and the defense information systems agency have a computer network. a major task now is to integrate

the sensors and organizations under joint operational content to enable teamwork. again, i am interested in your thoughts on this very difficult issue. i am pleased that cyber command is joining the initiative to leverage the innovation of the commercial innovation technology industry verbal cyber security and its mission. to keep pace to keep pace with the rapidly changing threat it made sense to partner with an industry that innovates at the same pace. i'm interested in hearing how you plan to apply the acquisition of authorities, in lester's defense organization organization act to working with the technology sector in particular. finally, i would note that admiral rogers and his prepared same up for the hearing today quoted the director of national intelligence the effect that china is still engaged in economic theft in cyberspace. that quote we moderate if

espionage remains to be seen. it is a very serious matter of china does not live up to the pledge to president obama. again, i'm interested in your, so your comments on this issue. think every service, look for to your testimony. >> admiral rogers, welcome back. >> thank you. good to be back. chairman mccain, ranking member and members of the committee and placed in your before you today to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing cyber command. i like to thank you for convening this form. it is an honor to represent the individuals of this fine organization and i am grateful for, and humbled by am grateful for, and humbled by the opportunity to leave this team. i'm confident you would be a part of the meta-women of the a cyber command if you saw their commitment to mission and harden successes on a daily basis, as i'm fortunate to do. while my written statement goes into greater detail, and briefly highlight the challenges we face in today's environment and some of the initiatives of the command is pursuing to meet those challenges. over over the last year we have seen an

increase of cyberspace by state and nonstate actors. we have seen a wide range of malicious activities aimed at government and private sector targets. the u.s. cyber command we focus on actors that pose a threat to our national interest through cyberspace. nations still represent the gravest threat to our cyber security but we continue to watch closely for signs of nonstate actors making significant improvement in their cyber capabilities. malicious actors use cyberspace to steal intellectual property and citizens personal information, criminals increasing use of ransom or to extort companies as a trend. malicious actors have also intruded in the networks ranging from the joint staff network to networks controlling our crystalline structure. these are using cyberspace to shape potential future operations with a view to limiting our options in the event of a crisis. despite the challenging environment, u.s. cyber command continues to make progress as it

emphasizes shifts to operationalizing the command and sustaining its capabilities. over the past year will continue building capability and capacity cyber command while operating at an increased tempo. we continue to make progress in building cyber mission of worship 133 teams that will be built and fully operational by september 30, 2018. today we have 27 teams fully operational and 60th that of attained initial operational capability. it's important to note that even teams that are not fully operational are contributing to cyberspace efforts with nearly 100 teams conducting cyberspace operations today. for example the command continues to support the efforts to degrade, dismantle and defeat iso. last year last year we noted we had established the joint force had quarters dod information headquarters. today i can report that the --

has made strides toward the goal of leading the day-to-day security of the events of the department's data network. also, as the dod expands the joint information environment, we have significantly more confidence in the overall security and resilience of our systems. our operations to defend dod networks and the nation's critical infrastructure proceed in conjunction with a host of federal industry and international partners. recognizing that dod is just one component of the whole nation of cyber team u.s. cyber conducts its own exercises, offering unmatched realism as we tried with federal, state, industry, and international partners. sever mission teams and joint headquarters are regular participants in the annual exercises of all combatant commands. training is improving, we need a persistent training environment which the department's continued to develop to gain necessary operational skills and sustain readiness across the force. i'm exciting of what is emerging in the command in dod. we established upon a partnership program in silicon

valley and with some of the most innovative minds working in space. we are building on the synergy among all dod elements under the di ux umbrella. by september the department identify the need to transfer dod cyber security culture by improving individual performance and accountability. the secretary truman approved the culture and compliance initiative to address those concerns. sever command was identified as a mission lead and is working closely with joint staff into ost to build the requisite capacity. cyber command is contributing to the dod cyber strategy. it was released in april 2015 provides a plan to guide cyber forces and strengthen dod cyber defense and deterrence posture.

this coupled with the growing cyber threat next deterrence in cyberspace a challenge, but evermore important. a proactive strategies require that offers deterrent options to the president and secretary of defense to include inner space operations to deter adversaries from action and to control escalation. to help with all of this we requested and received enhanced acquisition and manpower authorities. i think congress and the president for those granted to cyber command. this represents a significant augmentation of our ability to provide capabilities to our cyber mission teams as well as our ability to retract and contain a workforce. were studying how to best them, the, the provision selling groundwork needed to put them in effect. while following the synchronization framework to

optimize our workforce. with that, thank you again mr. chairman and members of the committee for convening this warm and inviting me to speak. >> thank you emil rogers. you admiral rogers. general dempsey was asked about our ability to address challenges to this country and he basically stated that we have a significant advantages in every major challenge except one and that was cyber, do you agree with general dempsey's comment about one year ago. >> i do. the phrase i use with him is cyber is one area we have technology that we appear competitors have every capacity as we do. >> that come i'll say to my fellow members emphasizes our need to address this issue in a comprehensive fashion. after we finish the defense bill i would spend a great deal of this committee will spend a great deal of its time in this issue since the threat is as admiral rogers just stated.

you stated last year in the house hearing that you're still uncertain about how you characterize what is offensive and what is authorized. again that boils down ultimately to a policy decision and today we have tended to do that on a case-by-case basis. in other words, if we respond, how do we respond? all of those, it seems to me are policy decisions that have not been made, is that correct? >> i guess the way i would describe it is that we clearly are still focus more on the event by the particular circumstance. in the long run clearly we all want to get to something much more broadly defined and well understood so that you and understand when you detect and attacked or as the war.

>> so right now you're acting on a case-by-case basis. does russia have the capability to inflict serious harm to our critical infrastructure. >> yes. >> does china have the same capability? >> some measure of the same capability, yes. >> how has china's behavior then since the opm breach? >> that we continue to see them engage in activity directed against u.s. companies, the question i think that we need to ask is, is that activity shared with chinese private industry? we certainly acknowledge that states engage in the use of cyber as a tool to gain access and knowledge. the question question or issue we have always had with the chinese is while we understand that we do that for nations to generate insight, using that to then generate economic advantage is not something that is acceptable to the u.s. >> do you agree that the lack of deterrence repercussions for malicious cyber behavior

emboldens those seeking to exploit the u.s. through cyberspace. >> yes. >> we are looking carefully at a consolidation of command is where is that your responsibilities are concerned, i believe that the secretary defense will also support such a move so i will be recommending to the committee that we include that consolidation in the defense authorization bill as we mark up and my friend senator reid also agrees with that. would you agree that probably the issue of cyber warfare is the least understood by all of our leadership, including in government executive and legislative branch? >> it is it is certainly among the least understood, that is

fair. >> is part of the problem because the challenges rapidly evolving? >> i think that is clearly an aspect of it. the speed of the rate of the change as well as the complexity. it can be intimidating. i will be the first to acknowledge that many people find this very intimidating. >> if you had a recommendation for this committee in congress, as your significant or three priorities, what would would you recommend? >> in terms of -- >> action that you would like to see the congress and the executive branch take? >> i think we clearly need to focus on ensuring, number one that we have our defensive house in order and that we are able to defend our systems as well as our networks. we need to think beyond networks into our individual combat. >> which to me means a policy, but please go ahead. >> secondly, we need to continue generate the complete spectrum

of capabilities to provide options to policymakers as well as our operational commanders so when we have these issues we have a series of capabilities that we can say here some capability we can choose from. leslie, i think, the other points i want to make his we have to figure out how to bridge across not just the dod but the entire u.s. government with the private sector about how we are going to look at this problem in an integrated national way. >> would you also agree that sequestration could threaten you with a hollow force after you have recruited some of the brightest minds in america to help you? >> very much so. i would highlight when we shut down the government and i remember i was in a different job at the time and still i was leaving the navy cyber effort and as much as my workforce has explained to me, why we should stay with you if this is what were going to have to deal with on a a periodic basis. if were going to be furloughed and not get pay. i i remember telling them in 2013, please stay with

us, i hope this is a one-time thing. >> but sequestration means further hampering. >> everything, our ability to me the the timeline so we've been given have been predicated the sustaining of the budget. if we go to sequestration level and will not be capable of generating that give ability in a timely way. >> senator reid. >> thank you mr. chairman one of the issues that has been discussed and i mentioned in my opening statement is the raising cyber command to a full unified command. yet i also noted noted a new acknowledge that only half of the cyber command and cyber mission forces are initially capable, ioc. then some critical elements such as training environment uniform platform does not exist.

are you in your mind, mature enough to be a full uniform command now? >> yes. and what with that advantage give you?, what with you? , what with that decision give you. >> generally when we think about what tends to drive. >> unity of command unity of effort and in this case would be functional not geographic. >> and then is a global level in a sufficient to go across. one i would say is one of speed. all those arguing again, i'm just one input, i realize this is a much broader decision. there are many opinions will be factored in. i have put to the processes been the combat commander designation would allow us to be faster which would generate better mission outcomes, i would also argue the departments processes of budget, privatization, strategy, policy, are all

generally structured to enable direct to combat commander into those. that's that's what they are optimize for. i believe that cyber needs to be a part of that. >> the other aspect obviously is the relationship with the nsa. there are several options. one of us have separate commands the oneness have won a command with the dual head, or what option or additional option is to at least at a future time have the option to divide. >> my recommendation has been, for right now do you need to leave them dual had it. right now is the process of how we created it six years ago was at recess ourselves that we are going to maximize in terms of infrastructure and capability.

because of that we do not have a huge military construction program, for example for cyber command of these cyber commission forces, the 6200 and different structures. hundred and different structures. we said we're going to take nsa existing space to be able to do that. my input has been, for right now based on the very model we created cyber command, when we really, in many ways very tightly aligned these organizations, the current current time it be difficult, not impossible. it would be difficult or less than optimal in my opinion to try to separate them now. i've also argue that week need to continue to assess that decision over time and make it a conditions based assessment is to some point in future doesn't make more sense to do that. >> part of that is the fact that if you are unified you will be developing alternatives to nsa capability. >> yes. >> exclusive to cyber command so that at some point you could have an infrastructure that looks remarkably like an essay of the synergies you're talking about now are operational. >> as important, yes, sir.

>> one of the issues you depend upon the services to provide you a great deal of police forces. in fact it is interesting to note that only have the identified units are released initially capable of that doesn't seem to be an intense training effort that is standardized and a place right now. what can you do, what can we do to accelerate these units in terms of the maturity of their training environment? >> if i could come i'm going to respectfully disagree. >> that is quite are right. >> we started this a process of this clear 2013 and we we said we would finish it by fiscal year 18. full capability and ready to fight to in the demand environment. we are pretty much on track as i have said publicly if you look right now, in fact

in the last two months i have actually managed to increase time limits since the last assessment i did of february where i have publicly said based on the data based on the first of february i believe will meet ioc for 91% of the teens on time and that will meet foc for 93% of the time. since then, we are up, i managed to work with the services and for ioc we are up to about 95% of the force. for foc we are at about 93, still at 93 at 93% of the force. my point is, i'm not critical of the services in terms of their generating force. i think they're making a very good effort, it's not perfect but it's on track. they are also very willing when i said what we need to do is ensure that we have one integrated joint

ability of how we work for there has. >> host: structure, one training stander. every service has agreed to adhere to that. in that regard, i'm that. in that regard, i'm also very comfortable with the services are doing. what i think the challenge for us as we look over the next two years is we look at those mission teams and the men and women in training. it is not unlike other domains and i see both chair that is not enough. so while we are finding now is it is the other thing that helped enabled and we have to focus more on. >> thank you. >> thank you mr. chairman. >> admiral rogers in december of last year you publish an article saying that challenge for the military cyber workforce and you discussed, as you did in your written statement today the importance of growing, developing, maintaining this force. when he talked about it, i guess it was the chairman in his statement, 123 teams 23 teams where you are right now in aiming to 133, what comprises a

cyber team? >> they come in several different types. there is what we call combat command mission teams. those are aligned with combat commanders, they are generally designed to create offensive capability if you will. there cyber protection, those are about ccft, they are about 65 individuals on the team. if you look at cyber protection teams, silently different missions, different mission and focus. about 39 individuals per team. each of those teens, the cyber team has a small subset about 23 individuals on what we call support teams. that just gives you a sense. >> sure. when you at all that together that is when you come up the 6087.

and that was it brought out in the chairman statement. you really have to know, will first of all, you're trying from institutions from training this people, this is new, this is brand-new to a lot of people including a lot of people at the stable. i know that in my state of oklahoma, university of tulsa has really made great progress, backed her predecessor was out there and working with them. i understand that similar things are happening in south dakota. you have you have these kids out here, their learning this, there determining whether going to do for a career. now, i think it's a good question when we asked the question can we really depend on sustaining in this environment that were in right now, these teens, this number, this workforce, some of the individuals out there would be aiming their talents toward helping us.

there's going to be a lot of competition for these kids. how confident are you that we are going to be able to maintain the level necessary to attract good people. >> experience the date says that were doing a good job in the ability to recruit and retain. what drives that is the desire of men and women whether civilian or uniform to be part of something bigger than themselves, do something that matters and do something on the cutting edge. that, if you will is really what powers the men and women of the team. i am always talking to my fellow leaders about what are the advanced indicators we should be looking at to tells of the trend is changing. there are a couple couple of skill sets within the mission force that i mentioned separately, previously that i may affect them back to the committee with that say there may be some additional measures here.

>> you do that for the record, i'm running out of time here in a couple things i want want to get to. i agree with you when you say what we have watch most closely and sever space russia, china, and iran, north korea, at the same time knows there's an effort, and this came when our fbi director james was in contact with these people that china is trying to develop a closer relationship with us when in fact they're the ones were going to be watching. you're not entertaining any kind of close relationship with them that might impair that? >> no. >> okay, good. yesterday and article came out in the gao report that says the pentagon does not know who is in charge for responding to a massive cyber attack. they go on to talk about the northern command, they talk about what we are doing, they talk about

homeland security. you are familiar with this report that came out yesterday? >> no, i am not. i am familiar with the broad premise. >> well it concludes in the report and i'll just read this, says we believe that by issuing or updating guidance that clarifies rules, responsibilities of relevant dod officials, dod will be in a better position to plan for and support civil authorities in a cyber incident. this is a gao report. i suggest that you look at that and see if we have reached their conclusion so far. >> thank you mr. chairman. thank you admiral for being here and the work that you do. i appreciate it very, very much. we face a ride range of cyber threats from isis and others. in nearly every briefing of our national security have asked about the issue of cyber

security. also in protecting our power grid area and it's important issue to me. in the short-term, which cyber threat is most dangerous to the united states? i guess our grid, food supply, our water supply? what is most vulnerable that we should be working on? >> power and basic infrastructure, something that concerns me because the potential impact on that nation is very significant. if we have significant issues there. i would also argue one sector that i worry about a little bit is, you look at the amount of personal identifiable information that is resident out there in the various healthcare is a good example, with the amount of data. it is data we provided to the medical world that we've all

provided, that worries me. that is reflected, you work at look at opm, at health insurance, large insurance, large data concentrations are now increasingly become an attractive target because a big data analytics massive amounts of data that ten years ago we would have said no one could ever really combed through that to generate insights or find anything. it is too large. you do not have those conversations anymore. >> we talk about cyber we talk about corporate hacking if you will for proprietary reasons and then you look at military hacking that goes on for our defense reasons. but then you look at just everyday life. we have come to expect that things are going to be disrupted with quite alarming concerns. the other thing, in your testimony you mentioned at the guard and reserve forces are being assigned to all levels of your cyber command. in the cyber mission forces.

can you elaborate at what the reserve components, specifically the national guard bring to the table for the cyber mission? >> well, you are able to access a set of manpower that is using the same skill set. you are able to access, at times a very different perspective which works out very well which is one reason might when we are creating it for the department we are adamant from the beginning that it needed to be viewed as a total force. that if we were just going to make this an active only component of that going to optimize. so you have seen in the last six months in particular the garden reserve capability starting to come up and flush out as well.

>> the thing that i am saying is as the national guard west virginia we don't have a base on our guard is everything to us. being a former governor i understand the importance of our car. we have been so active in recruiting and some of our best and brightest and youngest people are coming into the guard for all the opportunities, special educational. it is an area where they could designate and pinpoint, for you to bring in some of these really sharp, young talents. it could help us in defending ourselves cyber. >> the guard is doing that now. >> i guess i spend a lot of time talking about how we do this in an integrated way. >> again, the other thing, when you say isis remains cyber effort on propaganda recruiting of efforts, can you elaborate on how they have been successful? >> have harvest the power of the information arena to public if

their ideology on a global basis, to recruit on global basis, to generate revenue and to move money as well as coordinate to some level of activity on a large dispersed basis. the challenge i look for and what concerns me when i look at the future is it what happens if a nine state actor, isil b and one starts to use cyber as a weapon system. that would really be a troubling development. >> in a simplistic way people ask why can't we shutdown that part of the internet? why can't we internet interrupt their ability to go on social media and attract? why are we not able to infiltrate that more? >> the idea that you're just going to shut down the internet given its construction and complexity is not going to

happen. >> i've had people ask me is that the area of the world were all the problems are coming from weatherby in syria, parts of iraq or iran? things that we might have some input and control over? >> it is just not that simple. i wish i could say there is a part of the internet that is only used by specific set of users, but. >> that question is asked quite a bit, it you can shut off like a telephone it doesn't work that way. thank you for your service. >> thank you. >> thank you mr. chairman and emil rogers, thank you for your service. you are i believe the right person and a very challenging time. you are in the middle of some decisions that have to be made by the united states sooner rather than later. congress passed, we passed a requirement that requires the defense department evaluate the vulnerability of our systems in the issue a report as to how to defend those.

that time pass but we have issued another legislation last year that said the secretary of defense shall, in accordance with the plan complete an evaluation of the cyber vulnerabilities of each major weapon system of the department of defense not later than december 20 first, 2019. we have given an additional date there, but not later than 180 days after the date of this indictment which i believe would date of this indictment which i believe would be may of this year. the department, the secretary of defense shall submit to the congressional defense committee the plan of the secretary of the evaluation of major weapon systems including identification of each system that could be evaluated an estimate of the funding required in the priority among the valuations. are you familiar with that and are we on track to complete that initial report?

>> i'm familiar with it. i'm not a weapons acquisition business. i'm not the best informed as to the current status. i know the effort is i'm going because we are part of that broader effort. if i could just take one for the record. >> if you would, because this is been going on sometime. so on a bipartisan basis, congress recognized several years ago that our weapon system, it started started out with space, missiles, and antimissile system been evaluated and then we realized large segments of our defense capability or vulnerable. we have had a broader report. i believe it is important for the secretary to complete this on time if not sooner. i'd hope that you would look at that.

in light of chairman mccain's question, i would refer to this gal report that just came out in the first line of this article is, quote the pentagon does not have a clear chain of command for responding to massive cyber attack on domestic targets in the united states according to the federal government, principal washita, cao. does that concern you? >> first of all i have not read the reports i'm not as important to its specifics. i would argue that i'm always specifics. i would argue that i'm always concerned about a clear chain of command and responsibility. >> it lists a number of things that do appear to be unclear in how we respond. the chairman asked you, are we going to need to develop a policy of how to respond to attacks and what we might do in response and how to ratchet out responses relevant to the threats that we face. i hope that you would look at that. with regard to worldwide situation, there there is commercial and economic, and

private companies that are a big part of the entire network of cyber worldwide. many of those impact our allies, our friends, and many of those companies could be based in countries that are not friendly to us. and they would would like to penetrator systems. are you concerned that all of our allies, asia, europe, need to be aware of this danger, and are we working to make sure that segments of those systems are not purchased or impacted by entities that could be hostile to our joint interest? >> soleil sure you concerned about supply-chain vulnerability. >> that's a good work, supply chain billability.

>> it is growing in probability if you will. given the nature of the economic world that we are living in now. we have a process within within the u.s. government to address these issues for major purchases, national security priorities, we have a specific process in place for some components of dod infrastructure like the nuclear. if you look at the proliferation of the issue generally across both our allies and ourselves, this is an issue that is only going to get tougher, not easier. >> it could be be going on for decades it seems to me. do you need to meet with our allies to develop a unified policy to protect our joint systems? >> it is a discussion we have with our allies and as you said, this goes across the commercial sector, dod, government at large, it is out there for all of us. >> i think you for your leadership, there will be a lot of challenges like that.

you're at the focal point of a critical issue and i hope you'll not hesitate to lead and tell us what we need to do to help you. >> thank you mr. chairman. apple rogers, need some clarifications of what your responsibilities are and cyber command, are you responsible for protecting this country from cyber attacks on private networks and corporations, ours is simply government network. >> it dod has a responsibility to defend critical infrastructure against events of significance cyber consequence. >> so critical infrastructure, for example, in may we had three urgent care centers that were hacked, we had a major healthcare that were hacked, is that part of, what is the definition of critical infrastructure. >> there are 16 segments the federal government has identified as significant implication but the second component i would argue where

the definition is not just the sector that was attack, but also the magnitude of the event. in dod we use the phrase significance cyber consequence. the concern being the department of defense is not resource nor is it currently tasks with defending every single computer structure within the united states. >> so we try to identify worklife finite resources be best foot. their focus on those segments that are identified as critical to the nations of structure and then of those it circumstances when an action reaches significant consequences. >> but in terms of national defense we are being hacked every day, insurance companies businesses, some of it is cyber espionage as you point out but some of it is criminal, but it seems to me we need to be thinking about who is responsible.

i understand you do not call out the army of there is a criminal in one town. you have local police, but there is a gap here, do see what i'm saying. >> you sir. >> there is a gap in our defenses because we really don't have the infrastructure of the state police, local police that would protect local interest when they're being attacked. you have the the expertise. we have to work out something between cyber commands and local law enforcement if you will. to protect us from these repeated continuous and escalating attacks. >> if i could either just to think broadly. i think the challenge is how do we harness the capacity and capability that is resident in our government structure? contained with the capabilities that are resonant with the pipe but sector. >> don't get me wrong were definitely a part of this but i urge people we have got to think more broadly. >> i think that is a good way to articulate it.

>> we keep talking and this hearing, when are we going to have a well developed and articulated cyber deterrence strategy? i emphasize in my notes articulated, it's not deterrence if it's not articulated. we need definition of what is an active war, what is a war, what is a proportional response, what is a mutually situation. seems to me is this in the works and if so when? >> i do not have a date date for you. as well belong beyond the issues. a part of those discussions on the first to acknowledge that. i try to provide an input and be one voice as to what i think is the direction probably that we need to go. i apologize i do not have a specific date or time line for you. >> it seems to me that is a matter of policy, this needs to happen. we have been talking about this as long as i've been on the committee and we are not there yet.

yet, something terrible is going to happen and a lot of people are going to say well why didn't we have a policy, why don't we have a deterrent policy. so. so i would urge use and the administration to push for a sense of urgency on this question. if all we do is defend and there's no deterrence, ultimately we are going to lose that battle. >> yes sir, losing strategy. >> a final point and i know you talked about this earlier, i am finding it harder and harder to justify you holding two jobs. given the complexity, this arrangement was created in 2009 which in technological terms is a century ago. i understand the relationship between nsa and cyber command, but particularly we move in the direction which i think we are of setting up cyber command as its own independent combatant

command, to have the same person trying to run those two agencies, just think it's is impractical and almost impossible. >> i have been doing it two years today. >> you have been doing it very well. >> so as i said in my initial comments, i agree that it is something that we need to continue to assess. i agree in the long run it is probably the best course of action is to ultimately put both organizations in a position where they're capable of executing their mission in a complementary and aligned way then in a more separate way. the reality reality is we are not ready to do that today i believe. don't get me wrong, if i'm ordered a directive i will executed to the best my ability. >> i take it you agree that we should move cyber command and it should be its own combatant. >> i do. >> thank you mr. chairman. >> subject to the will of the entire committee, that would be my intention and senator reid

and i would propose that on the defense authorization bill. >> i think so. i think that is something we need to consider. i think it is valuable to have your comments today and to consider them as we go forward. >> thank you. >> thank you mr. chairman. i look for to the discussion on raising cyber to his own combatant command and i look forward to our discussions as a committee on the importance of cyber security for this country. emma rogers, and your prepared statement to mention the cyber attack on ukraine's power grid and also note that you have seen cyber actors for more than one nation and slide the networks of our nation's critical infrastructure. do you believe our national mission team possess the necessary skills relating to industrial controls and systems

to be able to stop or to recover from an attack on our power grid? >> we have the skills, the challenge for us at the moment is one of capacity. what i mean by that is, in the two years i've been in commands i've yet to run into a situation where we did not have the skill set to apply against the problem but the challenge at the moment because were still in the midst of that build is sometimes that skill set is an incredibly small number of people. if we have multiple events simultaneously for example, where we are right now, the capacity really is the greater concern thing capability if you will. that makes sense. >> i understand your demands on the 460 that capacity, as you add those capabilities, how are you going to prioritize the duties and responsibilities that you're going to have? how do you plan to prioritize placing that building,

competency with our industrial control system? is that something you'll focus on in the near term? is it going to take a backseat to maybe some of the other areas that you are looking at for the cyber mission forces? >> is something where doing now i would also highlight that the very construct of the force, by creating a separate section of the force that is a focus purely on critical instructor, it was designed to account for that. how do you make sure you prioritize this capability and ensure that an element of the force that we are building is focus like a laser to defend critical mission. it's a carved out it's general partners during that. >> do you plan to work with the services then a building that?

>> yes-man. >> is it near completion? >> you heard senator kane ask about policy, we've been asking asking about policy for a long time. we do not have a policy, so we don't have a policy how how are we going to develop plans? >> i will remind people that as we are trying to get to the broader issues that you have all race, much of which is outside the immediate mission of the cyber command, our mission is to generate capacity and capability and ensure that we're ready to go to as the broader issues are being addressed. were trying to do deal by generating the defense capabilities that we think would be part of that deterrent discussion. i don't want to wait for everything to fall into place. we can't afford to do it that way. >> as perfect as that would be in some way. >> i agree a i agree with you, we don't have time to a. >> will look at the department, what level of communication to you have with different

communities within the department. say with regards to acquisition or installation to ensure that the items we purchase of the facilities that are building are able to take those threats that were looking at first cyber into account. >> i tell you the acquisition pieces an area that we still need work on. that's not because people are not working hard. i have eyes been struck by the analogy, we are never we never buy a ship, tanker aircraft without the operational vision deriving exactly how we designed it, built it, structured it. yet, for much of our networks and infrastructure that has not historically been our model. we just built those, we, we bought those, we focused on efficiency and price. we didn't focus on operational impact and we really didn't think at the time that we would be dealing with the world in which intruders, for an actress,

nonstate actors actors would be using those systems as access points to materially degreed our ability to execute our mission as a department. we do not anticipate that. decades ago and that is the world were in now, were overcome. >> it's happening private industry. yes decades were trying to overcome. and you, have any knowledge of our adversaries have targeted any infrastructure on our military bases? >> yes. >> thank you very much. >> thank you mr. chairman. thank you emma rogers for your extraordinary and distinguished service. in so many roles over so many years. i want to focus on the challenges of recruiting young people in an age where the best and the brightest who have

knowledge in this area have so many opportunities, many highly paid and challenging in their professional issues come again young americans are entering the workforce with computer technology that has been part of their entire lives, not so much for us as a certain age. preferred them, yes. i, yes. i wonder if you could tell us how successful you and obviously incomparably important forces under your command have been in recruiting and maintaining talents and what we can do to help? >> a very comfortable with where we are in uniform side. the same things that lead a young man or woman in our nation to decide they want to pick up a rifle and

take on that challenge leads men and women to say that they want to put on a uniform and pick up a keyboard. that has not been the biggest challenge. the area that i told the team that we need to take a greater look at is on the civilian side of this. we have got our vision, you have to create a workforce that is both work active in the reserve military as well as civilian component to it. so we get the direct expertise that your reference. >> while we meeting our targets on the civilian side there are a few sit gill i'm going to have to come back to the committee to say i need to come i need help here. can i i come up with some different processes or options that would make things more attractive to some particularly very high-end a skill sets, but they there are incredibly valuable for us. >> that's one area weren't thinking i'm going to have to come back.

after working with the department first. experiences tell me that we have to step back and take a look at it. >> are there sufficient resources devoted to research, the personnel available to supervise that research and in effect, planning for the future? >> i will not pretend for one minute that you have all the people come all the money that you would like. i would argue and characterize it as reasonable right now it is not a major issue in the sense that as a commander i said to myself, while we have a significant deficiency deficiency here that will impact our ability to execute the mission. i've not seen that. >> i know that you've indicated earlier that you have not read the gao. but i wonder if focusing on the local capability and particularly the private sector infrastructure segment that you mentioned earlier some your

conversations with my colleague, transportation, financial, electric, how well are they doing in protecting themselves? >> if you look across the 16 segments in the private sector that have been designated as critical infrastructure in terms of impact on the nation security, i would argue that some are ahead of others. i would probably put financial for example, not surprising that has access to more resources than some. has come to the conclusion that cyber potentially causing the question of their business model that's built on trust and the ability to move funds globally, simultaneously through the transactions as well that we all believe in and trust. on the other hand, there are some industries and in their defense i look at them and

they're quick to remind me that our business model is different, we are regulated industry for example in order to generate resources to apply to increase our cyber defense and cyber capability. the only way for us to do that is raise rates for example. most consumers are not enthusiastic about that. >> those regulated industries would be electricity. >> there's a couple of others that fall into that. >> are there other unregulated industries also in need of improvement that you would put at the bottom of that list of readiness? >> there are some. i think i have talked about healthcare as an example of one of the 16 segments i look at. that's an area that probably needs a broader top to bottom look. it's it's really outside my missionary and i don't look at it every day but when i look at

where were going to be tasked to provide our capabilities to partner with it's an area i pay attention to. >> thank you very much. thank you mr. chairman. >> thank you mr. chairman. admiral rogers, thank you for your service. i find it interesting to as you work your way through this brand-new area and trying to determine how to respond, how to protect, it seems when you lay this out and you have 16 different segments within the realm of what you are responding to, it's fair to say that they break out into either information or data systems and operating systems? in terms of the way that we look at what the data is or the different systems that were looking at as being vulnerable. the data system be in the collection of information of individuals and operating systems below systems perhaps necessary for the infrastructure within our country?

a fair way to break out. >> i guess that's fair, i have never really thought of it that way. not that not that that is a bad way. >> the reason i ask is, it would seem that while information systems would contain material, information that would be private nature perhaps in trade secures that very well may be information on the individual such as the information that we lost to the federal level, what are federal systems are hacked. at the same time we have an operating system out there for the utilities, we have operating utilities for dams, we have we have operating systems for power plants, clearly in those areas if someone with intense could get into an operating system they could do significant amount of damage, perhaps a bodily injury as well. >> based upon that, when you look at your role and your role cyber command, do you see this

as protecting, do you see them different in terms of how you protect or do you see your role different with operating systems versus data and information collection systems? >> our protection scheme if you will is based on two different pieces of strategy. the first component of our strategy is our intent is to go into foreign space and stop the attack before it ever reaches the systems. the second component of our strategy is to apply defensive capability working directly with each of the individual elements if you will, to say that if it fails would also like to see how you would shore up your system. >> the other point i want to make sure that i articulate and i i probably should have done a better job this morning's as a reminder, u.s. cyber cyber command in dod at large provide our cyber capabilities and defense of critical infrastructure in the private sector, in partnership in

support of dhs. dhs's overall responsibility in the federal government for the provision of government support to the private sector when it comes to cyber. i don't want people thinking it's just cyber command adjust the private sector, there's a broader set of players out there that we integrate with and we support as we execute the mission. >> an attack in either case would be done in milliseconds, separate say. so unless so unless we have a system in place and whether we know if they're going to respond to and protect and advance, we do not know whether or not we're going to be able to do it in time. at at that point we simply respond afterwards. would you say that today, we have systems in place to appropriately protect, for lack of a better term, the the operating systems and the information systems that we have. do you feel the protocols i'm going back to where senator

mccain was alluded to earlier, not sure that we have the definitions prepared yet to allow you to respond immediately within milliseconds unless we talk about them and lay it out. is it there today? >> across the board with every single component of the private sector, no it is not. anticipate an act in advance. morning continues to be critical. >> today if our forces were aware and attack they have the ability to respond, but if it was entities within the us, you have the ability to respond today if it is not a military but a

civilian or civil party. is there a process? yes. it is it is something i can do automatically and instantaneously? no. >> for all practical purposes the attack will be instantaneous. >> we have to get the warning in advance. >> but even if you get the warning in advance it would have to be enough time for you to get out and have a political discussion for all practical purposes about whether or not -- >> again, it would depend by the scenario. there elements we have mechanisms in place. this is the process. >> but not one that can be done in milliseconds. >> thank you. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you for being here. let me start with your acquisition personnel. somesome of the saddest stories of waste have been in the acquisition of it within the military, frankly within government which has

had to do with knowing what you need to buy calling you need to buy it, and when legacy systems need to be scrapped and how nimble you can be with off-the-shelf. i am not sure the military has been a great example of that flexibility and the ability to move with the technology. so acquisition personnel are important. do you have the pain in place that we authorize an order for you to make the wisest acquisition decisions possible in light of the history littered serious mistakes and billions and billions of dollars wasted? >> first, i don't -- you have been kind enough to provide, if you will, an initial capability to do. i am very mindful, as our mind the team, it is about

generating outcomes. that is why we are granted this authority. we are authority. we are not interested in spending money for the sake of spending money. it is about generating capabilities that directly impact our mission the material way. >> i would be interested in how your acquiring in more detail, how you are finding the right acquisition personnel no competitive we are in finding the right acquisition personnel because in many ways that is the key to the kingdom. if we're going to have the capabilities, a lot of it is people being trained. >> the capabilities. >> so i am worried about getting the right people. i would like us to stay updated and that progress. what kind of coordination does your command have at this point