well, as someone who actually had my primary care health appointment this morning at the va -- i have choice, because i have private healthcare as well. that would be removing choice for me. so there are certain plans out there that actually don't reduce cesut of va.ly eliminate choice which is why we think this collaborative approach that's been taken is a great and cle clear -- >> thank you very much. i appreciate your patience in waiting for the opportunity to testify and to be here to answer questions, which gives me the opportunity to tell the va how appreciative i am of their patience in staying to listen to the testimony. >> i apologize for having to go to the floor and make a brief speech. i missed almost all of your testimony, which i apologize for. i have been reading through -- last night's testimony. i have a couple of quick questions. i know it has been a long time. i thank you for staying. i thank the va representatives for staying and listening as well.

mr. selnick, you hear the senator with senator moran, myself and the va about the problems in liberal kansas and the choice accessibility and the ease or difficulty of that program. you made a comment a minute ago that you weren't sure that the -- those providing services at the local level and the va at the washington level understood how the program was really working or something like that. is that -- did i hear you right? >> i mentioned a number of different challenges with the program, its staff, its process, the call center. the whole thing has been a problem. >> i think -- i think you are right. and i think -- i don't blame anybody for this. but i think there is a misunderstanding up and down the chain of command in terms of what the intent of choice was and what some of the changes we have made. i hope as we implement the two changes you rolled out yesterday, you will make sure the people at the local level and the c-box and hospitals and medical facilities understand what that really means in terms of the veterans' access. those are two remarkable changes

that will make choice better for every single veteran tomorrow. but if they don't experience it at the local c-box, it's not going to be good to them at allc i want to read -- i got two questions for you. one i want to read this sentence to you. va needs to provide all non-va providers access to the computer system to ensure community healthcare providers can review the full medical history and continuity of care purposes. earlier in your testimony, you referred to the lack of coordination between the non-va providers and the va in terms of getting the documentation of services provided so the veterans healthcare file is complete. is that right? >> correct. >> do you think they are -- i agree with you. no system is going to work if you don't have the medical history of the patient and the services they have serviced in one place easily accessible. do you think they are capable of doing that? >> well, the va has been working on an electric health record for

years now with very little success. their plan calls for taking the snapshot, the vlj process, i believe, which is a virtual snapshot of the veterans' record and incorporating that initially as part of the health record and then moving on with the future design of a more coordinated health record. i think that for any process to work, you are going to have to allow a virtual electric health record -- that's the whole healthcare industry is struggling with. but you have to develop a virtual electronic health record that's transportth aable and shareable between any healthcare institution. until we get to that point, you are going to still see the challenges of sharing electronic health information either way, between the va versus non-va

provider and vice versa, between the non-va and the va. >> you hit the nail on the head. the biggest problem for -- forget about the va healthcare for a second. the biggest problem is the lack of interoperability between systems. they don't talk to each other. it's great to talk about having the information. but if you can't get them talking to each other, you can't have ease of a file. if you want to jump in here and say something. if we're going to make this thing work and if it's going to work the way you suggest you would be supportive of it working in your conclusion, the first hurdle they will have to overcome is how do we make the systems interoperable between non-va providers and the va system to get the information on the veteran in one place at one time accessible by the physician and veteran as well? right? >> that's correct, sir. >> she figured out how to do

that yet? >> some of what is being described is available. >> i think that observation that you made in your testimony is key to making this function and doing well. i appreciate you bringing that point out. appreciate all of you being here to testify. i think it was effective. we look forward to working with the va and all of the vested parties to see to it that as we roll this plan out and implement it it works for the person we're here to serve and that's the veterans of the united states military. with that said, we stand adjourned.

coming up, the heritage foundation holds a discussion on counterterrorism strategy and what it could mean for the next u.s. president. watch that at noon eastern. today, middle east experts look at the future of isis, al qaeda and the jihadist movement. they will examine how the u.s. should be responding in the current national and international security environment. the event is held by the new america foundation. you will be able to watch it live starting at 12:15 eastern on our companion network c-span. coming up this afternoon, remarks from jordan's prince on the future of international soccer and fifa. the prince is a candidate for

the next president of the football association. he will discuss the issues live at the national press club here in washington. you will see it live at 1:00 p.m. eastern on c-span2. every weekend on american history tv on c-span3, 48 hours of programs and events that tell our nation's story. saturday morning beginning at 11:00 eastern, live from historic colonial williamsburg, bringing you scenes from the 1770s, the eve of the american revolution, with re-enactments. we will tour the governor's palace and virginia capitol building. throughout the day, we will take your calls and tweets about the colonial era with historians and experts. we will hear the aspirations of presidential hopefuls. donald rumz feld shares his thoughts about running.

and from 1994, dick cheney explores his possible run in the 1996 presidential race. >> i used to think of it as a political calculation. you would look at the landscape, try to figure out who else was going to run and what your prospects were. the more i think about it, the more it becomes a personal decision rather than a political decision. >> later at 11:30 on lectures in history, southern illinois university edwardsville history professor on the caribbean sugar trade, its role in the development of britain's atlantic colonies and its impact on race and slavery in the 1600s. >> sugar was one of the main motors of the slave trade in the americas. 75% of all africans brought to the americas in the 1600s were brought to areas where they were growing and making sugar. it was a huge business. it was some scholars argue the first industrial enterprise in

the western world. >> american history tv, all weekend, every weekend, only on c-span3. at the opening of this week's paris climate change conference, the president of france outlined the importance of a climate agreement and said the stakes of an international meeting on climate change have never been so high. he was joined by the french foreign secretary and u.n. secretary-general. your majesties, royal highnesses, excellences and the the president of cop-21, ladies and gentlemen.

convening this summit meeting despite the recent terrorist attacks and ongoing mourning. i would like to express my deeping cdeep i est condolences to the families and loved ones of all recent victims of terrorism. nothing can justify the violence we have seen in recent days and weeks here in paris, beirut, baghdad and elsewhere. ladies and gentlemen, may i ask you to rise and observe a moment of silence in honor of the victims?

thank you. merci. >> translator: thank you, mr. secretary-general. i now invite the president of the french republic to take the floor. >> translator: secretary-general of the united nations, ladies and gentlemen, heads of state and government, secretary of our

conference, ladies and gentlemen, ministers, this is a historic day that we are experiencing. france is welcoming 150 heads of states and governments, thousands of delegates from every continent. never has a conference welcomed so many dignitaries, come from so many countries. but never -- and i say never have the stakes of an international meeting been so high. since what is at stake is the future of the planet, the future of life. and yet, two weeks ago here in paris, it was death that a group of fanatics brought to the streets.

here i want to express to you the gratitude of the french people for all of the shows of support, all of the messages, all of the signs of friendship that we have received since the 13th of november. tragic events represent an affliction but also an obligation. they force us to focus on what's importa important. your presence has generated immense hope which we do not have the right to disappoint. because peoples and billions of human beings are watching us now. i am not choosing between the fight against terrorism and the fight against global warming. these are two major global challenges that we must overcome.

because we must leave our children more than a world free of terror. we owe them a planet protected from disasters. a viable, livable planet. the year that we have just lived through has been a record breaking year. temperature records, record co2 concentrations. a record number of extreme climate events, droughts, floods, cyclones, ice melts, rising sea levels, ocean acidification. the victims of this phenomena number in the millions. and the material damage in the billions. no country or region is spared the events of climate change.

but how can we accept that it is the poorest countries, those with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, that are the most vulnerable and that they are even further affected? and therefore, it is in the name of climate justice that i'm speaking before you today and in the name of climate justice that we must act. we need to wake up to the severity of the threat posed to balances in the world. climate change will bring conflicts just like clouds bring storms. it is causing migration, which is causing more refugees to take flight than wars. states risk no longer being able to meet the basic needs of their population with risks of famine, mass rural exodus and clashes

for access to that increasingly rare resource, water. essentially, what is at stake with this climate conference is peace. and yet, hope has emerged during preparations for cop-21. the international community in september provided itself with a complete agenda through the sustainable development goals which were adopted during the united nations general assembly. and secretary-general, i congratulate you on that. 190 states, that is almost all the planet's countries, have put forward action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to climate change.

and all actors of the global society, local governments, business, investors, citizens, all have come on board for the climate. on top of this awareness and this mobilization, there has been rapid progress made in clean and renewable energies. opening the way for a lower carbon economy. to make a success of this conference, france has thrown its full weight behind its efforts and mobilized its entire government, beginning with the minister of foreign affairs who will be the president of this conference. i have myself visited the regions worst affected by climate change. i returned home with the same conviction, that we need to

ensure sustainable and equitable development without in any way compromising the limited resources of our planet. this is the equation that we together have to solve. during this conference. i wanted the heads and state of the government of the world to come together from the beginning of our work to give this conference a drive and an ambition commensurate to the challenge, because on the 12th of december an agreement must be reached in paris against what conditions can we consider that this is a good agreement, that this is a great agreement, that this is an agreement which truly meets the expectations of people reaching into the future. there are three conditions that will allow us to say that the paris conference will or will not be a success.

the first is that we need to determine, sketch out a credible path allowing us to limit global warming to below two degrees celsius or 1.5 degrees celsius, if possible. for us to be sure of being on the right path, we need to provide for regular assessment of our progress against the latest scientific conclusions and, therefore, set up a revision mechanism that corresponds with our commitments with meetings every five years. the second condition is that we respond to the climate challenge with solidarity. no state can abstain from its commitments, even if a

differentiation mechanism will be able to take into account development levels and situations. no territory should be left alone to face climate change. and notably the most vulnerable countries. my thoughts go to those islands which could very soon purely and simply disappear. and here i want to be their voice. because the diversity of our planet are at stake. from this we can conclude the agreement must be universal, differentiated and binding. developed countries must take their historic responsibilities. they are the ones who for years emitted the largest amount of greenhouse gases. emerging countries must

accelerate their energy transition and developing countries must be supported in adapting to the impacts of climate change. hence, the need to release and secure financing to promote technology transfer. in copenhagen, the objective set of 100 billion is not an objective that we should set here today but these are resources that we should free up with guarantees as to their origin and their availability. lastly, the third condition for an agreement in paris is that all our societies in their vast plurality and diversity get moving. all local leaders, investors, economic and social actors, citizens and the great

consciences, religions, all those who contribute to forming the global public mindset, all of this, all of these actors must understand that things have changed. this is the key for overcoming this climate challenge. here i want to pay homage to all of the pioneers of the environmentalist cause, all of those precursors who not so long ago had to face incredulity and disdain when offering warnings and proposals. in a few years, mindsets have been transformed. businesses and financial actors that were previously reluctant are now ready to commit and to change their behavior. we do still need to send them the right signals. and this is what is at stake with the progressive introduction of a carbon price so that greenhouse gas emissions

have a cost which corresponds to the damage inflicted on the planet. and so that investment choices gradually change so that all technologies can be accessible for all. ladies and gentlemen, heads of state and government, to resolve the climate crisis, i will be frank, good wishes, declarations of intent will not be enough. we are on the brink of a breaking point. paris must be the start of a far reaching change. we can no longer consider nature as a common place, inexhaustible pool of resources there for us to use as we wish. this transformation is at the same time a moral obligation and a global opportunity, because it

opens up development opportunities through renewable energy, clean transport, waste recycling, green agriculture, preservation of biodiversity and access for all to global public access for all to globaludblic thus, by making electricity accessible for all, including in africa, it's not just light that we are providing but it's also knowledge, education and developme development. on this first day of the conference, we are up against a challenge. this challenge is the sum of our selfishness, our perceptions, our resignation. this challenge is built on indifference, powerlessness. but it is not insurmountable. everything depends on us.

ladies and gentlemen, heads of state and government, the hope of all of humanity rests on your shoulders. i understand in the job that i do how difficult it is to combine immediate imperatives with the long-term, including when considering tragic events. this balance is not easy to find. bu but here once again, we must. our greatest challenge is to go from a globalization based on competition to a model based on cooperation where it will be more profitable to protect than to destroy. we need to think of the planet as a unique place and establish a pact of equity between the north and south and a partnership between nature and humanity. this is why we have met, the

leaders of the planet. this is why paris is an exceptional occasion. we are going to decide in a few days the future for several decades. the greatest danger is not that we aim too high and that we miss. the greatest danger is that we aim too low and that we hit it. so let's set our ambition as high as possible so that we can at least come close to this ambition, because here in paris we will decide on the very future of the planet. thank you. [ applause ] >> translator: thank you. thank you. i would now like to invite the

secretary-general of the united nations to take the floor. your excellencesy, your majesties, your royal highnesses, heads of state and government, foreign ministers, president of cop-21, ladies and gentlemen, you are here today to write the script for a future. a future of hope and promise, of increased prosperity, security and dignity for all. in september at the united nations, you adopted an

inspiring new sustainable development agenda. endorsed by all the people of the world. you showed your commitment to act for the common good. it is now time to do so again. more than 150 world leaders have come to paris. and are here together in one place at the same time with one purpose. we have never faced such a test. a political momentum like this may not come again. but neither have we encountered such a great opportunity at this time. you have the power to secure the well-being of this and

succeeding generations. i urge you leaders to use your ministers and negotiators to choose the path of compromise and consensus and if necessary flexibility. bold climate action is in the national interest of every single country represented at this conference. the time for brinksmanship is over. let us build a durable climate regime with a clear rule of the road that all countries can agree to follow. paris must mark a decisive turning point. we need the world to know that we are headed to lower emissions, climate resilient future and there is no going back. the national climate plans

summited by more than 180 countries as of today cover close to 100% of global emissions. this is a very good start. but we need to go much faster, much farther. if we are to limit the global temperature rise below two degrees celsius. the science has made it plainly clear. even a two degree celsius rise will have serious consequences for food and water security, economy stability and international peace and security. that is why we need a universal meaningful and robust agreement here in paris.

[ speaking in french ]

>> translator: this is why they are calling on the rest of the world to keep temperature rise below 1.5 degrees. second, the agreement must be dynamic. it must be able to adapt to changes that arise in the global economy without it being necessary to renegotiate the agreement continually. it is possible and desirable that the many provisions of the agreement can be addressed in a different way depending on situations without this jeopardizing the collective effort.

the agreement must preserve the balance between the leading role of developed countries and the growing responsibilities of developing countries, which vary according to the resources and their level of development. >> ladies and gentlemen, the third requirement for success is an agreement that embodies solidarity with the poor and most vulnerable. it must ensure sufficient and balanced adaptation and mitigation support for developing countries. fourth, the agreement must be credible. current ambition must be the floor, not the ceiling, for future efforts. five-year cycles, beginning before 2020, are crucial. all countries should agree to

move toward economy-wide reduction targets over time with flexibility for developing countries with a limited capacity. developed countries must keep their promises to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020. the same amount should serve as the floor for post-2020 final commitment. new agreement must include a single transparent framework for measuring, monitoring and reporting progress. countries with low capacity should receive flexibility and support so they can meet requirements for this new system. the heads of state and government, ladies and gentlemen, this is a pivotal

moment for the future of your countries, your people and our common home, our planet. you can no longer delay. let me be clear. the fate of a paris agreement rests with you. the future of your people, the future of the people of the world, the future of our planet world is in your hands. we cannot afford indecision, half measures of merely gradual approaches. our goal must be a transformation. the transition has already begun. investors, businesses are striving to create a climate friendly economy. but they need your help and your

vision in accelerating this essential spirit. and essential shift. the peoples of the world are also on the move. they have taken to the streets in cities and towns across the world in a mass mobilization for change. we have seen such mass mobilization in new york in 2014 last year. we have seen, despite the secret concerns, many citizens coming out to the street, sending their voices to the leaders. i sincere hope that you listen very carefully, sincerely to the voices and aspirations of our people. i met with several groups yesterday. it is clear to me that they have come to paris filled with emotion.

and they expect each and every one of the leaders of this world today who are here today to show your leadership equal to the test. you have the moral and political responsibility for this world and for us and subsequent generations. history is calling. i urge you to answer with courage and vision. and i count on your strong leadership and commitment to make this world better for all. thank you very much. [ applause ] >> translator: i would like to thank mr. secretary-general.

>> translator: president of the french republic, secretary-general of the united nations, ladies and gentlemen, heads of state and government, ladies and gentlemen delegates, last week knowing that i was going to chair this cop-21, everybody i met asked me the same question, will the conference in paris be a success? the first condition for success has already been fulfilled thanks to you. you are 150 heads of state that have come together here in spite of the recent turmoil. within the precinct of the conference there are several thousands of delegates and civil society leaders and there are millions across the world.

by virtue of your mobilization, you show that society and solidarity are much stronger than barbarity. thank you. [ applause ] the second condition for success, well, i fully believe that it will be fulfilled. we wanted to bring together non-governmental stakeholders for the climate. regions, companies, civil society, economic stakeholders and individuals in connection with the u.n., of which the secretary-general spearheaded, this conference has been organized in this spirit.

it is crucial of those of non-governmental actors. here in the coming hours and days, we will hear about concrete, important commitments undertaken by hundreds of regional and local authorities and companies. powerful initiatives will be launched. notably, in the area of new technologies, innovation, solar power and the price of carbon. all of these initiatives bode well for the fight against climate change. this struggle is both a matter of survival and a key opportunity for sustainable development that must reconcile

economic, ethical and environmental considerations. now, ladies and gentlemen, heads of state, the third condition of success. and this is the most difficult. at the end of this conference, in 11 short days, we must reach a universal ambitious climate agreement. this agreement as provided should be fair, lasting, dynamic, balanced, legally binding and it must ensure that by 2100 greenhouse gas emissions do not cause the temperature to rise above two degrees referring back to preindustrial levels. each of these terms refers to specific provisions of which in

the past we haven't been successful to conclude. the challenge -- this is the challenge that your ministers and your negotiators have. we mustn't waste time in discussions about procedure. we must address substance and find solutions together. as president of this cop-21, will be listening to all of you. will be impartial and strive to find an ambitious compromise. there are some signs of promise. we see an acceptance that an agreement is crucial. spirit of the observation that 2014 was the hottest year recorded and 2015 will be worse. scientific investigations unquestionably show the diagnosis and prognosis, the

commitment of major spiritual and religious leaders is robust. and the commitment of governments is on the right track. we just have to look at indcs from states. to date, 183 indcs have been published representing over 95% of global green lohouse gas emissions. now, of course, there are different levels of ambition. but the mere fact that almost all countries have fulfilled this approach -- let's be aware that the total contributions leads us away from the four, five or six degrees warming mentioned by the ipcc as

unacceptable scenarios of inaction. but that will not be enough to keep us below the 1.5 or 2 degrees maximum. this is why regular monitoring mechanisms and improvementcruci. this is something we hope to conclude in our agreement. i would like to insist on the following, a global climate agreement is not a requirement that developed countries will impose on developing countries. this is a universal requirement. we must all respond to together. climate solidarity still needs to advance. as does mobilization of funding and technology for countries of the south. the paris agreement -- [ no audio ]

we, my colleague ministers and negotiators -- this the opening day of the conference, that you give the necessary political impetus to discussions and that your statements be so strong and robust that they rule out any other outcome other than success. [ no audio ] france will hand the baton to our moroccan friends as we took it up from our peruvian friends who accomplished a remarkable endeavor. but in 2015, the situation is urgent. greenhouse gases are continuing to accumulate in the atmosphere.

and if nothing is done or if we are not quick enough, the situation will be irreversible. so now there is a specific kind of momentum. and it's at this conference that the cop in 2011 entrusted the task of reaching an agreement, cop-21 therefore must be a tipping point, a turning point. of course, we may not manage to resolve everything. but we will resolve nothing without paris. and just now, i remember and in my heart i'm thinking about the faces that i have seen over the past number of months running up to the cop. i remember in bangladesh an elderly woman who was very dignified but tired who had to move nine times because of

flooding. and she asked me if cop-21 was going to change that. i remember in the far north an engineer who showed me the apocalyptic melting of the ice pack and the consequences. and i can still see a bolivian crying about the damage inflicted on mother earth through a lack of respect. and in africa, this young woman, because of course it's women who are the first victims of climate change. this woman described the spectacular drying up of a lake the grim consequences. from our responses, from our commitments here, depend their lives and the lives of millions

of our brothers and sisters also depend on our responses here. ladies and gentlemen, heads of state and government, at the entrance to this room you perhaps saw or maybe you will see if you look up a very large photograph. it symbolizes the challenge we face at this conference. on the left of the photograph, there is a tree which has lost all of its leaves. they have been replaced by plastic bags. it's a kind of skeleton in an environment that has become inhumane. to the right of the photo there is the portrait of a young child waking up. and in the middle, there's a butterfly. a butterfly, the symbol of hope. and that is where we are. either we fail here in paris and we spread desolation everywhere,

or we manage to conclude an ambitious agreement to take action against climate change and then a bright future will dawn. i believe in success. i believe in success because i hope for it. and i believe in it because we all know that the combat against climate change is more than an environmental issue. it is a crucial condition to be able to feed and water our planet, to save biodiversity, to protect health, to combat against poverty and mass migration, to prevent wars and promote peace. and finally, to give sustainable development and life opportunity. at the end of 2015, it is dawn

to fran down to france, my country, to take up two of the main challenges of the century. fighting against terrorism and combating climate change. againm and combatting climb can change. our generations are urging us to take actions. future generations will judge us on our actions. we cannot hear them in a way they are already looking at us. the word historic is often overused. but here that is not the a case. let's make sure we make the conference in paris the historic success that the world is waiting for. [ applause ].

>> translator: ladies and gentlemen, we have now come to the end of this welcoming ceremony. were i would like to invite all the heads of statement or government to proceed to the area adjacent to the room where a family note photo will be taken. after the photograph, i would like to ask all heads of state and delegates to proceed to the rooms to which you have been assigned to speak. let me thank those of on you who will preside over today's sessions. the leaders event will resume promptly at 12:00 # noon. thank you. coming up, the heritage

foundation holds a discussion on u.s. global counterterrorism and what the strategy could mean for the next u.s. president. that is live noon eastern here on c-span3. also today, middle east experts look at the future of isis, al qaeda and the jihadist movement and how the u.s. should be responding in the international and national security environment. events held by new america foundation. that's live 12:15 eastern on our companion network c-span. also coming up this afternoon, remarks from jordan's prince on international soccer and fifa. the prince is a candidate for the next president of the fifa association. you'll be able to see it live at 1:00 p.m. eastern on c-span2. >> every weekend on american history tv on c-span3, 48 hours

of programs and events that tell our nation's story. saturday morning beginning at 11:00 eastern live from historic colonial williamsburg, bringing you scenes from the 1770s, the eve of the american revolution. with re-enactments of revolutionaries. we will tour the governor's palace and capitol building. we will speak with historians and experts sunday morning at 10:00 on road to the white house rewind. we will hear from presidential hopefuls, donald rumsfeld shares his thoughts about running from manchester, new hampshire. and dick cheney explores his possible run in the 1996 race. >> i used to think of it as a political calculation. eye wonderful landscape to figure out who else was going to run and what your prospects were. the more i think about it the

more it becomes a personal decision rather than political decision. >> later at 11:30, lectures in history, robert paulette on the caribbean sugar trade, its role in the development of britain's atlantic colonies and race and slavery in the 1600s. >> sugar was one of the main motives of the slave trade in the americas. 75% of all africans were brought to areas where they were making sugar. it was a huge business. some scholars argue the first industrial enterprise in the western world. >> american history tv all weekend. every week jeopardy. on weekend. on c-span3. coming up this weekend on c-span, saturday night at 9:00 eastern, the nation magazine holds a discussion on in equality in the america and what

that means for society. speakers include the editor, former labor secretary, and former white house adviser van jones. >> you have a third leg in the progressive movement, which is the racial justice leg, which has no home and no candidate. and you're talking about the dreamers on the latino side, black lives matter. native americans. the racial justice third wing with no candidate, no voice. and nothing to mask all of that. and they exploded into public view. >> coming up sunday evening at 6:30, the presidential forum featuring candidates sharing their thoughts on terrorism, israel, and national security. for the full weekend lineup, go to c-span.org. juan osuna of the executive office testifies on the adjudication of immigration

cases and removal proceedings priorities. held from a house judiciary subcommittee. this is about an hour and 10 minutes. good morning. the you're ear committee will come to history. we welcome everyone to this morning's hearing on oversight of the executive office for immigration review. and uncharacteristically, i'm not going to begin by recognizing myself for an opening statement. i am going to introduce our witness and say welcome to him and ask if he would please rise so i can administer an oath. and then i will probably introduce you. may the record reflect that the witness answered in the affirmative. this morning's witness is mr. juan osuna, appointed as

executive director in may 2011, acting director from december 2010 to may 2011. prior to that, mr. osuna was the department of justice as an associate deputy attorney general from may 2009 to june of 2010. he was a deputy assistant attorney general in the civil division, office of immigration litigation from september of 2008 until may 2009. he served as chairman of the board of tkpwraeugz appeals. served as acting chairman and acting advice. a law degree from the washington college of law and american university and master of arts in law and international affairs from the school of international service. mr. owe sue suna. we welcome you this morning. i know my colleagues on both sides want to be here.

many of them will come but may come a at unusual times. we will recognize you for your opening statement first. and then the members will do their opening statements and then we will go to questioning. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you for the opportunity to speak about the department of skwrus 2eus's executive office of immigration review or uir. it is to hear the cases of individuals charged with violating immigration law sps to decide which should be removed from the united states and which are eligible for relief or protection from removal. the agency carries it out through or core of 250 judges throughout the country. among the challenges facing the immigration courts, the largest is our growing pending caseload.

more than 450,000 a cases pending in immigratieupimmigrat. this is an all time high. while the immigration judge was shrinking, enforcement continued and they resulted in continuously increasing case loads. from july 2014, the time uir started tracking the border crossers until september 30th, 2015, more than 100,000 cases have been filed in the immigration courts nationwide. we are taking steps to increase our capacity to a adjudicate through a hiring effort. it is my first priority. i am pleased to report significant progress on this front and greatly appreciate congress's support for our

efforts by providing. 23 new immigration judges have entered on duty. as of this week, the attorney general has another 37 to serve as immigration judges after a thorough and rigorous hiring process at uir and within the department. these are now under being the required checks before they can start hearing cases. many more candidates are going through the final stages of the review before they can be recommended to the attorney general for selection. these new judges will be arriving in immigration throughout the country in the coming months and will have a positive were effect on the case loads, enabling the balance between incoming caseload and a number of judges available to a adjudicate it. again, thank you for your support for these much needed resources.