and the c.r. you had mr. rogers bring to the floor which i voted against when it went from here to there as did every democrat, it said it was going to be subject to the sequester. >> the gentleman from arizona is recognized. >> one minute to the gentle lady from california. >> i rise to support the bill reducing flight delays act of 2013. i don't want anybody to be mistaken about why i support this bill. i want ms. backman to understand we know that she has led the tea party and the right wing on all of these issues and that she led on the discussion on sequestration. it was a bad policy.

it should not have been adopted by either side of the aisle. however that is the order of the day. and we need to bring the budget to the floor and have a conference committee so we can adopt some of what was adopted on the senate side to get rid of the sequestration. towhile, the f.a.a. plans furlough nearly 47,000 employees, including 15,000 air traffic controllers, for approximately one day every two weeks. the furloughs have already begun. they started on april 21. we are going to be backed up in these airports. it is time for us to understand that it is an emergency. >> the gentleman from iowa is recognized. >> at this moment, i will reserve my time. like the gentleman from arizona is recognized. >> how much time do we have? gentleman from arizona

has 2.5 minutes. the gentleman from arizona has 7.5 minutes. >> i will ask my chairman. do you want to even out the time? i will reserve my time, if you like. >> do you have two more speakers? i just have one more. i was going to suggest you go ahead with your speaker now. i will have one, you will have one, and then we can close. >> thank you. i yield to the gentlewoman from texas. >> the gentlewoman from texas is recognized for one minute. .> this is a hostagetaking i know the american people are watching the blame game. , my republican friends held this body hostage. we will not pay our debts. we are losing jobs, head start programs. i believe in air traffic

controllers, but we are holding them hostage. what about the person who cannot afford an airline ticket? it is important that we stand for the millions of dollars that we are losing for homeland security. is it time to take millions from military families? mr. speaker asked unanimous consent to repeal the section of the budget control act of 2011 to get rid of the sequester. go to a budget conference. have a budget. get rid of the sequester. bring it up now. i asked unanimous consent. >> does the gentleman from iowa yield for that purpose? >> yes. excuse me? >> can we bring it up now? up the question, right now. >> will the gentleman yield? >> no. >> we have to save the traveling public. but i ask a question about 5000

children in texas that will lose head start, or millions of seniors, or our military families, that will lose support because we got the sequester, on the shoulders of those who believe that the way we run the country is/and burn. help the american people. i yield back. >> i would like to recognize the gentleman from texas for 1.5 minutes. >> the gentleman from texas is recognized. >> we have heard a lot of rhetoric today that sequestration is the problem. i would like to remind you that sequestration, that president obama proposed was the only solution we could agree on to the real problem, the fact that this government is spending close to one dollar 50 -- $1.50 for every one dollar a brings him. we could not get agreement from

the other side to find cuts. now, even though sequestration is painful, it is working. getre going to be able to the cuts that need to be made to their budget, without affecting flight delays, and without furloughing people. it is my contention this can happen throughout the government and throughout all agencies. if these agencies and the president had come back to this congress, saying, we can do these cuts this way, i imagine almost every one of those would have passed on unanimous consent. they certainly probably would have passed on a suspension like this one. i urge my colleagues to take this first set to solve the problem with the faa. i look forward to working with other agencies to find the cuts we need, and to spare the american people the pain that is intentionally being inflicted. some people do not want to cut a dime out of the american budget. the american people know instinctively there is waste, fraud, and abuse, and there are

savings to be had. we are going to try to do it in the best possible way. i yield act. >> the gentleman from arizona is recognized. chairman, how much time do we have? >> the gentleman from arizona has a minute and a half remaining. the gentleman from iowa has six minutes remaining. >> i will yield one minute to the gentle lady from washington, d.c. >> i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, congress did not foresee the controllers crisis. they will not foresee the next one. we have not solved the crisis with money. it was not about money. it was not about cuts. it was solved the old-fashioned way. they simply move money around. this is exactly what was done with appropriations.

if we have athis meeting of both sides of the aisle on the budget. what would happen at that meeting would probably be not to cut a thing, but simply to allow agencies the flexibility to move money around, precisely as has been done with the controllers crisis. not one cent was changed. just the flexibility, the common sense that we now need to do with every single appropriation. i yield back and thank the gentleman. , theght i inquire gentlewoman from arizona -- you have 30 seconds. if you would like to go ahead and close. >> i will reserve at this time. i yield myself the time i will consume. i rise to ask my colleagues to support this bill.

it is a one-time fix in a crisis we are having today with our air traffic system. , asi join my colleagues well as probably my chairman, in asking the house leadership, the republican leadership, the democratic leadership, to please work on a comprehensive solution to sequester, in order that we can bring regular order thed get the government americans deserve. >> i thank the gentleman. i yield myself such time as i may consume. witht to associate myself what my good friend and ranking member on the subcommittee just said. ,e have got to find a solution come to an agreement. this is a horrible way to run a government. when you take a meat ax approach to departments that

have no common sense -- that is why we need to get back to regular order around here, actually do appropriation bills. we would avoid these types of potentially -- catastrophic situations that we find ourselves in. mr. speaker, i would just ask everyone to understand that the senate sent this over last night. our bill. the senate will approve it as soon as we pass it in the house. it is very important we do this for the american people, the traveling public, for safety of thatystem, to make sure our commerce continues. would ask everyone to support this bill. let us fix the big problem and come to a budget agreement. i yield back the balance of my time. a littlenyder is

transportation reporter. what finally got lawmakers to pass a bill ending furloughs at the faa? >> the number one thing was outcry from the public. there have been thousands of delayed flights. lawmakers have heard from constituents, from the airline industry. there was a lot of pressure from the american public on this issue. >> what does this allow the faa to do? >> it is a very narrow bill. basically, it explicitly gives the transportation secretary the authority to transfer $253 million. that is enough money to pay the controller salaries, and also have about $21 million left over that can be used to keep some contract control towers open, which is another issue that had been hurt by the sequester. >> does president obama support this effort? what should we expect from him? >> arrest secretary jay carney

said the president did plan to sign it. expect to see that anytime today, or very soon. are saying there are lots of other priorities that should also get a reprieve from the sequestration cuts. should we expect to see other bills aimed at stemming the effects of the sequester on other programs? >> yes. a lot of democrats want a full sequester replacement. there are a lot of statements from people saying, sort of begrudgingly signing off on this, but wanting the whole thing replaced. we have heard about the meat inspectors. we have heard about meals on wheels, head start, and things like that. there is definitely a lot of angst on the democratic side of the aisle on this issue. >> republicans argue that sequester cuts are the brainchild of the president and his administration, and that this is congress's way of fixing a problem created by the president. is that true or false?

>> it is both true and false. it was theople say president, but congress had to sign off on this. this cleared the house and the senate. congress definitely had a hand in this. whose idea it was might be a little irrelevant. everybody ended up approving this. >> republicans also argued that this bill was unnecessary, and the faa already had the authority to move money around, and controllers did not have to be furloughed in the first place. what are democrats saying? >> democrats for the most part say that is false. a number of republicans have argued they already have the flexibility. , a member ofkford the republican leadership, yesterday told me that this administration is not necessarily known for sticking to the letter of the law, which was a little jab at the administration. he said, even if the law is not on their side, i do not see why

they do not do this anyway. , theemocrats said sequester is an account by count line item cut, and they did not .ave that authority >> how quickly can the faa get back to business as usual? >> i would say very quickly. controllers have been furloughed by one day per pay. -- per pay period. i would think this would be a small administrative issue. they would be able to work the next friday they might have had to not work. i think we should see things moving pretty quickly. >> adam snyder reports on transportation for politico. we thank you for your time today. >> members from the u.s. house delegation from massachusetts spoke about the marathon bombing. this is about 30 minutes. >> i rise today with my colleagues from massachusetts to thank the law enforcement officers, medical professionals,

first responders, and citizen heroes for their incredible bravery and sacrifice during and after the tragic events last week at the boston marathon. given the time constraints, i would like to yield to my colleague from massachusetts, bill keating. >> i would like to thank my colleague for yielding, and i would like to thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to thank so many of our colleagues that we work with, day in and day out. when we came back into session, so many gave their heartfelt feelings for all those who were hurt during the terrible marathon bombing that occurred in boston on april 15. you know, we first remember those that lost their lives during this terrible, terrible tragedy. there are never words that are adequate to deal with these issues.

a type of loss to family, to friends, to loved ones that cannot be put into words. i can only convey my own and all our colleagues' sympathy for those families. four young people whose lives were taken to quickly from us all. four people who had so much to give. four people who we had a glimpse of, with the accounts of their lives as the public mourned and joined with their families and their loss. it was just a glimpse, but what a glimpse. a young boy, martin richard, with a profound message, as his poster revealed to all. "no more hurting people. peace."

lingzhi lu who came to study and better herself, an accomplished student, a pianist, who developed tremendous friendships in the short time she was here, who came to this country to learn more, to become more, and to offer more. sean collier, young police officer, who dedicated himself to helping people to protect and to serve, who gave his life just doing that. krystle campbell, a young woman, vibrant, a person who, despite a busy life, busy schedule, put

much of her life on hold, over a year, to help her grandmother when she was ill. the first responders and the people that were injured. the people that were injured, over 280, including richard donahue, an mbta police officer, who participated with watertown police in slowing down these perpetrators before they could harm more people, and was seriously injured. we pray for him in the process. first responders to the scene, including civilians, who risked everything they had to provide emergency aid, and help, for those runners and bystanders who were there. the first responders that had been trained for years for terrible moments like this, who sacrificed their safety, moving

forward. emt's and police officers, firefighters. the incredible medical community in the boston area, some of whom ran to work, knowing what happened, who were there, ready. emergency room doors opened. everything in place. saving lives. we honor the citizens in our area, who gave up a small part of their freedom, listening to their leaders, who displayed good judgment, common sense, moving forward to put their safety first. you know, those lives of these young people, these four young people that are not with us now,

as well as the lives of those people that are recovering from the injuries, and those first responders that helped us -- they will not be defined by a depraved act of violence. of two individuals. these people are the definers themselves. givers. people that care. that is who we are. they define us, the best in us, the selfless side of us. they define the best of what is boston, the best of what is in the commonwealth of massachusetts. they define the best of us as americans. and they are all to be remembered today. it is time to put politics aside, and remember what a great

country we have, because of individuals like this. i yield back my time. >> i thank the gentleman, and appreciate very much his hear- felt comments. i would like to yield to my colleague from rhode island. >> i thank the gentlelady for yielding, and thank my other colleagues for accommodating me. my home is in providence, rhode island, about an hour south of boston. two weeks ago, several of my friends and neighbors traveled to boston to compete in the marathon. what i first learned of these horrific attacks, my thoughts immediately turned to them and their families. i kept the people of boston and their loved ones in my thoughts and prayers over the last two weeks. it is in moments such as this that words fail to convey our continuing sense of disbelief, and the anger we hold toward those responsible for such a

senseless, vicious attack. the action that demonstrates a callous disregard for so many lives. some were ended, and many more irreversibly changed. these attacks were attempts to shake the foundation of our democratic and free society. after these bombs exploded on a beautiful sunny day in boston, and we saw the incredible harm caused to so many, we also witnessed the very best of humanity, in the courageous actions of the brave men and women who responded to this attack, healthcare for the injured, and relentlessly pursued their perpetrators, and brought them to justice. we think about those brave police officers and first responders, who witnessed these attacks firsthand, and instinctively raced toward the source of these blasts, so they could assist the wounded and keep others from harm. we think also about a 26-year- old m.i.t. campus police officer, who was murdered as he

worked to keep his community safe. we think about a transit police officer who never hesitated when he answered a call to report immediately to watertown, and continues to fight after sustaining life-threatening injuries trying to apprehend the suspects. sometimes, it takes a tragic event to remind you of the tragic sacrifices our first responders make every day. the heroism demonstrated by these men and women in the face of such overwhelming danger reminds us how much we owe to those who keep us safe every day. these attacks were made to strike fear and intimidate all the people of boston and americans. instead, they brought out the best our country has to offer, not only from the men and women in boston, but those who donated money, and did everything they could to bring any measure of relief to victims or their

families. i ask that all of us are member the responsibility that those of us in the house have to serve our first responders, and to continue to keep the families affected by this attack in our thoughts and prayers. i thank the gentlelady for yielding. i yield back. >> law enforcement personnel from across the commonwealth of massachusetts and nearby states, rhode island and new hampshire, joined in a weeklong effort to respond to the marathon bombing and assist in finding and capturing the suspects. these dedicated first responders saved hundreds of lives in the immediate aftermath of the attack, and saved countless more from the threat of future attacks. through unprecedented communication and confident leadership, public safety agencies at every level

coordinated to bring justice down upon those responsible. their actions proved that no act of terror can blunt the spirit of resiliency, of fortitude, of endurance, that is in the heart of the american people. as relief and pride wash over the boston area, we must not forget that there is still much healing to be done. our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the families of martin richard, a young boy whose big smile we will never forget, and whose sign is a living challenge to all of us. krystle campbell, a fine young woman, who since she could, was there every marathon day, emblematic of the great event it was for the city of boston, and also for the commonwealth and region. and lu lingzhi, a young student from china, emblematic of the

ways in which boston's great academic institutions draw people from across the world to share in the great treasure that we have, but also to participate in those great days that are uniquely american, like patriots' day. and officer sean collier, somebody beloved by the student body. i had several m.i.t. students into seeing me a couple of days ago. they said everybody knew him and liked him. and more than 200 innocent people, a number from my district, who suffered severe injuries from this senseless attack. we want to remember and encourage all of them as they go forward. jeff beaumont, who suffered tragic loss of limbs, but as he came out of surgery, was able to help identify the suspects. the corcoran family, a mother and daughter sharing a hospital room together, as they begin the long journey of recovery, and who are already having tremendous assistance. lowell high school, where she is a student, sent prom tickets to

make sure she would be able to make her way there. and those in the waiting room, waiting to encourage them and show them what is possible. also from my district, brittany loring, stephen burton, james galtlett, many members of the white family, and others. remarkable people who share in a moment in our history. i would also like to remember some other specific people. i havesioner ed davis. known commissioner davis since his early days on the beat in my hometown. during a 28 year career at the department, he worked as

a vice and narcotics officer, named chief in 1994. during his time in lowell, chief davis helped to turn around our city, and set it off into an age of growth. we were proud of him when he left to become the boston police commissioner. we are even more proud of him now. commissioner davis showed extraordinary intelligence, professionalism, poise, and confidence, from monday through the capture of the suspects on friday. he was a calming influence in a time of great chaos and crisis. he deserves our thanks, the gratitude of the people of boston, of our commonwealth,, and of our country. i commend special agent in charge richard deslauriers, who oversaw the massive operation of identifying and tracking down the suspects, and helped bring the swift arm of justice down upon those responsible. also, at times of great crisis, we look to our leaders for guidance and confidence.

our leaders, city, state, and federal, confronted the chaos head on, challenged the evil, and pushed forward, so that we could together, as one community, arrive quickly at healing and justice. in particular, mayor tom menino. this mayor came from the hospital to be involved in the suspects search. seeing him on television in a wheelchair gave everyone a great feeling of pride. everyone could not help but notice how deeply he cares for the city he has so ably overseen for many years. he embodies the grit and toughness boston is known for. he embodies boston strong. governor deval patrick helped oversee the coordination of so many agencies, to ensure optimal collaboration, made sure the public was up-to-date and aware

of the situation as it developed, as we all watched, moment to moment, from our homes or wherever we might be. he stood with gravitas in a determined, strong composure, that trickle down throughout the state public safety agencies. we will always appreciate president barack obama's deep involvement since the start. his words during the service at the cathedral of the holy cross were a touching example of our nation's unwavering resolve. as much as we are boston strong, commonwealth strong, we are all one, and we are all strong. i have to say that the interfaith service was a remarkable moment when representatives came together as we embark on a journey of healing and reassurance about the unity, strength, and resiliency that boston was known for. it was a uniquely american day. the marathon that is much celebrated by people from across the world, across our country, across massachusetts.a great re.

many go from one event to the other. patriots' day commemorates the beginning of the revolution, the reenactment of paul revere's ride, and the shot heard around the world. all of that is to say that we will work hard to follow up with and be strong supporters of those who still seek to recover, make sure they have all the necessary resources, going forward, and that they have the strong support of their community and friends, and that we will do all that it takes to move forward from this tragic moment, and make of it something good that brings us all together and would help us to continue on a path of healing. with that, i would like to recognize my colleague from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern. >> i first want to thank my colleague for organizing today's special order.

i thank her for the time. it is with immense gratitude that i rise to honor massachusetts first responders today. while i am always proud to call myself a resident of the commonwealth of massachusetts, being from massachusetts has carried a special significance these past 12 days. the tragic bombings that occurred on april 15 took three precious, innocent lives. it cost hundreds of others to suffer devastating wounds. we are continuing to pray for them. and for all the others that are wounded. we also remember officer sean collier, an m.i.t. police officer, who was shot and killed. our prayers are with his family.

so many lives were upended by this tragic, senseless act of violence. citizens of the commonwealth, and americans across the country, are still coping with the horror of the bombings that took place on what is normally a celebratory day in massachusetts, patriots' day. amidst these acts of violence and terror, our belief in the fundamental goodness of people is strengthened in the wake of such acts in a tragedy. these are the sacrifices they made from the moment the bombs went off at a time the suspect was apprehended. at the time we speak, victims are being examined at some of the finest hospitals. brigham and women's, and boston's children's hospital, among others. even ordinary citizens rushed to the scene of the bombing next week, potentially putting themselves in harms way. sleep was was not on the minds of selfless men and women who worked back-to-back shifts in

support of the communities they call home. the extraordinary response of the boston medical community is very much a part of the story of the 2013 boston marathon. explosions took place at 2:50 p.m. 35 minutes later, after the injured were swiftly and efficiently stabilized, transported, and triaged, the first patient was wheeled into an operating room. all medical personnel simply showed up to help. i want to recognize the incredible leadership of barack obama, governor deval patrick, and mayor tom menino. they help get us through this terrible ordeal. i was particularly moved to see mayor menino stand tall and lead his great city.

i also want to recognize the special agent in charge of the boston fbi, for his outstanding work which led to the apprehension of the final suspect. they have all made our state very proud. at the interfaith service last week, we showed the world that boston and massachusetts will not be deterred. we are a resilient community, and we will emerge from this stronger than ever. and a week when we saw the very best and worst of human behavior on display, i am proud to say that our first responders triumphed. while we continue to reflect on the tragedies of last week, we move forward with a renewed sense of pride, knowing that their exceptional commitment to public service is what makes us all boston strong. i thank the gentlelady for yielding time, and i yield back. >> i thank the gentleman, and appreciate his comments, and the fact we are all coming together to talk about this event.

with that, i would like to yield to congressman kennedy. >> i would like to begin by thanking the gentlelady from massachusetts for pulling us all together to mark a moment that none of us will ever forget. a signature moment in massachusetts history.

i want to recognize the victims of the horrific attacks that happened last monday. i, like many of my colleagues from massachusetts, and so many people from massachusetts, around the country, and the world, have always delighted in marathon monday. i do not know how many times i watched the runners as they ran by on their quest to the finish line at boylston street. my stepmother has ran the marathon a number of times, and together with my dad and brother we would go down to watch the runners at heartbreak hill. as you see all the runners run by, what stuck with me was how many people were there, cheering them on. 26.2 miles. people from the very beginning to the end in boylston street, five rows deep on each side of the street. sitting there, screaming, yelling, offering a bottle of water, or literally a hand, to

those that are trying, striving for an incredible feat of personal endurance and excellence. that is really, i think, to me, what that marathon, what that day is all about. it is about the community that comes together to cheer on not just the runners, but to celebrate what we have built together, to recognize that that day is not about individual feats of excellence, what about the community that is willing to cheer on complete strangers, for runners to know -- you will hear it, if you talk to those that have competed in the race that it is an extraordinary difficult first. it is also one of the best marathons run, because there is a crowd to carry you to the finish line, complete strangers, people you will never see again. but they are there to offer a hand. it was with great sadness, but also great pride, that i watched

the events unfold on monday, to see complete strangers run into danger, rather than flee from it. to meet the doctor that, after running the marathon, and completing 26.2 miles, ram to work, so he could get started helping save victims. to meet some of the victims and their families. to know that we will never, despite how much we have come together, be able to replace martin, krystle, lu, and officer collier. but the long path to recovery, we will be there with them every step of the way. to recognize the law enforcement officers that put themselves in grave danger, never quite knowing what might happen, what weapons these two terrible individuals might have on them, that took great risks for the sake of safety for these

communities, for the investigators and prosecutors have the long task of bringing these individuals to justice. 30,000-plus belted out the national anthem at fenway park. to mayor menino, vice president biden, and president obama. $20 million pouring in from citizens around the country to help provide a bit of relief to those who will need it most in this long road to recovery. it is an extraordinary message, a powerful symbol, that gets back to what boston and massachusetts has always been about.

from the first people that set foot on our shores, the earliest settlers, we have each other's backs. and we always will. next year, on patriots' day, the marathon will be run. more crowded, and louder than ever. with that, i yield back. >> i thank my colleague for his very insightful comments. it is a spirit of community that is still evident. it is embedded in the race itself, the marathon itself. it is something that was so evident, as everybody responded, as the bombs went off, to tragic effect.

it has been followed up with the tremendous outpouring of contributions to various funds, as well as the one fund. lowell high school sent prom tickets to sidney corcoran, wanting to make sure she would be able to attend. and also that spirit of help from across the country, to have a young man who lost his leg in a shark attack in hawaii, at his own expense, come to visit those who sadly lost their legs, to say, your life will be very productive and positive. we have seen this over and over again. i thank you for your comment. with that, i would like to recognize my colleague from new hampshire, congresswoman carol shea-porter. >> thank you for having this moment, an opportunity to talk about boston, and also to talk about the country, and to talk about boston's neighbor, new

hampshire. on that day, like so many others, i had a family member whose brother-in-law was running in that race. he was running because his father had died of cancer. so many people were running for causes that day. fortunately, the family is fine. but some families were devastated beyond belief. boston is a small city, but it is a great city, and new hampshire is a small state, but a great state. what happens to boston and what happens to massachusetts is felt deeply in new hampshire. we work together. we play together. we attend events together. we also grieve together. when that call came to new hampshire, when boston reached out and asked our police forces to help, the answer from a national what swat team member was, of course we can. the answer from the manchester swat, manchester, new hampshire, was yes. the answer from the seacoast emergency response team, which has officers from 11 different seacoast communities, was yes.

the answer from the new hampshire state police swat and explosive disposal unit was, yes, we will be there. they understood the danger. they also understood they were needed, and they did not hesitate. the stories coming from that experience are very moving. one team reported how one elderly woman had hidden behind her couch for hours. you can imagine the terror the residents felt. and yet, our first responders were there. the police were there. the comfort was there. as we pray for the victims, and we remember those who died, the victims are also from new hampshire and many other states, as we know. and somebody died from a foreign country. but we are all one. we are all boston strong. as we remember all of them, we thank our police officers and first responders for always being there when we need them. when the call came, yes, of course we will do that. i yield back.

>> i think the gentlewoman, and appreciate very much her comments, as well as a shared commitment of rhode island, new hampshire, and massachusetts, to respond to the horrific attacks. patriots' day will continue to be a day when we commemorate the people who refuse to be terrorized, and courageously defend the ideals on which our nation was founded. in the words of our great poet, ralph waldo emerson, our flag will most defiantly remain unfurled. president obama on serious possible use of chemical weapons. syria's possible use of

chemical weapons. >> this we can than c-span, before the white house correspondents dinner, we will show selected minister from the past three administrations. starting saturday at 3:00 p.m., eastern. sunday, the dedication of the george w. bush presidential library and museum. >> franklin roosevelt once described the dedication of the library as an act of faith. i dedicate this library with unshakable faith in the future of our country. the honor of a lifetime to leave the country as brave and noble as the united states. whatever challenges come before us, i will always believe our nations best days lie ahead. god bless. >> sunday morning at 10:30.

on c-span2's book tv this weekend, donovan campbell on leading a platoon of marines in iraq. on c-span3, reconsidering the insanity trial of mary todd lincoln. part of american history tv sunday at 4:00. during a white house photo op, president obama discussed the syrian civil war and other issues. u.s. intelligence agencies of recently reported that the syrian government has used chemical weapons in the now two- year-old civil war. president obama called the findings begin to and your. game changer. this is about 10 minutes.

>> i want to welcome to the oval office once again, king abdullah. his majesty is a great friend of the united states. jordan is a great partner to the united states on a host of issues. although we have recently seen each other, want to thank his majesty for the extraordinary hospitality he showed during our visit. there remain a host of issues in the region we will have a opportunity to discuss. first of all, i want to congratulate his majesty on syria -- the serious issue inside of jordan. we have been supportive with respect to long guarantees and other efforts in part because we have also seen the abdulla take some very important steps to further open democracy and entrepreneurship inside of jordan. we want to encourage that because we think jordan can be an extraordinary model for governance in the region.

we are going to have an opportunity to talk about the middle east peace process. last time i saw him, i had just come out of israel and the west bank. i conversations with mr. netanyahu. jordan has enormous stake in peace. we do think there is a wind of opportunity that needs to be seized.

we will consult how we can jumpstart serious conversations that could lead to a peaceful settlement, and a secure israel with normalize relationship with its neighbors. and a palestinian state is sovereign. of great concern is the situation in syria. jordan has experienced an influx of refugees coming into the country from syria. people of and displaced. jordan historically has maintained open borders and allow these are few jeez on a humanitarian effort to come in. it is an enormous strain on the country. we are mobilizing support to help with these rpg's -- refugees. our goal is to create a stable syria where civilians are not at risk. we both agreed at this point, president assad has lost legitimacy. that we need to find a political transition that allows a multi- sect democratic transition that takes place so that syria can be a place for all people can come

in peace and harmony. this would be difficult to accomplish. some of you sell that i ask my people to read congress about the fact that we now have some evidence that chemical weapons have been used on the populations of syria. these are preliminary assessments. they sun our intelligence gathering -- based on our intelligence gathering, we have evidence of the use. there are a range of questions about how and where these weapons may have been used. we are going to. -- we are going to pursue an investigation ourselves and consult with our partners in the region and the international community to make sure that we

are investigating this as effectively and is quickly as we can. i meant what i said. i will repeat. it is obviously horrific when mortars are being fired on civilians, and people are being indiscriminately killed. to use potential weapons of mass destruction on populations crosses another line with respect to international law. that is going to be a game changer. we have to act prudently. we have to make these assessments deliberately. i think all of us, and around the world, recognize how we cannot stand by and permit the systematic use of weapons like a michael weapons on civilians populations. this is going to be something we will pay a lot of attention to to try to confirm, and mobilize the community around those issues. and everything that we do, we very much appreciate the kinds of support, advice, counsel and partnerships that we have with his majesty and the people of jordan.

we look forward to a fruitful consultation this afternoon. veryank you ray much.-- much. we are glad to be back here of we are glad to be back here again. our hearts and condolences to the terminus tragedy in boston, as well as that of texas, specially that of boston. we always stick together against our fight against terrorism. this is an issue we we will always be strong partners of. on the issue of the peace process, when you were in jordan, you mentioned this stage. we will continue to work with our allies to see how we can get closer together. one of the major concerns is

obviously the challenges of syria and syrian society, which is becoming more alarming. since her last visit to jordan, we have had 160,000 refugees. the revelation is so grateful to the support that you and your people have given to our country. you could not do more. we are so grateful. i want to express our appreciation for that. i think that we are both working hard for a political solution for syria that is inclusive so that we can do it together, as we are now seeing the search of militant -- surge of militant terrorist organizations over the past several months. i am confident with your leadership, with the meetings we will have, we can find a mechanism to india as quickly as possible.

last week, you had the prospect of [indiscernible] that is the position. the three of us are working hard in cooperation with the united states to try and find a just solution to the crisis. i hope that together we will be able to do something as quickly as possible. [indiscernible] >> you guys all have the same question? one at a time.

what we have right now is an intelligence question. as i said, knowing that potentially chemical weapons have been used inside of syria doesn't tell us when they were used, how they were used. obtaining confirmation and strong evidence, all those things we have to make sure that we work with the international community. we ourselves are going to be putting resources on this. i think that in many ways, a lot has been crossed when we see tens of thousands of innocent people being killed by a regime. but, the use of chemical weapons and the dangers that poses to the international community, to neighbors of syria, the potential for chemical weapons to get into the hands of terrorists, all of those things add increased urgency to what is already a significant security problem and humanitarian problem in the region.

we are going to be working with countries like jordan to try to obtain more direct evidence and confirmation of this potential use. i've been very clear publicly but also privately that for the syrian government to utilize chemical weapons, on its people, crosses a line that will change my calculus and how the united states approaches these positions. this is not an on or off switch. this is an ongoing challenge that all of us have to be concerned about. we're going to be working with the international community and our partners to keep our eyes on what is happening on the ground.

to gather any evidence of chemical weapon use. at the same time, to continue to help with a moderate and inclusive opposition to help bring about the day when the syrian people once again focus on living their lives, raising their children, starting businesses, and obtaining basic human rights. this is going to be a long-term proposition. this is not going to be something that is solved easily overnight. i know that king abdulla is committed to try to find these kinds of solutions. saw my. >> thanks everybody. >> thank you.

>> obama administration officials reefed -- briefed on the use of chemical weapons in syria. the congressman told reporters he believes that some chemical weapons have been used but the u.s. is still in an evaluation stage. this is about 10 minute. >> hello. how are you all? first thing, this is to bring all of the members together to give them information in a classified setting. we feel that there has been some chemical weapons that have been

used. we are still investigating who did it, and where it is coming from. right now, we are in the evaluation stage. one of the most important issues is that we do bring the other countries. we need to work as a team. like we did in libya. we brought the arab league involved. there was nato involved. it is the same situation here. i would say that i think it is very important for us to continue to talk to russia. russia could really make a difference and helping to resolve this serious, terrible situation, where people are being killed every day. >> how many incidents? how many incidents have -- do you understand? >> i cannot get into that. >> secretary kerry said there were two. >> you got it then. i can't, because i got in a classified setting. >> do you think a red line has been crossed? >> i think that at this point, we have to keep evaluating where

we are, and is a very serious situation. it is not about our country being involved. it is about getting all the countries involved and attempted to resolve this issue. it is a serious issue. you have issues involving immigration with different countries. you have turkey and jordan and evolve. this is a serious situation where you have a lot of in these camps and tents, without food. there is violence the goes on. there are a lot of issues that go on. >> you think that -- what are the challenges with syrian terms of if he were to engage with them? >> first, i don't think we as the united states want to go into another war. it is a very serious situation with people being killed. what happens by the way, after assad leaves? that is another thing that we have to look at. all the countries that surround it. you israel, you have turkey, you have jordan.

it is still a moving issue that we are working with other countries. as i said before, i think hopefully that russia understands how serious this is. knowing with assad and power, when he -- not only with assad in power, but when he leaves. >> what about a no-fly zone? do you see those as options question mark >> all options are on the table. every option is on the table as far as serious concerns. one of the most important issues, there have been close to 100,000 people have been killed. it is nothing to stop. it seems that the balance of power goes back and forth. it seems that the opposition is stronger, and then the next thing you know, it goes back to assad into the government. we are very much concerned to about people from other countries al qaeda influence. we are considered out when he does leave, and his government falls, where are those chemical

weapons going to be? are they going to get into the hands of the bad guys? different groups, terrorist groups? including hezbollah. >> if he falls, would it take a ground force to stabilize the country? >> i can get into that strategy. i would think at this time, with all the other issues we have, we would do everything we can to avoid putting boots on the ground. we have unique resources that no other countries have. we can work with the other countries as a team to try and do what we need to do as it relates especially to the issue of chemical weapons. i will say when this issue but chemical weapons came up a month ago, russia did step up. they had influence over assad in his government. [inaudible] how confident am i? i can only get briefed and evaluated, and howard -- and have our staff work on it. we feel chemical weapons were used in a very small way. >> speaker boehner urge the president to have a kind -- conversation with the country. with americans.

in light of the latest development spree do think it is time for that? speaker boehner is urging the president to have a conversation on this latest developments. >> it is always good to communicate. right now we are not sure where we are going. i keep saying, russia is a key player. i think they are a game changer as far as resolving the issue and moving on with a post assad government. see you. you want asking about boston? he has been moved. [inaudible] one issue, the major issue to focus on, find out what happened when he was in russia. was he radicalize? did he get training in how to guilt -- build a bomb?

it is not always easy to say you're going to build a bomb based on instructions produce a they have not tested bombs. the shoe bomber, times square bomber, we were lucky those not go off. they are pretty sophisticated. here you have a situation where these two brothers had successful bombs that went off. maybe they were lucky. maybe they -- i just don't know. i think that is the area i am think we need to focus on. was the brother radicalize when he went back? those are things that we need to pull together.

[inaudible] i know we are communicating. as all i can say. >> doesn't make any sense that someone who seeks asylum would go back to their own country? >> why would russia let them come in and go back out question is another issue. >> do of any concern about the mother, whether she -- >> she's a a person of interest premier looking at to see if she helped radicalize her son's or eye contact with other people and other terrorist groups. we do not want to put ourselves in the position where we have another threat out there. that their strategy might be to look at the united states as an area where they were successful. we have to focus on what happened with him in russia, and get as much intelligence as we can about terrorists in that region. the russians row is concerned about the rebels.

>> when it comes to the mother, what is your understanding of the tipoff that the russians gave to u.s. officials back in boston? >> i cannot discuss that. the mother did say that the blood was paint. i have to go. >> thank you. >> now to house foreign affairs subcommittee is examine the status of chechnya and whether they are a threat to u.s. security. the two bombing suspects have roots in that country and visited their prior to the april 15 attack. this is about 90 minutes.

>> i call to order this joint hearing of the foreign affairs solid -- subcommittee. [no audio] -- to the u.s. homeland. after chairman and i have twoand a you a after chairman and i have two subcommittees, each will us will have five minutes to make opening statements. without objection, all members may have five days to submit statements and extraneous material for the record. hearing no objections, so order. the objections -- the terrorist attack and bomb and have called it into a that has not received the study that it deserves.

the terrorist brothers have roots in chechnya, even though they grew up in america. chechnya, which includes dagestan, where the father of the two brothers lived. two major wars have been fought in chechnya in the 1990s. as the province sought in dependence from russia, many chechens fled. it is now a hotbed of radical islamic activity. there are reports that chechens fighting in afghanistan against the united states and nato troops. al qaeda has made recruitment of

chechens a priority. the appearance of chechens outside the northern caucuses is ominous. the original uprising against russia was secular and nationalist area did within this context -- nationalist. there will be no motive to attack the united states, especially after we had given them sanctuary. in the worldview of some chechens, there is been obviously some worldview radicalize as was the case of the two boston terrorists, who have turned from young people being raised here into a jihadist mentality of global war against infidels, which includes us.

is this happening on a regional basis? this radicalization we saw with these two young men? why is it happening? what outside forces sought to transform the northern caucuses and central asia into a region of muslim extremism, which did not exist before? in particular, what impact the saudi arabia play, and other islamist states in sending money and missionaries to the region to build mosques and schools to impact the minds of young people who make up such a large portion of the population in central asia. greater cooperation with russia, and the governments of central asia, should be explored in order to properly understand and respond to this emerging threat. this part of the world is critical to the future of the human race.

if it becomes dominated by a radical version of islam, it will change the course of history in a negative way. excuse me. muslims to serve you and progress. the jihadist mindset hates freedom. even as a minority viewpoint, radicals have done great damage throughout the muslim societies, from pakistan to afghanistan, through the caucuses. they've attacked the united states, as well as russia. can i have a glass of water? pardon me. i have a cold today. we have -- we must find ways to expand our friendships with muslims to build a better future predict future should be a peaceful and prosperity for all people, especially the people of central asia, because all of us

deserve to live in such a positive world. we want to find positive ways of moving forward with these people. we have gathered a panel experts to give us their advice today. the ranking member. >> thank you, mr. chairman. we are examining a region of the world that until in the go most did not know a great deal about. the boston marathon bombings changed that. i would like to take a moment to

acknowledge the victims and their families that were forever changed by this senseless act. thank those in boston who worked around the clock to save lives, and prevent other tragedies from occurring that we. their view of the world has become much smaller. the scope of their investigation grows. whether there is any kind -- connectivity with what happened in boston and watertown, is now extended into the northern caucasus. this committee has a responsibility to gather information that possible threats and home -- at home. although i wish that the discussion could have been taken place under different circumstances, this is a discussion worth happening. it highlights why so many of us have concern ourselves with security, rule of law, and human rights issues abroad. according to the 2012 report from the international crisis group, our conflict in the north caucuses is the most violent today breed insurgents -- is the

most violent today. while this policy has had successes, some have 574 insurgents have died through september 2012 in russia. there are almost daily attacks in the region as far as moscow great it is important to understand the description of terrorism within russia and the contributing factors, as the april 15 attack applies back home as well. began as an epic struggle decades ago has fueled into an insurgency. an insurgency that proves a threat to our homeland rate our world is more interconnected than ever.

while we see strides in bringing together international business groups and communication networks, we have yet to see the cooperation in international security matters, and information sharing matters. there is a delicate balance between cooperation with russia on counterterrorism, and concerned over human rights abuses. in the wake -- in no way should this and are protecting the lives of innocent people. at the end of the day, the as always want. the investigation continues print out this hearing will be insightful as we move to strengthen our international information sharing and security mechanisms. i look forward to hearing from our panel of witnesses, and excited to have dr. fraser here with us. he happened to be visiting. i want to thank you all for being here. i look forward to your testimony. i yield back. >> thank you very much for that thoughtful opening statements. the people who were hurt and

killed in boston, they are a part of our american family. just that everyone at 9/11, we grieve with you. we are committed to make sure that these things do not happen to other members of the american family. >> thank you. >> i recognize mr. poe, who is chairman of a subcommittee of his own, which focuses on such

threats of terrorism, as wells nonproliferation and trade. >> i want to express my 70s to the victims of the boston marathon. i want to praise the first was tom ash first responders -- i would to the first responders further effort to catch these bad guys. i'm confident we will get to the bottom of this investigation. we learned of the perpetrators had planned travel to times square in new york after the boston attacks to unleash more mayhem and bombs. they had pie bombs and another pressure cooker bomb. american people want answers. so do i pray i want to thank the witnesses for being here. it is unfortunate no one from the federal government was here. they were invited to send one person. a lot of questions revolve around the elder brother's trip to russia. the russians asked us to look into him. less than three months before he left for russia, the cia push to have him put on the u.s. counterterrorism watch list. for some unknown reason, his

name was not on the concern of the u.s. government, so u.s. authorities did not like him. that meant u.s. customs not stop and question him, nor did he let the fbi know that he was back so the fbi could talk to him. i'm not sure what he was not under concern. even the russians were worried about this. it looks at what may have the same problem of information sharing or lack of it. the washington post reports this morning that a single u.s. customs official assigned to the boston joint terrorism task force received a warning that the older brother suspected had turned -- return from a trip from russia.

there is indication the customs official provide the information to anybody, including the fbi, with previously interviewed the militant. we should not be struggling with the same issue of information sharing among american agencies, and also communication with foreign governments who are concerned about terrorism as well. we do not know the attackers had connection to al qaeda, but the evidence suggests a connection to the magazine. the older brother traveled to russia, then went to dagestan for six months between 2011- 2012. he might have been radicalized there. we are not certain if that is true. both brothers were chechens. it seems the brother was the ring letter. ringleader. you can be sure there is no

shortage of wanting to get their hands on young jihadist. elsewhere, if they jihadist cannot attack a russian target, america or europe is the best option for a al qaeda has encouraging those types of attacks or years. according to terrorism expert. al qaeda is under attack from every answer pretty answers to strike back in new york, madrid, london, toulouse, and possibly boston. authorities in canada arrested two men for allegedly plotting to blow up a train. al qaeda had provided direction and guidance. the call to global jihadist is alive and well. we have many questions that we need answers from.

the threat of terrorist attacks not die with bin laden. we must be realistic understand that. he must find out specifically what is taking place in chechnya. i yield back. >> thank you for the thoughtful and forceful opening statement. does anyone else have a desire for an opening statement? let me know that we did try to get a state department representative here with us today. we wanted to send a witness to tell us what they thought was going on in central asia and chechnya. they declined. they are too busy to send someone here to the united

states congress to speak with the american people through public hearings like this. they're too busy on other matters. that may well be part of the problem, and that this region has not gotten the attention it deserves. let us just know that central asia as we're describing it represents a huge chunk of the planet. if that area comes under the domination of radical islam, that makes it its job to attack the united states, or to attack other countries, other non- muslim people, they'll be a disaster for this planet.

that will be ushering us into an era that will be hard, of violence and mayhem, that will be hard to get out of. we need to pay attention to the caucuses. we need to work with those people who will work with us to see that that does not happen. i do not believe we have worked, paying attention care, as it on 9/11, and in boston. we also have not been cooperating and working as hard as we can with those other countries. i would put my finger on russia where we could have well worked a lot closer with russia than we have been.

as the judge pointed out, as the ranking member pointed out, we can do so without giving up our commitment to human rights, and not complain if the russians are doing something wrong predict an exception -- doing something wrong pray that should not prevent us from joining forces against rapid oh -- radical islam which threatens to kill our children to terrorize the world. i think they go over to dominate an area the size of central asia, everybody is in trouble. we have find witnesses. a professor at the institute of world politics. earlier he served as vice dean of the social sciences and humanities at the university. a senior research associate at the euro college of tartu, which is in estonia. -- next we have -- i took this upon myself to reach out to the russian embassy. your russian counterparts, to

see if we could recommend someone who could come here and discussed this very important issue. we appreciate you being here with us today. i'm sorry that the russian embassy can send people, but the state department can't. he is a director of the new york city branch of the institute for democracy and cooperation. he was a member of the presidential council of the russian federation between 1993- 2000 buried at vice president of

the reformer foundation, and author of the books "democracy and morality." he was awarded the russian medal of honor in 2009. we also have with us dr. greg douglas albert, professor of lyrical signs at georgia reach in a gossip. he studies at that group identity -- he studies at the -- georgia,ity.

augusta. he studies ethnic group identity. he holds an ma and a phd from the university of connecticut's. we have finally dr. fries are, who joined the international crisis group in 2004. she serves as the director of the european program. this role has are covering the caucuses both north and south, bosnia, turkey, and cyprus. before joining the crisis group, she served as political officer in the osce election observation members -- missions. she has a phd from the london school of economics and a masters from the college of europe in belgium, which she obtained as a fulbright scholar. we welcome her with our witnesses today. we would ask for you to keep

your testimony to five minutes. we will come back and ask questions once there is been everyone testified. if there is a though, it is the intention of this chair to recess, and to come back immediately after the last vote. we should not be more than 20 minutes or half an hour. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you for inviting me. thank you for hiving -- having a hearing on such an important topic. our common horror at what happened in boston, and that the enormous respect we have for the people of boston in the way they

responded. it was quite impressive. i must say that i want to associate myself with earmarks by the department states representation rate i was the only person employed in the u.s. government working on the non- russian peoples of the soviet union. it was my hope that after the soviet union came apart, the number people who will be working in those areas would grow and we would all benefit from it. it is probably inevitable whenever something that we know little about comes into our consciousness. that we jump to over possible location -- oversimplification. as what is happening in response

to the poor in boston. we have had people use terminology which has been imported without much thought about what it means you think it is terribly important to unpack some of this oversimplistic language and to understand what is really going on, lest we be in a position to fight it and also be many belated anyway that is against national interest. i would like to focus on three elements of this over civil simplification. first it has to islam. second is that the city. third is the experience of immigration among people of the north caucuses. islam in the north caucuses is among the most very phenomenon in the world. it came three different ways. not until the 18th century in chechnya. dagestan is a vastly more

islamic place. i am much more worried about the six-month and dagestan. it varies differently and how it is held by people there, and how much a lot of aids action. many of the people who are called muslims call themselves muslims know nothing about their faith. they are what the soviets called thnict muslims.-- ehtni muslims. they know they are muslims. the not know what it means. a good muslim would know, you pray five times a day. he did not know. unfortunately, we use the term muslim without an appreciation of the fact that what happened has happened in the north caucuses and even more in central asia. it reflects the experience is of a community that had an identity but has no content for that

identity. suddenly there were people available to provide that content. prior to 1991, very few people could've told you the difference between one story the koran and another. it was only published twice a people there. they do not know very much. i believe that the opening of the southern border may prove ultimately more faithful than the opening to the western europe.o your.-- to i want to give you four statistics. in 1991, in the russian federation, there were 150 mocks. -- mosques. now there 1800. this past year there were 40,000 trips to mecca. the turks are heavily involved.

about 2500 and the late 90s. it is now somewhere between a hundred 50. -- to a figure of probably about 1200 again. those numbers are even more dramatic in central europe. we can come back to that. with the spec to ethnicity, it was constructed bradys people at various experiences with what it means.-- with respect to ethnicity, it was constructed people at various experience with what that means. most of the chechens were in fact ethnic nationalists. there are some who are, but overwhelmingly it is not the case. if you look at central asia, you will see that that is also the truth.

the springs immigration means that people are extremist because they are up against very difficult situations. one thing that has not been focused on is that many chechens feel they are about to be returned to the russian federation to chechnya because of what has been happening because of russian pressure in austria and elsewhere. people who fear they have no good options may do really bad things. three quick conclusions. we're learning that if we are going to compete in this ideological context, police power must be used. it will never be sufficient to solve the problem. second, we need to recognize that many of the problems we have now both with regards to at the city. -- regards to islam and north caucases. we had to cooperatate with the russians in certain respects. we recognize that they are part of the problem. that has to be insisted upon.

we need to understand that some of the things that are coming out in the coverage of the two terrorists chose that there are optimistic reasons for looking at islam. more and more muslims are learning the details of their faith. when i started studying it, you cannot get translations -- now there are our discussions for what is canonical. we know what happened when the bible was translated into german and english and the 15th century. it led to the reformation. the renaissance, and modernity. we will see the same kind of troubles that the people of western europe understood. thank you very much. >> that last point was very

interesting read and never thought of that before. dr. albert? >> thank you. i appreciate the opportunity to speak about islamic extremism. i would like to remark my comments are directed at islamic extremists, and do not refund the general population of not reflectand do the general population of chechnya. this pertains to the islamist threat inside the area. there are some islamist almonds inside chechnya and the surrounding caucuses region. the global jihadist network is a question for debate. there is an islamist presence in the region. it poses little threat to the united states, although it may pose a threat to forces worldwide. created toible]

replace the failing government of the region. embarkedthey ahvghavehave upon expansion. they have 3rd party financing mainly based in saudi arabia. there appears to be evidence the two are connected. although their arguments whether there are larger connections between the ce and al qaeda, there appears to be evidence of the two are connected, if only in a minor way. it is documented that al qaeda is more of a leaderless organization. acorn it is efforts via the internet, which is a relationship it has with the chechens. it is more difficult to establish a clear connection between the two. there is a connection however small it may be. although there are historical

links with chechnya and al qaeda, there is no evidence that the greatestrnaev. jihadist but in the caucasus mountains does not involve most of the chechens. it is a larger network of jihadist connected to the global jihadist. it is more of a caucasian threatening chechens but emanating mostly from individuals from dagestan. in the cap on the united states

-- an attack on the united states is highly unlikely. the chechens are not preoccupied with united dates. however, one has to consider if they do become more involved with the larger global jihadist network whether they may consider attacking the u.s. homeland. one look go conclude an attack in the u.s. is highly unlikely by these individuals. the larger confederated network has nothing to do with the planning, coordinating or financing of the attacks in boston. he is organized and exercises organization has no conflict with the united states. nationalist groups inside chechnya director most -- concerns towards combating the bus and federation. especially with the

2014 winter olympics approaching, it can be hypothesized there efforts are targeting those sporting events, or planning other attacks in russia. it is unlikely that u.s. military security and forces that are combating jihadist worldwide will face a continued threat from individuals from the chechen areas. the u.s. has faced these foes in the caucuses. we can safely predict that where there is the jihadist foothold, or where there is the chance of regaining ground, some chechens will be found there. unless more details are made available, i think it is highly unlikely that there is any reasonable strategic threat land against the united states by the

chechens. thank you very much. >> thank you very much. we will have questions for you later. you have to punch the button. thank you for joining us today. we appreciate hearing from a point of view that we wouldn't hear of otherwise. i think we should. he may proceed. >> thank you mr. chairman. it is a privilege for me to be here. to share some concerning perceptions which it happened in boston. first of all, i would like to if the size that this attack in boston have provoked feelings of solidarity with the american people, especially the citizens of boston, for people of russia. this is the second time where president putin expressed his readiness immediately to cooperate with american

authorities in order to find out what happened, and how we can find causes which brought these tragedies. in russia, there is of course a kind of -- even during this previous two decades, when russia was fighting against chechens, russia did not get enough understanding, empathy, and support from our western partners. this is something which really in public opinion. boudin was talking to the people putin was talking to the people. he said that russia was the victim of international terrorism in russia from middle eastern countries from other places.

radicals are coming and supporting chechen terrorists. unfortunately, our western partners were very reserved in order to give their support. this is one of the reasons that even now when you look at coverage of the events in boston, a lot of people are talking about deportations. psychological problems concerning these people who grew up, and the injustices of the russian authorities, try to justify motives.

i think that america now is faced with homegrown terrorism. i think it is becoming more and more aware that no motive can justify the mass killings of innocent civilians, independently because no reconciliation can be justified with government acting in some places like this -- and this i me the reason they acted this way. another important problem is that of course russia wanted to get back leaders of chechen terrorist from the uk and from the united states.

by the way, he took asylum in boston when he left russia. but the problem is that i would like to say that chechen terrorists crossed the border of russia. now we have information in russia that chechens are fighting in afghanistan, and they're fighting against americans. they're fighting against nato. they are members of some groups in europe. they are now fighting in syria. american politicians and the american media is supportive to some groups of these rebels who are fighting against legitimate

governments, at which meant we heard some fighters over there, if we win, we are going to fight in russia, returning back to russia.

some of what i said in russia, the general mood is that we are to understand that we russians have a common interest with the united states and we had disagreements. not everyone in russia believes the american secret services consist of knights on white horses. >> thank you very much for that testimony. we recognize the frustration of someone who sees acts of

terrorism being committed against his own people. we will go into that in the question and answer session. we are very pleased to have the chairman of the full committee. would you like to make a statement? >> i appreciate that opportunity, i will defer and allow the witnesses each to testify. and then i might ask a question. >> we will put you up front. >> thank you very much, mr. chairman for the opportunity to present today. i want to commend the subcommittee for focusing their attention during such a critical time.

a few words about crisis group, an independent nonpartisan group that provides analysis, policy advice, and recommendations to organizations on the prevention and resolution of deadly conflicts. the ambassador is our current chairman and the former chief prosecutor and the former u.n. high commissioner for human rights is our current president. crisis group began in 2012 and has written two background reports that were published in october. the challenges of integration, and conflict. the challenges of integration, islam, the insurgency, and counterinsurgency.

i would ask that these reports speak incorporated into the record. the third report, which will come out early this summer, which will look at the institutional causes of conflict. that will have a series of recommendations on how to deal with the violence. i should say that our staff travels frequently to the north caucasus talking to -- i understand that these hearings take place in the aftermath of the boston bombings. there are two primary causes for conflicts. ethnic conflict and the islamic insurgency. let me talk about the ethnic conflict. the failure of their projects and their expanded use of armed

force brought indiscriminant response during wars in chechnya. since 2003, the situation in chechnya has largely stabilized. handing over most economic and political power to local authorities. having said that, several conflicts continue to exist in the region. sometimes these lead to violence. very often, they are about land and control of power, the local power, and economic resources. we also see some conflicts between some of the republics. you still see tensions at the local level. the other main source of conflict, which is the main issue of today, is the

insurgency. what we should say is that the insurgency feeds off the ethnic conflicts. a lot of the young people choose to join the insurgency. the main organization that is mobilizing the insurgency -- it was proclaimed in 2007. it is recognized as a terrorist organization by russia and the united states and by many others. it tracks youth in all different types of ethnicities. it attacks federal forces and local police and also civil servants and religious leaders. it has unified force, a unified cause, a very strong structure with leadership. it is predominantly local,

locally funded and it has a local aspiration. rarely a day goes by without an attack in russia. 750 people were killed in 2011 and almost the same number killed in 2012. so far this year, 67 people were killed. we remember the bombing at the airport in moscow in january 2011 that killed 37. the vast majority of attacks are against security services and traditional clergy. in february of 2012, the head said he would no longer be targeting civilians. the government's main response has been a very tough focus on eradicating the insurgency with the massive security presence. for example, a few days ago, between the 11th and 21st of april, there was a major security operation.

resulted in the displacement of 5000 people. the russian government has also began to open it some room and started applying longer-term comprehensive approach to counter terrorism. i believe it is this approach that should be supported. the north caucasus integration into the rest of russia it is essential for healthy ethnic relations in the country. the spread of violence indicates that more comprehensive approaches are needed. thank you very much. >> thank you. we appreciate all of our witnesses today. i am going to recognize the chairman of the full committee for a statement or a question, whichever he chooses.

>> thank you, mr. chairman. one of the observations, in my conversations with members from southern russia, they shared with me the way in which the chechen al qaeda linked organization was going house to house in their state which neighbors chechnya. giving young men an option of either joining the movement or killing them. as they related to me, this was much more than a movement for the chechnya independence. it was much more ambitious. you will see chechens fighting in afghanistan, you will see

them carrying out assassinations in pakistan, all over central asia. in terms of the violence, the al qaeda-linked groups have developed a methodology of suicide bombings that they have carried to quite an extent. you've talked about the attack on the school where you have over 500 casualties, most of them children. this is fairly a regular occurrence from southern russia. even in moscow, when these fighters get into the city, it is pretty horrific what they do in the subways or in government buildings. the question going forward is with this commitment to -- given that encompasses such a large

geographic area, the attempt to convert moderate muslims is a major challenge. i talked to a village leader and he told me about the situation in his village where 12 young men were receiving instruction in jihad. all 12 for decapitated.-- were decapitated. this is not a local custom. this is the importation or the change of a culture. gradually, we are changing our culture to this al qaeda psychology. it is a gulf state culture in terms of capitation, but with the kind of mass killings we are doing, we are changing culture.

i was going to ask you about that because it is a struggle within the societies. they felt they were losing the struggle. your insights? >> thank you for raising this question. i would like to say the situation is now much worse. the problem is that it is a multi-ethnic. there are strained relations between different ethnic groups. it is more prone -- it is coming from saudi arabia and the money is coming, the people are coming from there. the power is very weak.

this is the problem which you can understand. you have a strong man in chechnya and no terrorist acts. every day practically, this is the problem of security and democracy. >> i think it might be a little bit more complicated than that. >> many states across southern russia. in moscow as well. with all the security in moscow, they are not able to protect the subways. >> what we are seeing is an effort to recruit people who are

identifying themselves as the effort to recruit committed islams, people who really know about islam. the saudi missionaries have been most successful in areas where people do not know very much about islam. this is a huge problem because if you see people acquire more islamic -- as people learn more about their religion, they will become more fundamentalist. as people learn more about our religion they become protected against efforts to change their direction. in the case of the people of central asia and the muslim population in the russian federation, what we have people

who do not have that kind of training and are more susceptible for recruitment. it is very important to understand that. there is a process of immunization. i know many muslims -- those who know a great deal about islam are able to say absolutely no to the missionaries coming from saudi arabia. the people who know much less about islam are far more likely to be recruited because they're waiting for someone to tell them what it means. >> thank you. we now recognize the ranking member on the terrorism subcommittee for his opening statement. >> thank you, mr. chairman. those who have seen me on this committee have seen me use my question time to pontificate. i am filled with some any questions -- so many questions.

i'll invite the panel to respond later. one relates to the history of the area where we are told stalin deported the entire chechnya and population. how many people were deported? how many of returned? who in the heck was living in chechnya in the meantime? how're they persuaded to leave? we see over 200-year alliance between the family -- i think it may go beyond this hearing, but this is both an alliance and very dangerous to the saudi royal family since most of those who want to kill the leaders of saudi arabia are motivated by

islam which is almost indistinguishable to the islam that is being propagated by money that comes from the gulf. i am going to be asking what are the training facilities in chechnya? we all knew that al qaeda was operating in afghanistan, taking in people from all over the world. is there anything on a smaller scale in chechnya? we saw these brothers be effective in the bombing and incredibly amateurish after the bombing.

it would be interesting to see if they got any training beyond what they saw on the internet for the bombing. we will not know that in these hearings, but perhaps we will know if there is a mini-out qaeda for extremist islam in the region. i think i will save the rest of my questions for question time. >> thank you very much. we will now proceed to our questions and dialogue. let me begin by saying that years ago, i think in 2004, the terrorist took over a school in russia.

is that city part of chechnya? or part of russia? it is a russian school. the terrorists murdered in the end -- 180 children lost their lives. i remember calling the white house personally and i talked directly with condoleezza rice and i told her, now is the time that we can establish a close and positive relationship with russia. recruit them to work with us in areas of mutual interest that we could not do before. now is the time to stand with these folks. send president bush over there to stand next to putin and say

americans stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of russia and the government of russia in opposing and feeding those who would murder children in order to obtain their political edge. as we have seen in boston, the young man who put the bomb down did so by an eight-year-old boy. the answer was evident that no, the president did not go there. how many people here know that the russians have built a monument in memory of the people who were killed? right across from where the world trade center was, there is

a beautiful monument that was built by the russian people and the russian government expressing solidarity of seeing ordinary people losing their lives to a terrorist attack? today, i would hope that what happened in boston and the fact is related directly back to russia and chechnya, there is a line you could draw that i hope will motivate us to work with russia in order to defeat those who would murder children in order to attain their goals. the chechnya independence movement was originally secular nationalists. what i am talking about is, i do not understand how radical islam talking about god, they seem to be the ones to justify acts of murdering innocent people, who are noncombatants.

not targeting the army of someone, but targeting -- that is being done to terrorized into submitting to some of their radical religious thought. in the beginning, it was secular nationalists. now it appears that radical islamist ideologies has pretty much dominated that independence movement. these are people who now make a common jihad against christians and\jews around the world. world. throughout the where did that come from? how did that happen? i am asking this of the panel. was this financing of the

extremism, and financing of these mosques, it did that have something to do with this? what kind of threats in the future? they did not permit the saudis to build their mosques. in whose pakistan -- in whose uzbekistan. they were criticized as a violation of their human rights. we know the saudi purpose was to develop a brand of islam that will target and killed children. how did it become as -- is there a way to counter that? are we right to condemn them for not allowing them to build their mosques? >> as someone who was quite involved, who prevented the killing of boris yeltsin,

prevented the killing -- extensions of killings at that time, i can testify that the national movement was completely secular. the process by which you saw a change is not that the entire movement changed, but the part that got attention changed. it was a product of three different factors. the first was that the national movement is articulated -- he believed as a nation, they had a right to independence. that was his personal belief. when they did not get any support for their position in the west, at a be damaging for begant elsewhere.-- they looking for support elsewhere. disappointed in are not having supported them, they turn to look to the only people prepared to said they were supporting them. i mentioned some numbers about the people -- this is a good indication of how intense --

over the last 22 years, chechens have formed a 40% coming from the russian federation even though they form less than 1% of the russian federation. you have real money coming in to build various kinds of things. i would argue there is still a chechen national movement that is committed to a secular and free chechnya. unfortunately, it gets very little attention in chechnya because it has been so unsuccessful. when people are unsuccessful, and when people they hope to be their allies do not turn out to be, it is not surprising that they turn to other people. >> i cannot imagine if a number

of western countries where people would be so committed to the national independence and they were so frustrated that they were not getting outside support, they would go to ally themselves with those who help them murderer large numbers of children. this is not an excuse, them not getting support from the united states or from people who believe in democracy, it is no excuse to help people who are

willing to murder targets. >> i was not -- i am just trying to provide an explanation, because it is absolutely true. what was tragic is that those people who recognized what was going on were almost entirely ignored. there was a lot that could have been done and should have been done and was not done. i do not believe that we bear responsibility, either then or now, for what happened. >> given your familiarity with the russian government, i have a question. is the fbi investigating the boston bombing received information from russia. they saw additional information after their investigation. can you speak or shed some light on the culture that exists with law-enforcement and with security officials in both countries? could you comment on how it could be improved? >> my opinion is that -- this is when i called

yesterday, because cnn wanted me to comment about the contact between security forces, they said they are cooperating and we are not going to make any comments on this. my personal guess is that this is the problem of distrust between our countries and their security forces. i am afraid that russian security law enforcement agencies asked the fbi to look at these guys, in this country and in the west, the idea that russian authorities are oppressing them. this is some russian plot. this is not a terrorist, it is

something else. that is why i am afraid they did not pay enough attention to the warnings. as a result, as i said in my preliminary statement, on law enforcement authorities, and in political circles, and i know them very well, since 2001, there is a feeling of betrayal. putin offered every opportunity and strongly cooperated in fighting against the taliban and and we are going to

cooperate. ask one of the things we want to, but as a better opportunity to have security advisers and law-enforcement work work more closely, despite our in bothces, because countries, lives could be lost. the caucasuswith emirates. i had a question for the doctor. we are getting reports that there are posters coming up in the north caucasus area and actual support for the terrorist that conducted the boston marathon bombings.

that there is so much attention focused on the u.s., negative attention. could you comment on what you ?ight think in your opinion is very a different viewpoint towards the united states? reporting so far, we have not looked at the russian united states relationship as it relates to the north caucasus. i can only answer this question partially. in its statement of last week what the caucasus said as they are not at war with the united states. of theot the ambition north caucasus insurgency to extend its war to the united states or beyond the region of the caucasus, including central asia.

the posters you're seeing today are very troubling. to see that there are people in this region who are taking pleasure of what happened in boston. some of this might just be and terms of family links that of course is highly unfortunate and i don't to get reflects on the failings of the general population in the region. >> thank you. reflects on the feelings of the general population in the region. >> thank you. it back, mr.turn chairman. >> the chairman of the subcommittee on terrorism and nonproliferation. >> thank you for being here. i am a little irritated that the state department is not here. this is an important topic.

sure, they don't have all the information yet but they should at least show up. it's ironic the russian government help us get a witness here to help us from that perspective. you may be the last arson in the state department i worked on this issue. maybe that's why you're the only one here today. but i do have some concerns. i think we have learned that radical islamic jihadist did not come from a certain one place area in the world. they come from all over the world. some are homegrown. chechnya is one of those areas that we need to focus on. we need to work with the russian government on what is taking place there because what takes place there obviously has been taking place here as well with the influence and medline from fromtan -- redline

thought to the united states as far as what criminal activity is taking place in our own country. is a place where it is known that as a haven for , why we philosophy would not be concerned about someone and the united states going to that area for six months. what was he doing for six months? who would this person, the older brother, who could he have been meeting with to get an influence al qaedada or from jihadist movements? thatjust want to suggest one of the insights americans

have brought to the appearance isterrorism is that it often bred and failed states where there are no political institutions to run things. a week ago, the new acting president of pakistan -- of dagestan, described his republic as a failed state where political and legal as duchenne did not work and where he cannot control the situation --political and legal institutions did not work and where he cannot control the situation. failed states that cannot control their population or operate as a state now -- areasly does, open exploited by radicals of various kinds. -- there arengs places in dagestan were officials have not been. of someoneibility

going there for six months and not being exposed to radicals in one way or another strikes me as slim to none. >> it is not the place you would go fishing. >> among other things. that's right. it is also a place where you that hadect someone the troubled biography this gentleman did, but an opinion on -- object of interest. i am more concerned about the six month and dagestan than the fact that the man is an ethnic chechen. >> let me retain my time. would you think that we should be concerned about that? especially if the russian government says -- they tell us two times this is somebody we should be concerned about. and all the sudden he comes back to the united states, maybe a customs official new it, maybe he did not like in the area of

intelligence, that should raise a red flag. this is not something that should slip under the rug. it definitely poses a concern if we did not communicate properly who was visiting the area. i want to address the regional planet who could this person have been meeting with in dagestan. ans is particularly organization that could be a subset -- >> how large of that organization? >> may be less than 1000 individuals i don't have much evidence of that. they are actively recruiting throughout the area as well. it could be larger because it is attached to the caucasus emirates as well as the consideration of alliances -- the confederation of alliances. >> is the influence of the

inical jihadist movement dagestan, is it on the increase ? is itt decreasing something we should be concerned about as well. is on the increase in dagestan is something we should be concerned about. >> i am out of time. i yield back. >> i don't believe any americans are concerned if a country decides to have leadership that .s religious if there is a religion that convinces people putter their faith faith is to murder other people's children -- people faith is of their

to murder other people's children. for their independence and right to vote. mr. sherman. >> thank you. does anyone have little quick history lesson for us as to the chechen deportation? how many people were kicked out, etc. westmark >> the entire .peration in 1944 -- 1994 a quarter died in transit. they were allowed to return. russia resettled some people into the homes inside chechnya at that time. eventually allowed

the chechens to come back. many came back. there were issues in ethnic tensions within chechnya in people who resettled in their homes. tragedyknown as a great to the ethnic identity of chechens at this event. it is something very strong enough historical memory. >> in 1944, there were russians living in these homes in an area that supported 800,000 people. today in chechnya, how many of those russians are still there? >> it's a good question. propagandauge saying the russians are killing all the chechens. they terrorized all of them and kicked them out. >> there were tens or hundreds of thousands of russians? >> 300,000.

>> i want to call for better relations with united states and russia. . we granted refugee status to this family. we see the outcome. answer what level -- basest are the training for extremist islam in that area? ?s there a particular site >> the short answer is that they were training over there in chechnya and other places because the central government was very weak.

they are limited because practicality is under the control. sufi islam as their traditionally which means they are limiting. central government is trying to andngthen local authorities .utting these security guys -- the russian government told us to watch tamerlan. months and the russian federation. how robust is the russian intelligence in the town where the parents lived? would be expected russians to keep track of an individual during six months? or is this an area where the

writ of the government -- >> two months ago, the president a dagestan proved it is failed state. bribery is very high. and lines are too many. too many ethnic groups. there are within dagestan 30 different mutually non- intelligible languages -- language groups. not the caucasus. but there are 30 different nations speaking. most are tri or

quadrilingual. in many areas, it is very difficult for someone from the center to penetrate the plane was communities so a lot goes on that frankly >> thank you. we have time for one minute statement and then we will be wrapping up this hearing. >> thank you. i have been paying attention closely. i felt compelled. i have a question. the issue is i have been listening to a lot and talking about the terrorists in the terrain that is not manageable. we have tried to bring some of those individuals back into society was that whether that was something being done so that

those who are being taken toward terrorist actions is to bring them back into society so they can re-assimilate into our culture. >> the single best predictor is unemployment rate a wrong -- males around-old the world. that trumps everything. among young people, in many cases, 100%. the best i can be done -- and the russian government is doing this -- is to give people jobs. people are employed and are integrated into society in that way. they're far less likely likely to go on to any missionary --

>> thank you. i'm sorry. we have three minutes left. 30 seconds. , they have set up similar committees. this is something i would say would be an area where the u.s. government would be able to share experiences. >> thank you. we appreciate all of the witnesses. end during at the the cold war, i was the soviet unions worst enemy. . i believed free people needed to determine who their number one enemy was i were to try to defeat them. we have worked with a lot of people. radical islam in china appears to be the main adversaries of

people in the free world and the main threat to the free world. i hope that we all work together against a religion that will motivate people to murder children and other threats to us and to civilization. this hearing is adjourned. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> up next, the house debate on the faa funding to end furlough s. oner that, a senate hearing the future of human spaceflight. on "newsmakers" a ranking member of the armed services committee talks about defense issues, including budget cuts, the boston bombings, and information sharing among syria's agencies and

possible use of chemical weapons. here is a portion. >> at this point i think it is clear that chemical weapons were used. i'm not 100% confident. based on various intelligence reports, everything is still being sorted out. how did it come to pass? was this the assad regime giving a direct order to its military to use these chemical weapons? or did it happen in some other way? this details are murky. confidence level seems high. chemical weapons were used to at least a small extent. newsmakers" with washington congressman adam smith sunday at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. eastern on c-span. following senate action on thursday, there was a vote to

end furloughs that were blamed for the delay of flights. is the floor debate on the issue. it is under an hour. >> the purpose of this transfer authority is to restore reliable and safe service and the air traffic system by reducing or eliminating employee furlough days. i think we agree that the faa and the administration has handled the sequester poorly. the faa has negotiated in bad faith with the faa employees, the airlines, flying public, and

the congress. the administration has played shameful politics with sequestration at the cost of hard-working american families. as i have often said, this is no way to run a government. the congress is stepping in to correct the problems, created by the administration's inaction. we are taking this step because of the mismanagement of this important function for the safety of all americans who fly and on behalf of the commerce that depends on a reliable air system. we are taking this action to end the administration's political games that are threatening our passengers' rights and safety. the fact that we are here today trying to solve this problem is a result of the sequester. i remind you the president brought the sequester to the table. in an effort to avoid the arbitrary $1.2 trillion of cuts

mandated by the budget control act, twice the majority in this house have passed legislation that would have replaced the sequestration with targeted spending cuts of an equal dollar amount. the senate has never considered either of these bills, and thus the sequestration was triggered. this situation goes to show we need to return to regular order and consider appropriation bills in their entirety and not rely on continuing resolutions to fund the government. under a c.r., there is no way to protect programs related to the safety of the american public. it shows we must have a long- term comprehensive solution to our budget challenges, one that removes the sequester and provides sustainability and stability in the federal budget. mr. speaker, i put the

administration, the secretary, the agency on alert that we are watching. we have questions that we want answered about how they are using these funds and how they are going to be managed by the department. like i said at the faa hearing this last wednesday, the safety of our air space cannot be subject to political posturing. i reserve the balance of my time. >> the gentleman reserves. >> mr. speaker, i ask consent to revise and extend my remarks. >> so ordered. >> i yield myself such time as i may consume. >> the gentleman is recognized. >> i would tell my dear friend that we agree on one thing, and this is the notion that this is not a good way to run a government. i have to remind him and all my

colleagues that a year and a half ago we were in this house, in this chamber talking about the budget control act, as i remember. a year and a half ago we had a vote. i did not support the legislation because i felt that sequestration was a bad idea. but the house passed the bill, the senate passed the bill, and the president signed it. for me, it is difficult to lay blame on any one party, because this was done in a bipartisan manner. it is difficult for me to lay blame on one chamber, because both chambers passed the bill, because this was an action taken in the house, passed by the senate, and signed by the president. i have to tell you that the administrator was before our subcommittee this week. he detailed the cuts that he had

-- i have to tell you that the administrator was before our subcommittee this week. he detailed the cuts he had to make based on the rules and regulations of various laws that till with sequestration. that is why towers were ordered to be shut, and that is what we had to furlough the faa air traffic controllers. in his testimony, the

administrator reminded us that in february of this year a letter was sent by secretary lahood to the leadership, including myself and chairman latham, that this sequestration was going to cause a problem in the efficiency of the air traffic control system because there would be a furlough of air traffic controllers in order to meet the cuts that were required by sequestration. that was done in february. in march, when it sequestration was invoked, the faa had to implement a plan to see what it had to do to meet the number of cuts it had to make, but not to take away the safety of our air traffic control system knowing

that its efficiency would be diminished. today we are here bringing a fix to this situation. furloughs have been taken, 10% of employees have been furloughed, and that has a result of passengers' inconvenience, delays, or canceled flights. the problem is, and i agree with my chairman, this is not a good solution because there are other agencies that have to make their cuts and are in a crisis themselves. hopefully not.

when we come back from our work time, there will not be another agency, another crisis that we have to start shifting from one account to save another account. mr. speaker, the solution is a comprehensive removal of sequestration, and that will only come about in my belief in my opinion if the house with its budget, the senate with its budget, will conference and work out the details that it needs to work out to have a comprehensive solution, not to our budget, but also to end sequestration, and that needs to be done in order we are not dealing with issue by issue, crisis by crisis.

so i agree with my chairman, that this is not a good way to run a government, but this morning i asked my colleagues to support the legislation, and i reserve. >> the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from iowa is recognized. >> may i inquire how much time is remaining? >> 17 minutes remaining. >> i would yield one minute to the gentleman from north carolina. >> thank you. for this administration, the terms sequestration has become synonymous with fear. i have been disappointed that the faa chose to close the contract control towers in 149 airports, including my home town of concord, north carolina. this airport is the third busiest in north carolina. it was named as an airport of

national significance because it is the reliever airport for charlotte, which is the sixth busiest airport in the world. the decision to close these towers at a savings of $50 million is hard to understand when you consider the fact that the faa requested $15.1 billion for fiscal year 2013 and through sequester is receiving $15.9 billion, an increase over the amount of money the faa said they needed to operate. i can only conclude their goal is to make sequester cuts and threatens people's their safety. >> i would yield the gentleman 30 seconds. >> i will conclude by saying i support this bill because it ends the political gains by giving the secretary the

flexibility he needs to keep these towers open. i yield back the time. yield two minutes to the gentleman from maryland. >> mr. speaker, the gentleman from maryland is recognized for two minutes. >> i rise in opposition to this piece of legislation. visible above the water line for most americans and as time goes on without a big balanced deficit solution more icebergs will surface. more americans will be negatively affected.

while i want to tend delays, i will oppose this bill because it fails to address the whole impact of sequester. let me share a handful of examples of how sequester will affect americans. education, head start, 70,000 children will be kicked out of head start. nothing in this bill deals with them. furloughs for disability claims, nothing in this bill deals with them. 4 million fewer meals on wheels for seniors. 600,000 people dropped off wic. nothing for them. housing, 125 less housing vouchers, nothing in here for them. emergency unemployment insurance cut for out of work americans, nothing in here for them.

f.d.a. fewer food inspections, nothing in here for them. longer waits to approve new drugs, nothing in here for them. defense and homeland security furloughs equivalent to 1,000 fewer agents for the f.b.i., border, etc. on the job. 1/3 of air combat units are grounded, nothing in here for them. 89,000 agency wide furloughs in irs up to seven days -- may i have 30 additional seconds? >> you may. >> nothing in here for them. they serve 89,000 taxpayers trying to find help. we ought not to be mitigating the affect on just one segment when children, the sick, our military and many other groups will be impacted by this irresponsible policy are left unhelped.

instead of addressing this serious wound with a small band aid let's get to work on a real solution. let's go to conference and get a big deal. let's deal with all the adverse consequences of sequester, not just those that affect the powerful air travel letters of america. we ought to help them but we ought to help everybody else as well and i yield back the balance of my time. >> i yield myself 30 seconds. it's fascinating what the administration that insisted on the sequestration, the gentleman just spoke supported the sequestration. so now to come and make a statement is quite fascinating. mr. speaker i would yield one minute to the gentleman from new york. >> i'd like to thank the gentleman from iowa for yielding. i support the underlying bill and before i make my comments i would ask my colleague from

maryland we have an opportunity to send a message to america we have a bill that will address an issue that needs to be addressed on behalf of american citizens. let us start here on a bipartisan fashion to solve the problems. mr. speaker i rise in support of the underlying bill because i have heard from my constituents in new york where a contract tower is going to be closed. what this bill does is restore that funding on a common sense basis where that contract tower, my sincere hope and belief will be preserved and go forward. that will preserve the safety of my air traveling public. i'm proud to stand here today because of bipartisan efforts we worked together to solve this issue.

let's pass this bill and move forward. >> the time is expired. >> i yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from maryland. >> i thank you the gentleman for yielding. let me inform my friend in iowa he misstates my position. i have been gent the sequester -- against the sequester every year i was on the appropriations committee. i opposed your cap bill which you supported which had sequester as the alternative. the president is against sequester, the senate budget is against sequester and you would not allow us to offer an amendment four times which would have precluded sequester, not only for air travel but for the children of head start and buy medical research. if you are going to state the facts, state the correct ones. >> the speaker reminds all members to address their remarks to the speaker.

>> i yield two minutes to the gentleman from north carolina mr. price. >> gentleman from north carolina is recognized for two minutes. >> hypocrisy is reaching new heights in this body. many said bring it on as sequestration loomed. many who relished to this crisis. are in a rush to put on a band- air. -- band-aid. speaker boehner said the sequestration bill included 98% of what republicans wanted and republicans showed they valued their anti-tax ideology more than defense or any other cuts. now that sequestration fell as a result they claim it doesn't need to hurt very much. and when the cuts bite, the president must be doing this

just to make a political point. so this apparently wasn't supposed to be about air traffic control. the read the bill caucus needs to read the bill. it was about air traffic control and today we are going to apply a much needed band aid. maybe tomorrow we can have a bill applying to cancer research. then the next day let's have a bill about cancer treatments. then the next day let's have a bill about head start. then let's have one about tuition assistance to our military personnel. then let's have one about the border patrol. and by the way, if and when we apply these band aids, we need to realize we are shifting cuts to equally important areas that aren't in the news at the moment or that don't have powerful lobbies working on their behalf. my colleagues, i want to address these crisis as much as any must be and contain the damage. but damage control is not a budget policy. sequestration is a self- inflicted wound unworthy of those who profess to govern. it's hypocritical and misleading having imposed on the administration to pretend that the president could fix this problem with a flick of the wrist.

sequestration is a disaster. it needs to be reversed. it need to be replaced. by a comprehensive budget plan that includes tax expenditures which are the real drivers of the deficit. >> the speaker would now like to recognize the distinguished gentleman from arkansas for one minute. >> thank you mr. speaker. i rise today to encourage my colleagues to pass this measure to stop president obama's needless furlough of air traffic controllers. further this legislation empowers the f.a.a. to restore funding for 150 towers operated by private contractors around the country. the furloughs have received media attention this week but we shouldn't overlook the role these towers play in places like arkansas.

these airports handle almost 30% of all aviation traffic providing vital relief to some of our most congested airports. the importance of these towers can't be overstated. i introduced legislation to restore funding for those towers. i'm confident the f.a.a. will use this bill to restore funding for these essential contractor operated air traffic control towers. again, i want to thank my colleagues for their support for this measure and i yield back the balance of my time. before i yield time, i'd like to remind my colleague this bill was passed by the house, the senate and signed by the president. that is what brought us sequestration. >> i thank the gentleman for yielding.

this is an usual morning. we are because of the refusal of the republicans to come to the table for a conference. what is a conference? a conference is a public open meeting where differences between the house budget bill and the senate bill can be reconciled. it is done with transparency understand full public view. we have the american people be the judge of what is their statement of values. afraid of that public scrutiny the republicans have refused to appoint conferees for a conference. we call upon the speaker to amount conferees so we can have that public airing, that

transparent view of something very important. the republican leadership has said in the house and senate they want the regular order. what is the regular order? the regular order is the house passes a bill, the senate passes a bill. you go to conference. now afraid that their views may be rejected by the american people they don't want to go to conference. that's why we are here this morning for sequestration. what is sequestration? sequestration is a mindless across the board cutting of what we are now recognizing and republicans are recognizing as something that should not be cut. it affect it is efficiency and safety of our airports. that's very important. but as our distinguished democratic mr. hoyer has pointed out, there is much more that

need to be addressed instead of using this as a vehicle. one of the distinguished chairman said earlier the safety of our airports should not be subject to political debate. negotiate should the education of our children, the nutrition for our seniors, 4 million meals on wheels. tens of thousands of children thrown off head start. our defense mindless across the board cuts. what that means for our national security and for the workers in our national security sector. the list goes on and on. investments in our future. buy medical research cut by this. so i suppose if this is an example of governance that the republicans will next come one something else and say we should

exempt that. why don't we just get rid of the problem? why don't we just get rid of the problem and go to conches? some of the press said to me does this hurt your leverage in going to conference. i said no this is an opportunity because it demonstrates to the american people how unwise this course of action is and how much better it would be to find solutions to get results in the regular order respectful of everyone's point of view but recognizing that decisions made here have an impact. not only in the lives of the children and the lives of their teachers, in the lives of all consumers, it will have an impact on our economy as well. so this should be a clarion call. it's almost ludicrous to here my republican colleagues to get up there and talk about their

individual airports. most of us have airports. we understand what this issue is about. why don't you understand that how can we sit there and say 4 million meals on wheels for seniors, gone? but, that is not important. over 70,000 children off of head start. what is important for the republicans to hold a hard line about the public debate, about the budget that a conference would provide. some members will vote the way they are going to vote on this but recognize that this is not the way congress should be meeting the needs of the american people. let's go to a conference.

mr. speaker, a point conferees so that we can and this mindless addressing of the sequestration. >> the gentle man from iowa is recognized. i would like to recognize the gentleman from pennsylvania. >> the gentleman from pennsylvania is recognized. >> i do support this legislation. the faa administrator said that he sought no administrative flexibility to help the public. so, we are giving him that flexibility now. the faa blindsided the airlines, the airports, the unions by failing to properly notify them specifically about a limitation of the sequester. the only notified them about one week ago about the specifics. controlps air traffic as working and the towers operating.

this provides the flexibility that the faa needs. a classic case of mismanagement. the chair will remind everyone in the gallery that any approval or disapproval is in violation of the rules of the house. >> wrister speaker, i yield one minute -- mr. speaker, i yield one minute to the gentleman from west virginia. >> i think the general man from arizona for yielding. i rise in support. as the flight delays rise this weekend may republicans claim that the faa had the ability to avoid the disruption, and caused the delay. membersthese same

realized the across-the-board nature of the sequester. they could have avoided the furlough of meat inspectors. nothing has changed since last month. my good friend, ray lahood, is an honorable man and i take issue with those who alleged that he is playing politics. do those who have expressed concern over a piecemeal approach, i share your concern. ashare the concern about child being thrown out of head start or a senior that cannot get meals on wheels. this is not just an inconvenience to vacation travelers. consent tonanimous extend my remarks. >> mr. speaker, i would like to recognize the distinguished chairman of the transportation and infrastructure committee,

the gentleman from pennsylvania. >> the administration and the faa have refused to provide us with a plan to work with the airline industry to figure out how they can implement this with all of the pain -- without all of the pain to the traveling community this industry provides a trillion dollars to our economy, so it is important to the hard- working men and women of america that our folks are getting where withoutd to be on time delay. i believe that this bill will force to administration to force them to stop these needless furloughs.

with that, i yield back. >> the general man from arizona is recognized. >> i yield one to the gentleman from washington. >> before we start patting each other on the back for this bill , it is important that we recognize that we are not fixing the bigger problem set the sequester has created. students will have to find their own way to school because the us is getting cut. perhaps we can ask them to ride their tricycles to class, or maybe book a flight. the children of military families, their budgets are getting cut. we are not doing anything to help those kids. we are not helping seniors in arlington, washington, that are not getting meals on wheels

delivered. every member of this house represents a district whose kids and seniors that are hurt by our failures during this lands somewhere short of a profile. this is a band-aid. tripleration needs bypass surgery. this is a little bit like the person who takes a boulder and then blames the boulder for his broken toe. congress created this problem, we need to fix it. >> the gentleman from iowa is recognized. >> i would like to do can i see gentleman illinois for one minute. >> i would like to thank the senate for sending this piece of legislation over to us to provide a fix, the fix that isn't necessary to provide but the administration through a lack of leadership is proving that we have to do this now. we are here because this administration has decided to put politics over passengers.

on the very beginning of sequestration, this it ministration claimed they did not have the flexibility that would avoid cuts that would hurt america's the most. the proposed closings and the furloughs that were announced are not just wrong, they are irresponsible and indefensible. the faa already has the flexibility to we are granting them today and am a yet they are unwilling to take of that. we are here because it is time to put an end to the excuses and the american gimmicks. we need to implement these responsibly in order to protect the traveling public. i urge you to mattel your administration, tell them to grow up. >> i yield one minute to the gentleman from new jersey. unanimous consent to

revise and extend my remarks. >> esther speaker, we are here because americans are understandably upset that sitting and waiting at airport gates, but there are other americans were sitting and waiting. they are moms sitting and waiting at home to enroll their children in head start. after this bill, they will still be waiting. there are pilots in our air force and navy sitting and waiting to fly their training missions. one third of our planes are grounded. this congress has done too much sitting and too much waiting when it comes to sequestration. the senate has passed a budget that and sequestration.

there is an opportunity to sit in a conference, negotiate, and pass the budget. instead of sitting and waiting, let's start working to pass the senate budget. isthe gentleman from iowa recognized. >> i would like to recognize the gentleman from florida, the former chairman of the transportation infrastructure committee. why are we here? we are here because it's colossal failure of leadership in the ability to manage resources. first of all, i can tell you that there are plenty of air traffic controllers. just go online and get this report, plan for the future. some of them have far more air traffic controllers than we need. in fact, air traffic control is down 27% and we still have close

to 15,000 air traffic controllers. this legislation does provide a fig leaf for the administration. i can tell you they have the authority and the ability to move people and resources around. that gives us the opportunity to get the flying public flying again. again, we have the resources, they have the money. we are giving them the final fig leaf that they have asked for and they say they needed to get this done. i can tell you that if ronald reagan were president, we would not be in this mess. thank you. >> mr. speaker, i yield one minute to the gentleman from maryland. speaker.you, mr. after the vote on this today, members of this house are going to run for the airports. they will all be flying home on airplanes and yes, they will

make it easier for members of congress to get through those lines. they will pat themselves on the back and say, job well done. well, obviously we should address the issue at the airports, but we needed to address the other issues right now. not make it easier for member's of congress to fly home for a week away when we should be a week right here making sure we don't see the negative impacts of the sequester grind on for those kids and head start, for the seniors on meals on wheels, for those doing important life- saving research. four times this year we have offered a proposal to replace the entire sequester to achieve the same deficit reduction without the kind of damage that has been done. four times, we have not even had a chance to vote. now, we are asking to go to conference. our republican colleagues complain that the senate did

not pass a budget, they got one. let's go to conference rather than go home. >> i would like to recognize the gentlewoman from minnesota, ms. bachmann for one and a half minutes. dosh for offering this bill. it is high time that the faa has the flexibility that they need to have. my localhope that airports remain open. we are looking at approximately 189 airports. i want to speak to something else. we were listening to representative hoyer and pelosi be extremely passionate about the losses we will free -- that we will see for children on head start, for children dealing

with food nutrition programs. i want to remind the people of this country that it was speaker ,elosi, representative hoyer senator reid, and president obama who signed the sequestration bill. it was press secretary jay carney who admitted that the sequestration was president obama's idea. there are numerous republicans that voted against the sequestration nation because we knew that all of these calamities were in the future. it reminds me of the shakespeare line, "without protest is too much." we voted against this bill. it seems like the higher the level of passion, that equals the conscience we are seeing of those who voted the wrong way on this bill the first time. i am for this bill.

arizonaentleman from is recognized. >> before i yield time to the lady, i have to remind my colleague that i voted against that bill. and the bill passed because there was a majority of republicans who supported it. blame one house or one senate or the president because all of us share the blame in one way or the other. >> the republicans offered their bill, it was called cut,, and balance. they voted on that before we ever got to sequester. your alternative if you did not reach or numbers was, sequester. sequester was your policy. in the cr that you had mr. rogers ring to the floor, which i voted against, it said that it

was going to be subject to the sequester. >> the gentle lady from california is recognized. much, mr.ou very speaker. >> i rise to support the bill reducing flight delays act of 2013. i don't want anybody to be mistaken about why i support this bill. i want ms. backman to understand we know that she has led the tea party and the right wing on all of these issues and that she led on the discussion on sequestration. it was a bad policy. it should not have been adopted by either side of the aisle. however that is the order of the day. and we need to bring the budget to the floor and have a conference committee so we can adopt some of what was adopted

on the senate side to get rid of the sequestration. meanwhile, the f.a.a. plans to furlough nearly 47,000 employees, including 15,000 air traffic controllers, for approximately one day every two weeks. the furloughs have already begun. they started on april 21. we are going to be backed up in these airports. it is time for us to understand that it is an emergency. >> the gentleman from iowa is recognized. >> at this moment, i will reserve my time. like the gentleman from arizona is recognized. >> how much time do we have? >> the gentleman from arizona has 2.5 minutes. the gentleman from arizona has 7.5 minutes. >> i will ask my chairman. do you want to even out the time? i will reserve my time, if you

like. >> do you have two more speakers? i just have one more. i was going to suggest you go ahead with your speaker now. i will have one, you will have one, and then we can close. >> thank you. i yield to the gentlewoman from texas. >> the gentlewoman from texas is recognized for one minute. >> this is a hostagetaking. i know the american people are watching the blame game. the blame game, my republican friends held this body hostage. we will not pay our debts. we are losing jobs, head start programs. i believe in air traffic controllers, but we are holding them hostage. what about the person who cannot afford an airline ticket? it is important that we stand for the millions of dollars that we are losing for homeland security. is it time to take millions from

military families? mr. speaker asked unanimous consent to repeal the section of the budget control act of 2011 to get rid of the sequester. go to a budget conference. have a budget. get rid of the sequester. bring it up now. i asked unanimous consent. >> does the gentleman from iowa yield for that purpose? >> yes. excuse me? >> can we bring it up now? >> bring up the question, right now. >> will the gentleman yield? >> no. >> we have to save the traveling public. but i ask a question about 5000 children in texas that will lose head start, or millions of seniors, or our military families, that will lose support because we got the sequester, on the shoulders of those who believe that the way we run the country is/and burn.

help the american people. i yield back. >> i would like to recognize the gentleman from texas for 1.5 minutes. >> the gentleman from texas is recognized. >> we have heard a lot of rhetoric today that sequestration is the problem. i would like to remind you that sequestration, that president obama proposed was the only solution we could agree on to the real problem, the fact that this government is spending close to one dollar 50 -- $1.50 for every one dollar a brings him. we could not get agreement from the other side to find cuts. now, even though sequestration is painful, it is working. we are going to be able to get the cuts that need to be made to their budget, without affecting flight delays, and without furloughing people.

it is my contention this can happen throughout the government and throughout all agencies. if these agencies and the president had come back to this congress, saying, we can do these cuts this way, i imagine almost every one of those would have passed on unanimous consent. they certainly probably would have passed on a suspension like this one. i urge my colleagues to take this first set to solve the problem with the faa. i look forward to working with other agencies to find the cuts we need, and to spare the american people the pain that is intentionally being inflicted. some people do not want to cut a dime out of the american budget. the american people know instinctively there is waste, fraud, and abuse, and there are savings to be had. we are going to try to do it in the best possible way. i yield act. >> the gentleman from arizona is recognized. >> mr. chairman, how much time do we have?

>> the gentleman from arizona has a minute and a half remaining. the gentleman from iowa has six minutes remaining. >> i will yield one minute to the gentle lady from washington, d.c. >> i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, congress did not foresee the controllers crisis. they will not foresee the next one. we have not solved the crisis with money. it was not about money. it was not about cuts. it was solved the old-fashioned way. they simply move money around. this is exactly what was done with appropriations. we can solve this if we have a meeting of both sides of the aisle on the budget. what would happen at that meeting would probably be not to

cut a thing, but simply to allow agencies the flexibility to move money around, precisely as has been done with the controllers crisis. not one cent was changed. just the flexibility, the common sense that we now need to do with every single appropriation. i yield back and thank the gentleman. >> might i inquire, the gentlewoman from arizona -- you have 30 seconds. if you would like to go ahead and close. >> i will reserve at this time. >> mr. speaker, i yield myself the time i will consume. i rise to ask my colleagues to support this bill. it is a one-time fix in a crisis we are having today with our air traffic system. but i join my colleagues, as well as probably my chairman, in asking the house leadership, the republican leadership, the

democratic leadership, to please work on a comprehensive solution to sequester, in order that we can bring regular order, and get the government the americans deserve. >> i thank the gentleman. i yield myself such time as i may consume. i want to associate myself with what my good friend and ranking member on the subcommittee just said. we have got to find a solution, come to an agreement. this is a horrible way to run a government. when you take a meat ax approach to departments that have no common sense -- that is why we need to get back to regular order around here, actually do appropriation bills. we would avoid these types of catastrophic -- potentially catastrophic situations that we

find ourselves in. mr. speaker, i would just ask everyone to understand that the senate sent this over last night. it is now our bill. the senate will approve it as soon as we pass it in the house. it is very important we do this for the american people, the traveling public, for safety of the system, to make sure that our commerce continues. i would ask everyone to support this bill. let us fix the big problem and come to a budget agreement. i yield back the balance of my time. >> alan snyder is a little transportation reporter. what finally got lawmakers to pass a bill ending furloughs at the faa? >> the number one thing was outcry from the public. there have been thousands of delayed flights.

lawmakers have heard from constituents, from the airline industry. there was a lot of pressure from the american public on this issue. >> what does this allow the faa to do? >> it is a very narrow bill. basically, it explicitly gives the transportation secretary the authority to transfer $253 million. that is enough money to pay the controller salaries, and also have about $21 million left over that can be used to keep some contract control towers open, which is another issue that had been hurt by the sequester. >> does president obama support this effort? what should we expect from him? >> arrest secretary jay carney said the president did plan to sign it. expect to see that anytime today, or very soon. >> democrats are saying there are lots of other priorities that should also get a reprieve

from the sequestration cuts. should we expect to see other bills aimed at stemming the effects of the sequester on other programs? >> yes. a lot of democrats want a full sequester replacement. there are a lot of statements from people saying, sort of begrudgingly signing off on this, but wanting the whole thing replaced. we have heard about the meat inspectors. we have heard about meals on wheels, head start, and things like that. there is definitely a lot of angst on the democratic side of the aisle on this issue. >> republicans argue that sequester cuts are the brainchild of the president and his administration, and that this is congress's way of fixing a problem created by the president. is that true or false? >> it is both true and false. a lot of people say it was the president, but congress had to sign off on this. this cleared the house and the

senate. congress definitely had a hand in this. whose idea it was might be a little irrelevant. everybody ended up approving this. >> republicans also argued that this bill was unnecessary, and the faa already had the authority to move money around, and controllers did not have to be furloughed in the first place. what are democrats saying? >> democrats for the most part say that is false. a number of republicans have argued they already have the flexibility. mr. james lankford, a member of the republican leadership, yesterday told me that this administration is not necessarily known for sticking to the letter of the law, which was a little jab at the administration. he said, even if the law is not on their side, i do not see why they do not do this anyway. the democrats said, the sequester is an account by count line item cut, and they did not have that authority. usual?

>> how quickly can the faa get back to business as usual? >> i would say very quickly. controllers have been furloughed by one day per pay. -- per pay period. i would think this would be a small administrative issue. they would be able to work the next friday they might have had to not work. i think we should see things moving pretty quickly. >> adam snyder reports on transportation for politico. we thank you for your time today. >> members from the u.s. house delegation from massachusetts spoke about the marathon bombing. this is about 30 minutes. >> i rise today with my colleagues from massachusetts to thank the law enforcement officers, medical professionals, first responders, and citizen heroes for their incredible bravery and sacrifice during and after the tragic events last week at the boston marathon.

given the time constraints, i would like to yield to my colleague from massachusetts, bill keating. >> i would like to thank my colleague for yielding, and i would like to thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to thank so many of our colleagues that we work with, day in and day out. when we came back into session, so many gave their heartfelt feelings for all those who were hurt during the terrible marathon bombing that occurred in boston on april 15. you know, we first remember those that lost their lives during this terrible, terrible tragedy. there are never words that are adequate to deal with these issues. a type of loss to family, to friends, to loved ones that cannot be put into words. i can only convey my own and all our colleagues' sympathy for

those families. four young people whose lives were taken to quickly from us all. four people who had so much to give. four people who we had a glimpse of, with the accounts of their lives as the public mourned and joined with their families and their loss. it was just a glimpse, but what a glimpse. a young boy, martin richard, with a profound message. his poster revealed to all, no more hurting people. peace. lindsey lu, who came here from

another country. , andudy, to better herself , aomplished student, pianist young woman who had developed tremendous friendships in the , who time she was here came to this country to learn more, to become more and to offer more. a young police officer. helpingd himself to people to protect and to serve, that was his goal. his life just doing that. krystle campbell, a young woman, vibrant. a person who, despite a busy butam a busy schedule, much of her life on hold. to help her

grandmother when she was ill. the first responders and people that were injured -- over 280 people injured. aluding richard donahue, police officer who participated with watertown police and slowing down these perpetrators before they could harm more people. and was seriously injured and we pray for him. the first responders, who risked everything they had to provide emergency aid to runners and bystanders there. first responders that had been , whoed for years sacrifice their safety, moving forward. police officers, firefighters.

incredible medical community in the boston area. some of whom ran to work, knowing what happened. who were there, ready. saving lives. we honor the citizens in our area who all give up a small part of their freedom, listening to their leaders who displayed common sense, moving forward to put their safety first. of these young people that are not with us now, of thoses the lives people that are recovering from injuries and those first responders that help us, they will not be defined by a

depraved act of violence of two individuals. s,ese people are the definer' themselves. givers. people that care. that is who we are. the best in us. the selfless side of us. they define the best of what is boston, the best of what is in the commonwealth of massachusetts. of us asne the best americans. they are all to be remembered time to put politics aside and remember what a great country we have because of individuals like this. i yield back my time.

and think the jim demint appreciate his heartfelt comments. i would like to yield to the colic from rhode island. i think the gentle lady very much for yielding and thank my other colic for accommodating me. my home is in providence, rhode island, about an hour south of boston. two weeks ago, several of my friends and neighbors traveled to boston to compete in the marathon. when i first learned of these horrific attacks, my thoughts immediately turn to them and their families. like all rhode islanders, i keep the people of boston and their loved ones in my thoughts and prayers over the last two weeks. it is moments such as this that words fail to adequately describe the pain we feel in our hearts, our continuing sense of disbelief on the anger we hold towards those responsible for such a senseless and vicious attack. the actions of these individuals who showed such a callous

disregard for lives, some or ended and many more irreversibly changed. these attacks were an attempt to shape the very foundation of our democratic and free society. after these bombs exploded on a beautiful sunny day in boston, we sought the incredible harm caused to so many, we also witnessed the very best of humanity. and the courageous actions of the brave men and women who helped care for the injured and relentlessly pursued the perpetrators and brought them to justice. we think about those brave police officers and first responders who witnessed the attack firsthand. and instinctively raced toward the source of this blasts to assist the wounded area think about it 26-year-old mit campus police officer who was murdered as he worked to keep his community safe. transit about and mbta

police officer who never hesitated and reported immediately to watertown and continues to fight after sustaining life-threatening injuries trying to apprehend the suspects. sometimes it takes a tragic event to remind us of the incredible sacrifices our first responders make every single day. the heroism demonstrated by these men and women in the face of such overwhelming danger helps remind us just how much we owe to those who keep our in cities andfe towns all across the country. these attacks were designed to strike fear and intimidate the love boston and all americans. they showed the very best our country has to offer. much of the action from the men and women in boston, but the generosity from those who give blood, donated money, did everything they could to bring every measure of relief to the victims and their families. i join my colleagues in the plotting their service today,

and remember that those of us in the house have to serve our first responders and continue to keep the families affected by this attack in our thoughts and prayers. i think the gentle lady for yielding. i yield back. >> thank you. on april 15 in the days after, local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel from across the commonwealth of statesusetts and nearby rhode island and new hampshire joined in a weeklong effort to respond to the bombing and assist in finding the suspects. is dedicated first responders save hundreds of lives in the immediate aftermath of the attack and saved countless more from the threat of future attacks. through unprecedented communication and confident leadership, public safety agencies at every level coordinated to bring justice down upon those responsible. their actions proved that no act of terror can blunt the spirit

of resiliency or fortitude of endurance that is at the heart of the american people. as relief and pride wash over the boston area, we must not forget that there is still much healing to be done. our thoughts and prayers continue to be the families of martin richard, a young boy's big smile we will never forget and whose sign, no more hurting a challenge tois all of us. krystle campbell, a fine young woman who has attended virtually every marathon day since she could. emblematic of the great event it is for the city of boston and also for the entire commonwealth and region. and lindsay, a young student from china various -- china. to participate in this great

days that are uniquely american, like patriots' day. and officer sean collier, somebody beloved by the student body. several mit students into see me a couple of days ago who said that everybody knew him and liked him. and the more than 200 innocent people. in number for my district who suffered severe injuries from this senseless attack. we want to remember and encourage all of them as they go forward. bowan,wman -- jess was able to help identify the suspect says he cannot of surgery. the mother and daughter currently sharing a hospital room together as they begin the long journey of recovery but who already have tremendous assistance. lowell high school where crystallization didn't sent from tickets to be sure she would make her way there. many amputees who have

successfully gone on to new , waiting in the waiting room to encourage them. my district, brittany, david, many members of the white and roseanne. newmark of both p -- remarkable people. would also like to remember some other specific people who roots to my district. commissioner davis. i have known him since his early days on the beat since -- in my home town of lowell. he worked as a beat cop, detective, and narcotics officer, being named chief in 1994. during his time in lowell, chief davis helped turn around our city and set it off into an age of growth. we were proud of him when he left to become the boston police

commissioner and even more proud of him now. commissioner davis showed extraordinary intelligent, professionalism, poise and confidence from monday through the capture of the suspects on friday. he was a calming influence in a time of great chaos and crisis. he deserves our thanks and gratitude of the people of boston, our commonwealth and our country. and special agent in charge, who proved insufficiently capable during the entire crisis as he oversaw a massive operation of identifying and s anding down the suspect helped bring the swiss term of justice down upon those responsible. ,lso, at times of great crisis we look to our leaders for guidance and confidence. leaders, city state and federal do not shy away but came head-on. so we could be together as one

community and arrive quickly it healing and justice. in particular, mayor tom and me who came from the hospital to be involved in the aftermath and suspect search. in ag him on television wheelchair give everyone a great feeling of pride and everyone cannot help help but notice how deeply he cares for so ably he has overseen for many years. he embodies the grit and toughness that boston is known for. governor deval patrick was a true leader. he ensure the coordination of many agencies, major the public with up-to-date and aware of the situation as it developed, as we all watched moment to moment from our homes or wherever we might be. andtood with gravitas composure that trickle down throughout the state public safety agencies. we will always appreciate

president barack obama's deep involvement. his service at the cathedral of the holy cross was a touching example of the nation's unwavering resolve. ,s much as we are boston strong we are all one and we are all strong. i have to say that the interfaith service was a remarkable moment when representatives of the many different faiths came together as we embark on a journey of healing and reassurance about the unity, strength, and resiliency that boston is known for. it was a uniquely american day. the marathon that is much celebrated trust people from across the world, across our country, across massachusetts. it great -- a great red sox game. many go from one event to the other. patriots' day commemorates the beginning of the revolution, the reenactment of paul revere's ride, and the shot heard around the world. all of that is to say that we

will work hard to follow up with and be strong supporters of those who still seek to recover, make sure they have all the necessary resources, going forward, and that they have the strong support of their community and friends, and that we will do all that it takes to move forward from this tragic moment, and make of it something good that brings us all together and would help us to continue on a path of healing. with that, i would like to recognize my colleague from massachusetts, mr. mcgovern. >> i first want to thank my colleague for organizing today's special order.

i thank her for the time. it is with immense gratitude that i rise to honor massachusetts first responders today. while i am always proud to call myself a resident of the commonwealth of massachusetts, being from massachusetts has carried a special significance these past 12 days. the tragic bombings that occurred on april 15 took three precious, innocent lives. it cost hundreds of others to suffer devastating wounds. we are continuing to pray for them. and for all the others that are wounded. we also remember officer sean collier, an m.i.t. police officer, who was shot and killed. our prayers are with his family. so many lives were upended by this tragic, senseless act of violence. citizens of the commonwealth, and americans across the country, are still coping with the horror of the bombings that took place on what is normally a celebratory day in massachusetts, patriots' day.

amidst these acts of violence and terror, our belief in the fundamental goodness of people is strengthened in the wake of such acts in a tragedy. these are the sacrifices they made from the moment the bombs went off at a time the suspect was apprehended. at the time we speak, victims are being examined at some of the finest hospitals. brigham and women's, and boston's children's hospital, among others. even ordinary citizens rushed to the scene of the bombing next week, potentially putting themselves in harms way.

sleep was was not on the minds of selfless men and women who worked back-to-back shifts in support of the communities they call home. the extraordinary response of the boston medical community is very much a part of the story of the 2013 boston marathon. explosions took place at 2:50 p.m. 35 minutes later, after the injured were swiftly and efficiently stabilized, transported, and triaged, the first patient was wheeled into an operating room. all medical personnel simply showed up to help. i want to recognize the incredible leadership of barack obama, governor deval patrick, and mayor tom menino. they help get us through this terrible ordeal. i was particularly moved to see mayor menino stand tall and lead his great city. i also want to recognize the special agent in charge of the boston fbi, for his outstanding work which led to the apprehension of the final suspect.

they have all made our state very proud. at the interfaith service last week, we showed the world that boston and massachusetts will not be deterred. we are a resilient community, and we will emerge from this stronger than ever. and a week when we saw the very best and worst of human behavior on display, i am proud to say that our first responders triumphed. while we continue to reflect on the tragedies of last week, we move forward with a renewed sense of pride, knowing that their exceptional commitment to public service is what makes us all boston strong. i thank the gentlelady for yielding time, and i yield back.

>> i thank the gentleman, and appreciate his comments, and the fact we are all coming together to talk about this event. with that, i would like to yield to congressman kennedy. >> i would like to begin by thanking the gentlelady from massachusetts for pulling us all together to mark a moment that none of us will ever forget. a signature moment in massachusetts history. i want to recognize the victims of the horrific attacks that happened last monday. i, like many of my colleagues from massachusetts, and so many people from massachusetts, around the country, and the world, have always delighted in marathon monday.

i do not know how many times i watched the runners as they ran by on their quest to the finish line at boylston street. my stepmother has ran the marathon a number of times, and together with my dad and brother we would go down to watch the runners at heartbreak hill. as you see all the runners run by, what stuck with me was how many people were there, cheering them on. 26.2 miles. people from the very beginning to the end in boylston street, five rows deep on each side of the street. sitting there, screaming, yelling, offering a bottle of water, or literally a hand, to those that are trying, striving for an incredible feat of personal endurance and excellence. that is really, i think, to me, what that marathon, what that day is all about. it is about the community that comes together to cheer on not just the runners, but to celebrate what we have built together, to recognize that that day is not about individual feats of excellence, what about the community that is willing to

cheer on complete strangers, for runners to know -- you will hear it, if you talk to those that have competed in the race that it is an extraordinary difficult first. it is also one of the best marathons run, because there is a crowd to carry you to the finish line, complete strangers, people you will never see again. but they are there to offer a hand. it was with great sadness, but also great pride, that i watched the events unfold on monday, to see complete strangers run into danger, rather than flee from it.

to meet the doctor that, after running the marathon, and completing 26.2 miles, ram to work, so he could get started helping save victims. to meet some of the victims and their families. to know that we will never, despite how much we have come together, be able to replace martin, krystle, lu, and officer collier. but the long path to recovery, we will be there with them every step of the way. to recognize the law enforcement officers that put themselves in grave danger, never quite knowing what might happen, what weapons these two terrible individuals might have on them, that took great risks for the sake of safety for these communities, for the investigators and prosecutors have the long task of bringing these individuals to justice. 30,000-plus belted out the national anthem at fenway park.

to mayor menino, vice president biden, and president obama. $20 million pouring in from citizens around the country to help provide a bit of relief to those who will need it most in this long road to recovery. it is an extraordinary message, a powerful symbol, that gets back to what boston and massachusetts has always been about.

from the first people that set foot on our shores, the earliest settlers, we have each other's backs. and we always will. next year, on patriots' day, the marathon will be run. more crowded, and louder than ever. with that, i yield back. >> i thank my colleague for his very insightful comments. it is a spirit of community that is still evident. it is embedded in the race itself, the marathon itself. it is something that was so evident, as everybody responded, as the bombs went off, to tragic effect. it has been followed up with the tremendous outpouring of contributions to various funds, as well as the one fund. lowell high school sent prom tickets to sidney corcoran, wanting to make sure she would be able to attend. and also that spirit of help from across the country, to have a young man who lost his leg in a shark attack in hawaii, at his own expense, come to visit those who sadly lost their legs, to say, your life will be very

productive and positive. we have seen this over and over again. i thank you for your comment. with that, i would like to recognize my colleague from new hampshire, congresswoman carol shea-porter. >> thank you for having this moment, an opportunity to talk about boston, and also to talk about the country, and to talk about boston's neighbor, new hampshire. on that day, like so many others, i had a family member whose brother-in-law was running in that race. he was running because his father had died of cancer. so many people were running for causes that day.

fortunately, the family is fine. but some families were devastated beyond belief. boston is a small city, but it is a great city, and new hampshire is a small state, but a great state. what happens to boston and what happens to massachusetts is felt deeply in new hampshire. we work together. we play together. we attend events together. we also grieve together. when that call came to new hampshire, when boston reached out and asked our police forces to help, the answer from a national what swat team member was, of course we can. the answer from the manchester swat, manchester, new hampshire, was yes. the answer from the seacoast emergency response team, which has officers from 11 different seacoast communities, was yes. the answer from the new hampshire state police swat and explosive disposal unit was, yes, we will be there.

they understood the danger. they also understood they were needed, and they did not hesitate. the stories coming from that experience are very moving. one team reported how one elderly woman had hidden behind her couch for hours. you can imagine the terror the residents felt. and yet, our first responders were there. the police were there. the comfort was there. as we pray for the victims, and we remember those who died, the victims are also from new hampshire and many other states, as we know. and somebody died from a foreign country. but we are all one. we are all boston strong. as we remember all of them, we thank our police officers and first responders for always being there when we need them. when the call came, yes, of

course we will do that. i yield back. >> i think the gentlewoman, and appreciate very much her comments, as well as a shared commitment of rhode island, new hampshire, and massachusetts, to respond to the horrific attacks. patriots' day will continue to be a day when we commemorate the people who refuse to be terrorized, and courageously defend the ideals on which our nation was founded. in the words of our great poet, ralph waldo emerson, our flag will most defiantly remain unfurled. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] >> order online and c-span.org/

shop. on the, a senate hearing future of human spaceflight. russian president vladimir putin's annual: program, and oner that a house hearing islamic extremism in chechnya. >> i went in, i walked into the kiosk, i said i am bob ney', here to report. the guy said anyone of your campaign managers in ohio. the guardin there, said, here, you have some hate mail. it is from california and massachusetts. mosto through this, the embarrassing part, the stripped- down. then i got into the intake, walked into prison, down into the courtyard areas the told the -- the warden

man supposed to take me around to get away from me. i am sitting there not knowing where to go. another prisoner says, where is your escort? . said, i don't know some little guy and a suit yelled some foul language. he took me the back way of the laundry room. i walked in, a man is sitting there and said, are you the congressman? i said, i used to be. he said, you are a republican, aren't you? i said, republicans put me in here. he said, i am the mayor of east cleveland, i will get you some clean clothes. >> more with the b'nai -- bob ney, sunday on "q&a." on tuesday, a hearing on the opportunities and challenges of

human space exploration. this is an hour and 25 men. -- 25 minutes. good afternoon. ofcome to the second hearing the subcommittee. and today we are going to focus on the challenges and opportunities for human space exploration beyond low earth orbit. , we wantce exploration to get actin that business. business. that it is vital to our space crew vital to theram,

science community. pushes america's best and brightest to the limits of their creativity and all of us on earth benefits from it. keepslure of exploration our students in science, technology, engineering, math nymex, just look with the apollo , creating a whole generation of young scientists and engineers and math change .n -- mathematicians it helps our country and leadership in errors is, basic research and other high- technology areas. frome authorization bill 2.5 years ago, we required nasa, "to expand permanent, human presence eons low earth orbit."

low-earth orbit." to explore some -- further since the 1972 apollo mission. beyond low earth orbit. under the guidance of that authorization bill, nasa has been working with the nation's space industry to sustain a human presence on board the international space station. it is designated as a national laboratory. , one u.s.s guidance commercial company has already .elivered cargo to the station this past sunday, another commercial company says fully . that willnew rocket

deliver cargo to the station later on. efforts to enable commercial crew delivery capabilities are also well underway. we look forward to those successes. the sits at the nexus of public and private space sectors and these partnerships enhance what we can accomplish in space. for exploration beyond low nasa isbit, leo, building and testing hardware for the new space launch system and the orion crew capsule. these technologies will carry our astronauts further into space than ever before. in 2014, a test of orion will fly the capsule 15 times higher

than the iss, before returning to earth at speeds near those that general staff word - stafford, one of our participants today, reached in his reentry in the apollo 10 mission. capsule is now undergoing final construction in the onc building at the kennedy space center. its heat shields, the largest ever built, is on its way from us choose. , they willhis test fly together for the first time in 2017 and then carry their first crew in 2021. nasa is also preparing its people and infrastructure to support this space exploration.

to ensure that future missions have adequate ground support. what they are going through is the upgrades of all of the ground support equipment and launch infrastructure. in nasa,l enable us the military, and also the operations in the commercial space sector. where do we go with these capabilities? mars is the coal. , soshe right technology and orion will be able to enable a wide range of human missions and destinations. which describe going back to the authorization bill, include and surface of the moon

near earth asteroids." two weeks ago, nasa announced its plan to capture a small asteroid and redirected to a stable orbit around the moon. the concept is still being if nasa can find a suitable asteroid and it was a robotic mission in time, our astronauts could visit and study the 2021 sls orion a flight. we are going to hear about that today. research is also underway to better prepare astronauts for the dangers of exploration, beyond low earth orbit. the johnson space center in texas, the hometown of this

subcommittee's ranking member, senator cruise, houses nasa's human research program. many who have traveled into space participate in an annual physical at the johnson space center. nasa is going to continue to learn about the effect of microgravity on the body. when an american and a russian start their one-year stay on board the international space station. we are learning a lot about the effects of zero g and bone loss as a result of zero g. all of theg to learn effects that we possibly can on radiation on the human body and how to protect us when we are going all the way to mars. and what are the kinds of shields that we have to have in case there is a solar explosion on the way?

those limits, if we are on a moon base, what do we have to protect human life? so nasa's exploration efforts are strong and they are well underway. and there are a lot of challenges, particularly in this fiscal climate that we find ourselves. with the leadership that we have seen, with the creativity, with the dedicated contractor force and the civil service workforce, to believeve reason that nasa can achieve the goals. our witnessesome here, i want to thank them. it is going to be an exciting topic to discuss. first witness is nasa's associate administrator for human exploration and operations, bill.

he is going to give us an update on sls and orion and the technology needed for this human exploration. asteroid mission. then, we are very fortunate to have someone who is not a stranger to this subcommittee. he is our air force retired lieutenant general, tom stafford. went down and orbited the moon on apollo 10 and one of the people -- things in the cold war occurred high above the joinedhen a soviet crew up with an american crew and they lived together in space for nine days.

in the midst of the cold war. general stafford was the commander of the mission. who better to discuss the value of the international partnerships? faceially in human who has been there and seen it since its inception. when he left, the astronaut office and went back in the air force, he was the deputy chief of staff for research, development, and that addition. he was involved in the initiation of a stealth fighter. he wrote the initial specifications with a b2 self -- stealth bomber. we have the director of stay

step colleges for dianetics. nasa's address partnerships with industry, the roles of government and private sector to gather in human exploration as well as the policy needs. for being here. senator cruise. thank you, mr. chairman for calling this hearing on the path of human version. thank you to our distinguished panel members for joining us this morning. i appreciate the opportunity to stand side-by-side on this vital national priority and the opportunity today to hear from this distinguished panel on your wisdom and insight and years of experience on space policy. in particular, addressing nasa's long-term mission and any

challenges that are presented to that mission by the path we are on today. i also look forward to hearing further about how the commercial sector is making an important contribution to achieving these goals. expand we can further that partnership. including perhaps learning lessons about how government can be more efficient and how our space program can continue to generate opportunities for commercialization that generates economic growth and jobs throughout the private sector. it is critical that the united states ensure it continued leadership in space. that will require broad support from a range of stakeholders from the general public to the u.s. government, to the scientific community. i look forward to this opportunity to learn from each of our distinguished panel

members today. thank you. we want to welcome a number of people in the audience that are attending the suppliers conference. of the sls orion suppliers. , we willt with you go right down the table and then get into some questions after all of you have testified your formal remarks. they are inserted in the record and if you would share with us verbally a shortened version. thank you. >> thank you for asking me to represent nasa team for this hearing on challenges and opportunities for human space flight. this is a good time for human spaceflight. the international space station is making tremendous progress in space-based research. the iss is showing its potential and many early findings have direct application

for people on the earth. thead the statement, off earth, for the earth. this captures well one of the reasons for iss. several payloads are spec to design the next year. the recent results from the spectrometer are also providing unique data on the potential for dark matter in the universe. the spectrometer is also providing unique data on the cosmic background radiation of space. this will be critical as we send humans beyond the protection of earth's magnetic fields. the center for science in space cases is "find real interest in space-based research from a variety of new users. iss is doing great things. .ommercial cargo is doing well we have completed two cargo missions to the rss. the next mission will carry an externally mounted optical communications package and an

earth viewing high-definition camera. we just completed a test flight of a rocket on sunday. this is a tremendous accomplishment, both for the vehicle and the launchpad. a will next fly demonstration mission in june or early july. u.s. companies are stepping up to the task of keeping the international space station resupply. crews makingues -- tremendous progress. the draft rfp for the certification and demonstration flights should be out in the next two months. all of these efforts, but the use of iss in demonstrating the commercial value of space. is heavy lift launch vehicle also making tremendous progress. the sls is maturing, welding equipment being assembled in new orleans, and by the end of this year, all major schedules for welding will be completed.

the goal is to begin manufacturing next year new orleans. capsules being outfitted and tested for its test flight next year. the heat shield was in boston, having thermal protection material involved. it is exciting to see a flight vehicle being assembled and outfitted in florida again. finally, work is beginning on the b2 test, which will test propulsion systems in late 2016. prepping for flight in 2017. the work on the service module is continuing with significant progress being made. it is clear that international cooperation will be part of any future exploration endeavor. nasa has announced a strategy that unites scientific observation, technology development and human space flight activities into a unified approach. the first step in the strategy isn't asteroid retrieval asteroid is an

retrieval mission. done on solar electric publishing by the state technology mission directorate and worked on on the orion and sls by human explorations in operation instructor at. experiences from this mission will provide a critical framework for human exploration beyond low earth orbit. this is an exciting time in human spaceflight. we have made tremendous progress in the last year and have solid plans for the future. thank you. >> chairman nelson, ranking i am -- member cruz, honored to appear before you again today to discuss our nation r.i.m.. before we begin, i would like to take a moment to note that i would probably not be here today on this pacific subject but for the crucial work done back in 1910 by you, mr. chairman emma

kay bailey hutchison of texas and the key committee staff members jeff and angela. and the house science committee that was headed by congressman ralph of texas and his staff. it was your work in crafting the nasa authorization act of that year which mandated the development of the heavy lift space launch system and the orion multipurpose crew vehicle that has allowed us to envision a robust future for nasa and the american space program. at a time when bipartisan cooperation in congress can be hard to find, your work stands out as a shining example of what can be done when men and women of goodwill are working side-by- side, put aside their differences and work together for the larger service of our country's interest. as a retired air force general officer, i thank you, sir.

2010 actrs later, that still dares to recreate on the issues to be directed on these hearing topics. critical importance to our space program today. the choice of resources, destinations, sensible missions and funding to reach them, the role of the new sls orion vehicle in carrying out these missions. with the new technologies and more will be needed beyond sls and orion in a manner nasa can most effectively collaborate with international and commercial partners. to reach these goals it is a rod and challenging range of issues. i will try and address them the best i can with the time i have.

to put my remarks in context, i would like to take a moment back to 1991. explorationace initiative. in this report was prepared the since this group -- synthesis roup sponsored by george w. bush. our charter was to examine in some detail the questions we are here to address. destinations, missions, systems, technologies, and collaboration. this was not the first such presidential charter and certainly not the last. the vast majority have reached the same conclusions. the core of nasa, and international goals are critically sought out through consistent space policy policy through several decades.

the best service i can perform is to remind us of this fact and summarize these are conclusions. they serve as a useful guide for us today and in the future if we only heed them. leadership in space for any society that can aspire to obtain it is the key to leadership here on earth and human society for all generations to come. comes withadership the obligations to partners, to nevertheless the only proper goal to which america should aspire. strategies and policies based on this understanding of have placed our nation in the role of the world's most influential country. take this influence into space. leading the development of the next human frontier will consign our nation to a backwater in which others will shape the destiny of human society for the generations to come.

, power, andadership wasuence in the world today a matter some thought of manifest destiny. it was armed by our ancestors. we must earn it anew for our descendents and you must earn it in many ways and vices. one of those is certainly in space. thank you, i will be honored to answer any questions. chairman nelson and senator cruz, and want to thank you for your continued support and for conducting this hearing. particularly your focus of a synergy between government and the commercial sector, focusing on how a stable, long-term national exploration strategy will provide an environment for commercial ventures to thrive. the timing could not be more critical.

the ramifications of the decision to make could impact space exploration for the rest of the century. since 2009, i have had the pleasure and honor of serving as the director of space technology at dianetics incorporated, a 38-year-old employee owned business in huntsville, alabama. prior to my private sector career, i spent almost 20 years at nasa from 2005 until 2009. i served with predecessor of the sls. previously i spent several years in the 1990's. early attempts to move towards commercial backed space transportation. , the fissures within the space community over the past four years have too often pitted the commercial and government space sectors against each other in an us versus them debate. this is very unfortunate and counterproductive. historically, successful

government-backed exploration efforts have been linked inextricably with commerce. government private sector partnerships have expanded the human for and -- human footprint. at its core, commercial means that the private sector has the burden of the funding, the risk and the reward. can be companies profitable by providing products and services and creating new wealth. commercial successes need not limited to the commercial sector. partnerships between government and industry can produce valuable products that can benefit the space sector as a whole. the current landscape is right with recent success stories. some that i have personal experience with our dianetics satellite, the, nation of a private public partnership. they invested their own money, supplying the vast majority of

the capital for the program while nasa supported the project on a cost reimbursement basis is of the idea and facilities. the result was a spacecraft ready and 16 months that met government standards. private industry to take systems developed under contract at nasa and leverage these for other purposes. this is been done successfully for decades. recently in a competitive process, nasa selected several sls advanced booster risk reduction process. dianetics partnered in developing a liquid booster concept. our team is taking a flight developed bygn nasa and merging it with a modern, commercial manufacturing technique. we have an agreement with nasa which allows us to

engage experts in propulsion, test, and manufacturing and utilize tooling on a cost reimbursable basis. it is a win-win. the bottom line is this, one may keep things simple using models proven in other markets over time, the commercial sector and u.s. government can work together in harmony, not against one another. as public-private partnership succeed. a stable's -- a stable process is necessary. a major policy and program shift now, away from the core principles of the 2010 nasa authorization act would begin measuring to u.s. leadership in space. a consistent, long-term policy will allow both government and thrive.al efforts to laying out clear goals, destinations, and dates will provide an environment in which the market can and will respond.

in closing, we must recognize the need to work together as a community and realized that, as in many other exploration efforts, commerce and exploration go hand-in-hand. let's focus on the power of the and instead of the tear any of the -- tyranny of the or. we must recognize the commercial means that the private sector bears the burden of the investment and risk. thank you for the opportunity to testify today. i am excited and optimistic about the future. i look forward to enabling it for generations to come. i'll be be happy to answer any questions you have. cruz. tor >> thank you to each of the witnesses at this hearing. there has been much discussion recently about the asteroid

rendezvous and retrieval mission. i would like to ask you to share what nasa sees as the specific benefit of successfully accomplishing that mission. and also, what you see as most significant obstacles to successfully accomplishing that mission.

.>> after that, a house hearing

>> it is not about the ethnicity at all. it is not about the religion. it is about this people's extremist sentiments. givenave been citizenship. the younger brother is a citizen of the united states. look at father have gone. politicians have gone as far as that the surviving criminal be declared a pow. what are they, completely nuts? what kind of p.o.w.?

it is complete and total bs. it is like they are talking out of -- god knows what. going to accuse somebody of something, i am only calling for us to use this tragedy to come closer to each other, working against these common threats. one of the most dangerous and important threats, which is terrorism. if we do bring our efforts we will not take these punches or be suffering this kind of losses. >> up next, a house hearing on islamic extremism in chechnya, then president obama on serious possible use of chemical weapons. he maryland congressman following a briefing on the situation in syria. -- weekend, we stateo -- show selected

dinners. then our live coverage of this year's dinner, starting with the red carpet arrival at 6:15 p.m. >> franklin roosevelt once described the dedication of a library as an act of faith. i dedicate this library with unshakable faith in the future of our country. to leave the country is brazen as noble as the whatever challenges come before us, i will always believe our nations best days lie ahead. >> sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. on book tv this weekend, twice awarded the bronze star, donovan campbell on leading a platoon of marines in iraq, sunday night it is :00. -- at 8:00.

then, reconsidering the insanity trial of mary todd lincoln. >> now to house foreign affairs subcommittee's salmon the islamist terrorist groups in chechnya and whether they are a threat to u.s. security. the boston marathon bombing suspects have roots in their country and visited their prior to the attack. this is about 90 minutes. >> i call to order this joint hearing of the foreign affairs on europe, eurasia and emerging threats as well as terrorism nonproliferation and trade. today's topic is islamic extremism in chechnya a threat to the u.s. homeland.

after chairman and i have two subcommittees, each will us will have five minutes to make opening statements. without objection, all members may have five days to submit statements and extraneous material for the record. hearing no objections, so order. the objections -- the terrorist attack and bomb and have called it into a that has not received the study that it deserves. the terrorist brothers have roots in chechnya, even though they grew up in america. chechnya, which includes dagestan, where the father of the two brothers lived. two major wars have been fought in chechnya in the 1990s. as the province sought in dependence from russia, many chechens fled. it is now a hotbed of radical islamic activity.

there are reports that chechens fighting in afghanistan against the united states and nato troops. al qaeda has made recruitment of chechens a priority.

the appearance of chechens outside the northern caucuses is ominous. the original uprising against russia was secular and nationalist area did within this context -- nationalist. there will be no motive to attack the united states, especially after we had given them sanctuary. in the worldview of some chechens, there is been obviously some worldview radicalize as was the case of the two boston terrorists, who have turned from young people being raised here into a jihadist mentality of global war against infidels, which includes us. is this happening on a regional basis? this radicalization we saw with these two young men? why is it happening? what outside forces sought to transform the northern caucuses and central asia into a region of muslim extremism, which did not exist before? in particular, what impact the

saudi arabia play, and other islamist states in sending money and missionaries to the region to build mosques and schools to impact the minds of young people who make up such a large portion of the population in central asia. greater cooperation with russia, and the governments of central asia, should be explored in order to properly understand and respond to this emerging threat. this part of the world is critical to the future of the human race. if it becomes dominated by a radical version of islam, it will change the course of history in a negative way. excuse me. muslims to serve you and progress. the jihadist mindset hates freedom. even as a minority viewpoint, radicals have done great damage throughout the muslim societies, from pakistan to afghanistan, through the caucuses.

they've attacked the united states, as well as russia. can i have a glass of water? pardon me. i have a cold today. we have -- we must find ways to expand our friendships with muslims to build a better future predict future should be a peaceful and prosperity for all people, especially the people of

central asia, because all of us deserve to live in such a positive world. we want to find positive ways of moving forward with these people. we have gathered a panel experts to give us their advice today. the ranking member. >> thank you, mr. chairman. we are examining a region of the world that until in the go most did not know a great deal about. the boston marathon bombings changed that. i would like to take a moment to acknowledge the victims and their families that were forever changed by this senseless act. thank those in boston who worked around the clock to save lives, and prevent other tragedies from occurring that we. their view of the world has become much smaller. the scope of their investigation grows. whether there is any kind -- connectivity with what happened

in boston and watertown, is now extended into the northern caucasus. this committee has a responsibility to gather information that possible threats and home -- at home. although i wish that the discussion could have been taken place under different circumstances, this is a discussion worth happening. it highlights why so many of us have concern ourselves with security, rule of law, and human rights issues abroad. according to the 2012 report from the international crisis group, our conflict in the north caucuses is the most violent today breed insurgents -- is the most violent today. while this policy has had successes, some have 574 insurgents have died through september 2012 in russia. there are almost daily attacks in the region as far as moscow great it is important to understand the description of terrorism within russia and the contributing factors, as the april 15 attack applies back home as well.

began as an epic struggle decades ago has fueled into an insurgency. an insurgency that proves a threat to our homeland rate our world is more interconnected than ever. while we see strides in bringing together international business groups and communication networks, we have yet to see the cooperation in international security matters, and information sharing matters. there is a delicate balance between cooperation with russia on counterterrorism, and concerned over human rights abuses. in the wake -- in no way should this and are protecting the lives of innocent people. at the end of the day, the as always want. the investigation continues print out this hearing will be insightful as we move to strengthen our international information sharing and security mechanisms. i look forward to hearing from our panel of witnesses, and excited to have dr. fraser here with us. he happened to be visiting. i want to thank you all for being here. i look forward to your testimony. i yield back.

>> thank you very much for that thoughtful opening statements. the people who were hurt and killed in boston, they are a part of our american family.

just that everyone at 9/11, we grieve with you. we are committed to make sure that these things do not happen to other members of the american family. >> thank you. >> i recognize mr. poe, who is chairman of a subcommittee of his own, which focuses on such threats of terrorism, as wells nonproliferation and trade. >> i want to express my 70s to the victims of the boston marathon. i want to praise the first was tom ash first responders -- i would to the first responders further effort to catch these bad guys. i'm confident we will get to the bottom of this investigation. we learned of the perpetrators had planned travel to times square in new york after the boston attacks to unleash more mayhem and bombs. they had pie bombs and another

pressure cooker bomb. american people want answers. so do i pray i want to thank the witnesses for being here. it is unfortunate no one from the federal government was here. they were invited to send one person. a lot of questions revolve around the elder brother's trip to russia. the russians asked us to look into him. less than three months before he left for russia, the cia push to have him put on the u.s. counterterrorism watch list. for some unknown reason, his name was not on the concern of the u.s. government, so u.s. authorities did not like him. that meant u.s. customs not stop and question him, nor did he let the fbi know that he was back so the fbi could talk to him. i'm not sure what he was not under concern. even the russians were worried about this. it looks at what may have the same problem of information sharing or lack of it.

the washington post reports this morning that a single u.s. customs official assigned to the boston joint terrorism task force received a warning that the older brother suspected had turned -- return from a trip from russia. there is indication the customs official provide the information to anybody, including the fbi, with previously interviewed the militant. we should not be struggling with the same issue of information sharing among american agencies, and also communication with foreign governments who are concerned about terrorism as well. we do not know the attackers had connection to al qaeda, but the evidence suggests a connection to the magazine. the older brother traveled to russia, then went to dagestan for six months between 2011- 2012.

he might have been radicalized there. we are not certain if that is true. both brothers were chechens. it seems the brother was the ring letter. bash ringleader. you can be sure there is no shortage of wanting to get their hands on young jihadist. elsewhere, if they jihadist cannot attack a russian target, america or europe is the best option for a al qaeda has encouraging those types of attacks or years. according to terrorism expert.

al qaeda is under attack from every answer pretty answers to strike back in new york, madrid, london, toulouse, and possibly boston. authorities in canada arrested two men for allegedly plotting to blow up a train. al qaeda had provided direction and guidance. the call to global jihadist is alive and well. we have many questions that we need answers from. the threat of terrorist attacks not die with bin laden. we must be realistic understand that. he must find out specifically what is taking place in chechnya. i yield back.

>> thank you for the thoughtful and forceful opening statement. does anyone else have a desire for an opening statement? let me know that we did try to get a state department representative here with us today. we wanted to send a witness to tell us what they thought was going on in central asia and chechnya. they declined. they are too busy to send someone here to the united states congress to speak with the american people through public hearings like this. they're too busy on other matters. that may well be part of the problem, and that this region

has not gotten the attention it deserves. let us just know that central asia as we're describing it represents a huge chunk of the planet. if that area comes under the domination of radical islam, that makes it its job to attack the united states, or to attack other countries, other non- muslim people, they'll be a disaster for this planet. that will be ushering us into an era that will be hard, of violence and mayhem, that will be hard to get out of. we need to pay attention to the caucuses. we need to work with those people who will work with us to see that that does not happen. i do not believe we have worked, paying attention care, as it on 9/11, and in boston. we also have not been cooperating and working as hard as we can with those other countries. i would put my finger on russia

where we could have well worked a lot closer with russia than we have been. as the judge pointed out, as the

ranking member pointed out, we can do so without giving up our commitment to human rights, and not complain if the russians are doing something wrong predict an exception -- doing something wrong pray that should not prevent us from joining forces against rapid oh -- radical islam which threatens to kill our children to terrorize the world. i think they go over to dominate an area the size of central asia, everybody is in trouble. we have find witnesses. a professor at the institute of world politics. earlier he served as vice dean of the social sciences and humanities at the university. a senior research associate at the euro college of tartu, which is in estonia. -- next we have -- i took this upon myself to reach out to the russian embassy.

your russian counterparts, to see if we could recommend someone who could come here and discussed this very important issue. we appreciate you being here with us today. i'm sorry that the russian embassy can send people, but the state department can't. he is a director of the new york city branch of the institute for democracy and cooperation. he was a member of the presidential council of the russian federation between 1993- 2000 buried at vice president of the reformer foundation, and author of the books "democracy and morality."

he was awarded the russian medal of honor in 2009. we also have with us dr. greg douglas albert, professor of lyrical signs at georgia reach in a gossip. he studies at that group identity -- he studies at the group identity. he holds an ma and a phd from the university of connecticut's. we have finally dr. fries are, who joined the international crisis group in 2004. she serves as the director of the european program. this role has are covering the caucuses both north and south, bosnia, turkey, and cyprus. before joining the crisis group, she served as political officer in the osce election observation members -- missions.

she has a phd from the london school of economics and a masters from the college of europe in belgium, which she obtained as a fulbright scholar. we welcome her with our witnesses today. we would ask for you to keep your testimony to five minutes. we will come back and ask questions once there is been everyone testified. if there is a though, it is the intention of this chair to recess, and to come back immediately after the last vote.

we should not be more than 20 minutes or half an hour. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you for inviting me. thank you for hiving -- having a hearing on such an important topic. our common horror at what happened in boston, and that the enormous respect we have for the people of boston in the way they responded. it was quite impressive.

i must say that i want to associate myself with earmarks by the department states representation rate i was the only person employed in the u.s. government working on the non- russian peoples of the soviet union. it was my hope that after the soviet union came apart, the number people who will be working in those areas would grow and we would all benefit from it. it is probably inevitable whenever something that we know little about comes into our consciousness. that we jump to over possible location -- oversimplification. as what is happening in response to the poor in boston. we have had people use terminology which has been imported without much thought about what it means you think it is terribly important to unpack some of this oversimplistic language and to understand what is really going on, lest we be in a position to fight it and also be many belated anyway that is against national interest. i would like to focus on three

i would like to focus on three elements of this over- simplification. first it has to islam. second is that the city. third is the experience of immigration among people of the north caucuses. islam in the north caucuses is among the most very phenomenon in the world. it came three different ways. not until the 18th century in chechnya. dagestan is a vastly more islamic place. i am much more worried about the six-month and dagestan. it varies differently and how it is held by people there, and how much a lot of aids action. many of the people who are called muslims call themselves muslims know nothing about their faith. they are what the soviets called affect muslims. they know they are muslims. the not know what it means. a good muslim would know, you pray five times a day. he did not know. unfortunately, we use the term muslim without an appreciation of the fact that what happened has happened in the north caucuses and even more in

central asia. it reflects the experience is of a community that had an identity but has no content for that identity. suddenly there were people available to provide that content. prior to 1991, very few people could've told you the difference between one story the koran and another. it was only published twice a people there. they do not know very much. i believe that the opening of the southern border may prove ultimately more faithful than the opening to the western border to your. i want to give you for statistics. in 1991, in the russian federation, there were 150 mosques.

8800.ere are 1800.-- this past year there were 40,000 trips to mecca. the turks are heavily involved. i highly about 2500 and the late 90s. it is now somewhere between a hundred 50. -- to a figure of probably about 1200 again. those numbers are even more dramatic in central europe. we can come back to that. with the spec to ethnicity, it was constructed bradys people at various experiences with what it means. most of the chechens were in fact ethnic nationalists. there are some who are, but overwhelmingly it is not the case. if you look at central asia, you will see that that is also the truth. the springs immigration means that people are extremist because they are up against very difficult situations. one thing that has not been focused on is that many chechens