completion of this is a in important milestone. it is necessary for future promotions and assignments and or joint force. he basically introduced this. he had this as joint duty.

this is a big deal. it is a tremendous opportunity for our talented civilian workforce as they advance. you cannot make it into the service of our intelligence perfection. it is another moniker as it continues. in the sitting directory of the fbi. these highlight the fact that this university is doing exactly what it should be doing. integrating intelligence, one student at a time while graduating leaders who will lead with in our armed forces.

i can assure you this institution has very deep roots in a very bright future. niu is on its way to achieving your vision of becoming the center of academic life for the united states intelligence community. to the class of 2013, congratulations, and very well done for choosing what you will walk across the stage to receive today, and i would like to give them another round of applause. you should be proud of yourselves, you have tackled a

challenging field of immense proportion and immense importance to our nation. quickly reviewing a list of the thesis topics you can tell how this class has covered almost every corner of the globe, from china, iran, north korea, the middle east, india, africa, philippines, latin america, to here in the united states covering some of the most vital issues that we wrestle with in the intelligence community every day, issues such as terrorism, cyber threats, counterintelligence, space, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and general instability, and so many others. it is a complex world. as our nation will face daunting security challenges ahead, i have full confidence that you are ready to assume the mantels of leadership in your organizations. the common bonds you have formed throughout your joint study here are crucial. remember each of you is a force multiplier for integration and collaboration, which are the

keys to avoiding strategic surprise and providing our national leaders that vital decision advantage and confidence they require. i challenge each of you to carry forward niu's culture of integration as you moved your next station. i challenge you to mold the intelligence community and to the organization that in each to be for our nation is the future. it is fitting that on this event of the 50th anniversary of this fine institution we're joined by some of the most distinguished members of our profession, including director clapper and our former international security assistance force and u.s. forces in afghanistan commander general john allen, a graduate of the class of 1984, and i would like to give them both a round of applause. it is an honor to introduce our commencement speaker, the honorable james clapper, the fourth director of national intelligence. he has a long track record of support for intelligence education and is a special friend to this university, as has been highlighted. as both director of dia and the national spatial intelligence agency as well as the undersecretary of defense and now serving as the fourth director of national intelligence, there's no one

that has served our nation and continues to serve our nation during so many trying times that director clapper has done. from his first serving our nation as the united states marine, during his time as a young airman in vietnam, throughout all the difficult times our nation has faced over the past five decades of peace, war, and conflict, what many do not know is that in the mid- 1990's he served as an instructor teaching a course, knowing he would go on to shape this great institution. that is very true, amazing, little knowing that he would go on to shape this great institution that the community has become and to lead that tens of thousands of women and men

who make up our tremendous workforce. director clapper was awarded an honorary doctorate by niu in 1992, and it was through his leadership that this institution became the national university. on behalf of all the men and women in the united states intelligence community, all of you that are here, i would like to thank you, and i would like to present to you, to the audience here, as he gets up here and provides the commencement speech, ladies and gentlemen, director clapper.

>> thank you very much. i could not be reminded of the screaming child that was escorted out, and i am mindful of the fact that the younger members of the audience are unimpressed with this whole thing. [laughter] i recall a long time ago when i was the old air force security headquarters in texas, the time i was there every quarter we would run a big parade for retirements. and a bunch of lieutenants, one of whom was me, got together and said why don't we run this thing because we are closer to marching than these field grade officers. when the lieutenant took care of the parade over, i got to be the perpetual adjutant. i was having one of these parades and the point where the adjutant comes up to the commander and said, the parade is formed, and my daughter was sitting on my wife's lap, and she said, hi, daddy, at the top of her lungs, and the crowd broke up, and i am trying to stand here and act very

military. i will never forget that. thanks very much for that very kind, gracious introduction. usually when we speak together, we are testifying in front of congress. [laughter] that is quality bonding time. ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2013, staff and faculty of the university, and let me mention also the particular hero

of mine is general john allen, and at the risk of doing it, i ask for a round of applause for john. it is a pleasure to be here, and to have the family members here, even the ones that are not too impressed. they do not often get to participate in something in what we do. i was privileged to address the classes of 1992 through 1995 when i had the honor of serving as director, and the class of 2007 i was the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, but this is my first time. this is the best part of my job, adding a chance to congratulate members of the intelligence community for their competence. add on to that i get to welcome you back into your jobs after your vacation here. we have been waiting for you, to put your new superior knowledge to use for a safer america and a more secure world. this month, as was indicated, marks the 50th anniversary of my commissioning as an air force second lieutenant, almost coincidental with the first class of the brand-new defense class graduating.

both our titles have changed over the years. dis became the defense intelligence college, where i taught as an adjunct professor, and the national defense intelligence college, and now it is most appropriate the national intelligence university. i am referred to as director, at least in polite company, and had been called general, colonel, etc., and back when the marine corps asic training, i was called several things there which i cannot repeat in mixed company. as we developed over the last 50 years, i like to think we have gotten wiser with those name changes, at least niu has. i want to take a moment to commend president ellison and the current staff and faculty for all they have done, and particularly for president

ellison's passion and leadership. so i ask for a round of applause for david ellison. niu is becoming worldwide respected institution with a dynamic and visionary plan. it is not all pie in the sky. you are integrating intelligence, which is a big thing to me, one student at a time, and that is what the i.c. needs from you as graduates. i salute you for that. as they say -- this is an exciting time to be in the intelligence community.

most of us would prefer a more boring time, i know i would, but that is not an option. we live with threats from terrorism, nuclear proliferation, cyber, and competition over natural resources. i would go so far to say that as a nation we face more diverse threats now than at any time during my 50-year career in intelligence. shrinking budgets have added to the danger, because it is not realistic to think we can ever do more with less. we are going to do less with less. we will just have to identify and manage risks were closely than before. there have been challenges throughout my career.

in my first combat experience was in vietnam, and i will go be going back there next month for the first time since i left in 1966. i'm looking forward to that. intelligence automation in the day was map, a grease pencil, and two corporals. even when moving quickly and headed to desert shield and desert storm, we have come light-years since then, even with all the improvements we made then, particularly in imagery, and 9/11 changed everything. the prevention act was a growth of 9/11 called for greater integration. i felt that was a natural thing for me to take on in this job -- the sum is greater than the parts -- to produce better products for our policy, our decision-makers, whether sitting in a foxhole or the white house. i think that calls for integration, horizontally across the so-called -- and vertically now, the added responsibility we have for attending to state and

local and tribal partners. a couple words on budgets. we had a decade of growth after 9/11 in the intelligence community. every year we got more money. now we are in a different mode. we have been through this before. this happened in my time as director and hopefully we can profit from that experience and apply those lessons learned, and as we constrict ourselves, we will do it smarter than we did in the 1990's. we have still important priorities. i have about five, but i will mention the most important one, which are represented here today, and that is our people, which is our most valuable

asset. it is the people who will have the ingenuity, the drive, and the innovation to figure out ways to get around and obviate, mitigate these reductions. other challenges, i will not go into detail, but the recent nsa leaks drama crystallizes some conflicting demands on us as intel professionals, a need to safeguard our citizens lives, a duty to share intelligence information, our responsibility to protect sensitive sources and methods, and an imperative to protect american civil liberties and privacy. we must synchronize and meld all these competing forces simultaneously. and we should preferably do it out of the limelight. we serve our nation, and for us that is satisfaction enough. now we are at the part of any graduation speech that always

makes me cringe, which is giving advice for the future. this will be really short. i realize once you achieve geezerdom, as i have, people expect some pearls of wisdom. i do not know if this qualifies, but here are five rules of thumb i try to subscribe to. now that you have made all these great connections with classmates from every part of the i.c. and government, it is time to think beyond your organization. you need to build those strong partnerships, as the president alluded to the phone call between the phone call of the director of the cia and fbi, and that works, so i need you, the most recently educated, to understand the concept of intelligence integration. do not confuse integration across agencies with making every agency and organization into the same bland oatmeal. integrate across organizational lines to take advantage of the

diversity as represented in this class and the strength of different organizations with their unique capabilities. there are things about stovepipes, cultures, and tradecraft that are worth preserving. that is a term used pejoratively, but also an important capability for us. do not gloss over problems. meet them early and head on. bad news does not good get better with age, but the key part of leadership is recognizing when a mistake is made you need to correct the situation as quickly and thoroughly as possible. try to stay calm under pressure. it is right there on the cover of "the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy." do not panic. be kind.

it goes a long way, much further than you realize. do not neglect your work-life balance. family and friends help you get there. you want them to be there for the rest of your career when you retire. take care of yourself physically and mentally. a strong body and a clear head are central to clear decision- making. 66 years ago today, president truman signed the national security act which created dod, department of the air force, cia, and joint chiefs of staff. he signed this directive aboard the douglas skymaster c-54, which in the day, instead of being air force one, was called sacred cow. as an expression, a sacred cow is something to do that so much

reverence it is immune from criticism and that everyone is reluctant to change. that is the way it has always been. we cannot think that way in our business. my hope is both the national intelligence university and each of you will continue to improve with age, just like fine wine. another great president, theodore roosevelt, said old age is like everything else -- to make a success of it you have to start young. you might notice i think about these kinds of philosophical musings. best of luck to all of you, and many, many congratulations. it is a proud day for you and your families him, and i am proud to serve with you as we work together to keep this country and our allies say. god bless all of you and god bless america. thank you very much.>> ron of thes a member intelligence committee and he gave his view of the patriot act. here is a portion. this is part of the

appropriations bill. in you working on a thing the senate. >> i am definitely working with democrats and republicans to overhaul this program dramatically. there have been a number of discussions already with senators on both sides of the aisle and discussions certainly with that house votes. united a quarter in the states senate on record saying they are very interested in the issues that are central to this debate. somee finally getting answers. the answer is yes. you will see a bipartisan effort to the cap on the work of the that intrudes on the

privacy and liberty of millions of law-abiding americans. portion of our interview with senator wyden. you can watch the entire interview tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern time. there is a new nominee for homeland security deputy secretary. his name is all honcho mallorca is. republican members of bessette members of- committee were no-shows the key is under investigation for misusing his current decision as the tractor of the u.s. services. he has denied wrongdoing. here is that senate confirmation hearing. it is about one hour and 40 minutes.

>> good morning, everyone. welcome to this hearing. welcome, secretary mayorkas.

welcome to senator feinstein. and certainly welcome to our colleagues on the committee, especially senator landrieu, who has agreed to say a few words about you before we get started. senator feinstein and senator landrieu have a markup going on right now. they have come here to introduce secretary mayorkas. we are grateful you could come. >> thank you, and i appreciate the courtesy, so thank you. it is a pleasure for me to introduce president obama's nominee for deputy secretary of the department of homeland security, alejandro mayorkas. i have known ali for many years and have been proud to recommend him to president clinton for position of the united states attorney for the central district of california as well as to president obama for his

current position as director of the u.s. citizenship and immigration services. the role of deputy secretary within the department is really an important one. the deputy secretary is charged with overseeing the agency's efforts to counter terrorism and enhance the security and management of our borders, while facilitating trade and travel and enforcing our immigration laws. additionally, this secretary assists in safeguarding and securing cyberspace, supports national security in times of disaster, and that is in coordination with federal, state, local, international, and private sector partners.

mr. mayorkas brings to this office a diverse background and a set of experiences in both the private and public sectors. born in cuba, mr. mayorkas earned his b.a. with distinction from the university of california. he earned his law degree from loyola in 1985. those who have enjoyed the opportunity to work with him regard him as being highly intelligent, thoughtful, kind and compassionate, and dedicated to doing the right thing. from 1989 to 1998, he served as an assistant u.s. attorney for the central district of california, where he prosecuted a wide array of federal crimes, specializing in the prosecution of white-collar crimes. federal law enforcement agencies

recognized his success with multiple awards. for example, he received commendations from fbi director louis freeh for his successful prosecution of operation polar cap, which was the largest money-laundering case in the nation at the time. he continued to distinguish himself by becoming the first u.s. attorney in the central district of california to be appointed from within the office. he created the civil rights section in the office to prosecute hate crimes. he developed an innovative program to address violent crime by targeting criminals' possession of firearms, prosecuting street gangs, and developing after-school programs to help at-risk youth realize their potential. he uniquely demonstrated the ability to simultaneously be firm with criminals and supportive and empowering our future leaders. as supported by the many law

enforcement and community awards he received during his tenure of u.s. attorney, mr. mayorkas' accomplishments have extended beyond his district. he expanded his community outreach programs in cooperation with international players in the fight against crime. he directly resolved cases while also overseeing hundreds of attorneys, addressing immigration matters, which included complex and sensitive prosecution of individuals and rings, reducing false immigration documents, illegal reentry cases, and alien smuggling conspiracies. at the administration for the drug enforcement administration, the director noted that he was instrumental in addressing violent crime and expanded

cooperation with other nations to address the growing threat of transnational crime. with his prosecuting white- collar crime, public corruption, computer-related crime, and international money laundering, she wrote such a broad base of experience provided him with a unique perspective on threats to national security. he further developed his sharp legal skills as a partner at a firm from 2001 to 2009, where he represented companies in high- profile and sensitive government enforcement cases. he was recognized by his worldwide firm with an annual award for leadership, excellence, and citizenship, and was named by the "national law journal" as one of the 50 most influential minority lawyers in

america in 2008. since his confirmation as director of the uscis four years his influence through leadership, excellence, and citizenship in accomplishing the agency's mission. he has improved immigration services and policies of uscis by realigning its priorities for a modern-day america that seeks to preserve its legacy as a nation of immigrants while ensuring national security and public safety -- no easy task. throughout his current role, he has successfully preserved and our immigration laws by and bringing accountability to our immigration system. he has worked to secure our nation's criminal and immigration laws in the face of

increasing gang and border violence. advances, so too have our needs to prevent fraud and to safeguard immigration documents from tampering. mr. mayorkas has confronted the challenge by enhancing the scope security vetting of applicants for immigration benefits by redesigning immigration documentation with enhanced security features. he has led uscis and the other half of its mission, to preserve

the role of america as a just nation that treats immigrants at our shores humanely and with an eye toward the potential they bring to our nation. undermine the integrity of the immigration system, mr. mayorkas has launched the unauthorized practice of immigration law initiative. it is a nationwide effort with federal, state, and municipal agencies and enforcement authorities that work to raise awareness in communities and investigate and prosecute wrongdoers. after the 2010 earthquake in

haiti, he developed and implemented a humanitarian orphans and unite children with their adoptive families here. significantly, under president obama's directive, he granted deferred action to immigrants who brought children to this country to remain in the united states. he swiftly implemented the deferred action for childhood arrivals initiative in 60 days. in less than one year, over 500,000 people have applied in the united states, the only home they have known. he has realigned the agency's organizational structure, including offices and facilities worldwide, to more better serve. >> thank you very much. thank you very much. senator landrieu, thank you so much for taking time for joining this committee. we welcome your remarks. >> thank you. i will be brief. i wanted to join senator

feinstein in that fine and comprehensive and strong and excellent introduction of alejandro mayorkas. i have come to know this gentleman very well over the last several years and want the members of this committee to know that i have hardly worked with a finer individual in any department of the federal government. can-do administrator with a heart for people, an eye on the

eye on the bottom line, and a person that is absolutely full of the highest integrity. unlike senators feinstein, i did not know alejandro mayorkas 16 years ago. was so taken by his immediate willingness to help in a very serious problem, mr. chairman, that had to do with children that been literally lost, stuck in orphanages for years, parents in america desperate for someone to listen to them, and this man, to them, and this man, who runs the largest immigration agency in the world, with all of the pressure that is on him from all of us, took time out of his schedule and identified some staff that could help. to me, that says it all. and we need people in our government that are willing to

serve people directly, that understand the people, and i know alejandro mayorkas is that kind of person. i must admit some additional statements about the swirling that senator feinstein talked about into the record so they do not come up the meeting this morning. but i just want to say how strongly i feel that the president could not have found a better person with more integrity than the gentleman sitting before us today, and i am going to support him heartily, i am going to talk with every member of this committee on both sides of the aisle, and urge them to quickly confirm this nominee, because this department needs all of the focus and help, and as the chair of the homeland security appropriations committee, i hope my voice and my opinion will be strongly heard, and i thank you, mr. chairman, and best of luck to you, mr. mayorkas, and i thank your family for being here. his wife is not here, his kids, because they are taking a vacation. he has not taken a vacation because he is so busy, but his brother is here to support him, and as a political refugee from cuba, i think he can certainly appreciate the importance of our democracy, our laws, and the significance of citizenship in the view our nation and the world. thank you. >> thank you. let me say, you could not have better advocates and senator feinstein and senator landrieu, and we are grateful each of you would be here to share your thoughts and your determination

to ensure we do the right thing. today we meet consider the nomination of alejandro mayorkas, president obama's choice to serve as deputy secretary of the department of homeland security. he served as director of the citizenship and immigration service. thank you for that service and your willingness to serve for the deputy secretary position. we strive to make sure that federal agencies work better and more efficiently with resources we entrust to them. part of our responsibilities is ensuring we have effective leaders in place to provide central guidance. our committee must consider administration nominees in both a thorough and timely manner. at the department of homeland security, i believe there are 15 senior division positions that are or will be vacant in the near future. at least six of positions require senate confirmation. i call this phenomenon executive ranch swiss cheese. congressman jason chaffetz, a

republican colleague, puts the leadership predicament at the department of homeland security this way -- it is one of the biggest agencies that we have, and it has got one of the lowest levels of morale on record, based on surveys. when you have vacancies at the top, you have this agency that is unfulfilled, there is a total lack of leadership. he has a point. in six weeks we face the prospect of the department led by an active secretary and an acting deputy secretary. the issues this apartment deals with everyday are daunting, the threat of terrorist attacks, cyber attacks, on a 24/7 basis, border security, immigration reform, and the list goes on and on and on. this department has needed and will continue to be strong leadership. janet napolitano and the former deputy secretary has provided that the last four years. secretary napolitano will be gone by early december. all of us must ensure that we have the leadership for this department soon. having a confirmed deputy

secretary of homeland security will help fill this vacuum. it is critical that we carry out our constitutional responsibilities to provide, advise, and consent. although our nominee is currently director of an agency that provides direction, it is no surprise that i say the next deputy secretary will have some big shoes to fill. the former deputy secretary was respected by this committee on a bipartisan basis for her leadership. it is safe to say the department needs somebody with her level of commitment to tackle the problems head on. it is no small part due to her leadership and that the department has made great strides in many areas.

in narrowing the many issues identified as high-risk by gao and my talks with mr. mayorkas, he understands well these challenges and is committed to turning these efforts into moving the department forward. his leadership has earned respect of several former officials, including someone who said she would sit next to you if it would help. richard skinner, the inspector general, elaine duke, and robert bonner, who have given strong recommendations for mr. mayorkas. i will ask consent that these records and others we have received be included, including one from the u.s. chamber of

commerce. we want those included in the hearing record without objection. i would also like to he take a minute to review mr. mayorkas' qualifications. the senate has twice confirmed him for positions. the senate confirmed him by voice vote in 1999 to serve for the u.s. attorney for the central district in california. it did so again in 2009 to serve as director of the u.s. citizenship and immigration services. it is as director of that agency that he has made national security a priority by taking on fraud head-on. he created a directive for fraud protection and prevention. he was responsible for turning around the project to create an electronic case management system.

now it is on a much sounder footing and is beginning to deliver new capabilities every few months. he was also in charge of standing up a massive new program to defer action for childhood arrivals. not everyone may agree on the merits of this program, but it is one i support. i think we can agree on this, that getting it up and running in a short time, 60 days, is an amazing ccomplishment. with the debate still ongoing, his expertise will be helpful in leading this department that would be charged with implementing comprehensive immigration reform. this is where the rubber will hit the road. there are also questions that we have recently have been raised about mr. mayorkas' qualifications. over the last 72 hours we have learned through unusual circumstances that the director is the subject of an ongoing dhs

inspector general investigation. reports suggest it relates to the purported role he may have played in facilitating investor visas. at this point in time, we do not have all the facts. it is my understanding mr. mayorkas has not even been interviewed by the office of inspector general, despite the investigation began almost a year ago. the office does not have preliminary findings. the initial allegations have not been confirmed at this point in time and the office of inspector general has found no wrongdoing by mr. mayorkas. i might also add the same inspector general offices has not have a senate confirmed leader for over two years and has had a series of acting directors, one of whom is under investigation himself by a member of this committee. before this sensitive information was disseminated in the remarkable manner on monday night, the office of inspector general had not informed mr. mayorkas of its investigation. rather than allowing rumor and speculation and innuendo to rule the day, this hearing will allow us to continue to process the

vetting of this nominee. i recognize the republican colleagues, in a letter sent yesterday, would likely withhold all action, including a hearing on his nomination until the inspector general has concluded the investigation, i respectfully disagree. a hearing provides an appropriate setting -- first, the hearing provides an appropriate setting for members to ask questions of the nominee. this type of open forum where its members ask questions and the nominee is given an opportunity to respond is encouraged. we know it is months away from completing its investigation. given that this office is facing its own set of challenges, the investigation will not be

concluded in a timely manner. i believe -- with the acting secretary until the investigation is completed. especially given that september 7, janet napolitano will be heading up the california education system. how can we honestly suspect the department of homeland security to carry out its mission without strong and stable leadership? given the qualifications of the nominee, i believe it is important for us to proceed with the nomination today. we will be practicing something taught to me by my parents, to treat people the way you want to

be treated. one of the questions i asked him and i put myself in your shoes, and if someone were questioning my integrity, we live our whole lives with integrity. to have them question by innuendo and twist it in the wind, do you need that? we are trying to get people to come and serve in these positions. the inspector general for this department has dropped out of the race. why go through all of that? we need to move. we need to move and hold a hearing. we will have the hearing today. at the end of the day, i am interested in nothing but the truth.

i hope my colleagues feel the same way. all nominees have an opportunity to address questions about their experiences and qualifications for the position, both in public and private. we have had an opportunity to speak with mr. mayorkas privately on several occasions and be questioned by us. this week i had the opportunity to review his fbi file. i thought maybe i missed something.

his file has convinced me that he should have the opportunity to be heard. when he spoke with my colleagues, i asked if we wanted to go forward with this. when i asked him if he wanted to go forward with the hearing, he said that he is eager to appear. we are going to make that possible for you. we welcome your brothers james and anthony. i am glad you are here. i understand you have daughters and a wife somewhere else. we are happy that you're here. that being said, i'm going to introduce our witness and swear him in. then we will ask him questions. the biographical questionnaire submitted by the committee -- and had his financial statement reviews by the office of government ethics. without objection, it will be made part of the hearing record with the exception of the financial data, which will be available for public inspection in the committee's office. rules require that all witnesses at nomination hearings are asked to give their testimony under oath.

i will ask you in joining me in standing and raising your right hand. you swear that the testimony you're about to give the committee is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but truth, so help you god? >> yes. >> feel free to introduce your family. i will ask you three perfunctory questions than then we will open it up up to the committee. please proceed. welcome. >> thank you very much. chairman, distinguished numbers of the committee, i am honored by the president's nomination to be here today. i am honored by senator feinstein's introductory remarks.

also of those from yourself. in my professional life, i have served for 16 years. my drive to serve the country are grounded in my family history and upbringing. my parents brought my sister and me to this country as political refugees in 1960, having escaped the commonest takeover of cuba. my parents instilled in their children a deep and everlasting appreciation of the freedoms and liberties that define our

country and a respect for its laws. our nation, they taught us, is like no other. its qualities are never to be taken for granted, instead cherished and protected. mr. chairman, distinguished members of the committee, my beautiful wife and our two young daughters are on a vacation with our daughter's grandmother. we thought it was important that they carry through with those long-ago planned travels because there may not be many more of them. far less beautiful, but no less loved, my two brothers are here. [laughter] they are here in in their stead, and i am deeply grateful. >> they look like they have your back. >> i am deeply grateful. my brother james and my brother anthony traveled across the country to be here. i have served our country for almost 12 years as a federal prosecutors in the u.s. attorney's office for the central district of california.

each and every day, day and night, and most often seven days a week, i enforced the laws of this land, and did so aggressively and with distinction. i did so first as an assistant u.s. attorney, then as a senate confirmed u.s. attorney. it was an incredible honor for me to stand in a court of law with law enforcement at my side to prosecute the laws of this land. i announced to the judge and the jury -- for almost four years, i have served on immigration services. its workforce spans the globe. with a dedicated and talented workforce, some of whom are here today. we have prioritized and strengthened our agency's national security safeguard, and are combating fraud to protect the integrity of the system. mr. chairman, distinguished members of the committee, my

parents not only instilled in us a deep appreciation for the freedoms and liberties that define our country and our abiding respect for the law. they also taught us to lead a principled life, grounded in values, ethics, honor,and integrity. their teachings, advice, lectures, admonitions, and support were strong, but not more powerful than the lesson of example. they conducted themselves as i expect to lead my life. as this committee considers what i have accomplished, it is a glimpse into the character of my

parents. i look forward to your questions. i am here to answer them. and i am honored to be here. >> thank you for being here, for your service, and willingness to testify. i'm going to delay my questioning and turn to the senator from north dakota. >> thank you. i have to tell you -- >> can you hold for just a second? >> i need to ask three perfunctory questions. one, is there anything in your background that might prevent a

conflict of interest? >> no. >> is there anything that would prevent you from discharging the responsibilities for the office for which were nominated? >> no. >> is there anything that would keep you from appearing and testifying in a court of law if confirmed? >> no. >> thank you. as a preliminary matter, i want to express to the chairman how much i agreed with his comments this morning. and with his concern about a process that seems to get short- circuited by rumors and innuendo and lack of credible evidence. i want to tell you how much i enjoyed meeting you in my office as we relayed security concerns, understanding that your