to enhance the border security screening and track terrorist travel. >> >> she answered her question in writing and the share now recognizes, the ranking member, mr. thompson. >> thank you very much, madame chairman. mr. wagner, from time to time congress has in in ininfts infi wisdom cut the budget for the agencies tasked to keep us safe. in the present budget, are you comfortable to provide the security and assurance necessary that cbp is doing all it can to keep bad people from getting into the country. >> yes, i believe we can. i think cvp was fortunate enough

to be one of the few organizations that did see a very generous budget, including the addition of 2,000 officers this fiscal year, and in the administration's request for 2015, there's also a request for another 2,000 plus officers. which we know are critically important to securing the economy and encountering this threat. >> i understand the manpower. i'm concerned about technology and other things necessary to support the increase in people along the border. i'm looking at the international side of it. >> well, we use those officers to deploy them in places like preclearance overseas. deploy them in the immigration advisory program. deploy them to the national targeting center. when we collect the information, we collect the intelligence reports and others too.

for instance, the officers based on their experience and their knowledge in turns that into actionable operational entities and being able to question them and continue to address that. >> so it's not a matter of resource. are you satisfied with the coordination between the agencies in terms of identifying these individuals coming to this country? >> yes, i think we've seen that it's been better than ever at this point. as these threats continue to appear, you know, the information sharing and the coordination get stronger and surer. and our systems integration to make sure the data bases are talking to each other. so when state department takes an action against a visa or passport, it appears in our data base so we can take action.

>> is that realtime, or is that a lag time? >> it would be a realtime identification that that information appears in the different systems and we try to access it in foreign advance of a person's travel if we can. in order to take the appropriate action or address whatever kind of questions we have. so, yes. >> miss johnson, there's been some discussion about revoking of passports. for the committee's edification, are the present rules as robust as they need to be give tennessee present isis threat that potentially is expanding? >> thank you, i know our bureau is working with our law enforcement intelligence community partners to review all of our options, and i believe they are looking at that as well. i can take that back to have our

lawyers and tto provide more an. >> well, i would, but if if you would, are you comfortable with the present protocols in place that if those individuals are identified, that the passport cancellation process would fully comply with that cancellation? >> i think that's a question ha the the affairs bureau could answer better. i don't know how many we've done, i believe it's pretty quick. we do it in consultation with the law enforcement and community so they should be working side by side on that, i imagine. >> can anybody else address that

question? can you get counselor affairs to address that? i think one of the questions we are contemplating is whether or not when these individuals are identified that we're doing everything we can to keep them getting back here to american soil. if there's some question as to whether or not that is, in fact, taking place, we need to plug in a potential gap that exists. i yield back. madame chair. >> i thank the gentleman very much. we now recognize the gentleman from texas, chairman mccall. >> thank you for holding this important hearing. very timely. i thank you for your leadership as well. tomorrow we will observe the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. and while we've made a tremendous amount of progress since the tragic day in 2001, we

have to continue to be vigilant, be one step ahead of the adversaries. today isis is the biggest threat to the homeland. these terrorists are brutal, driven and intent on attacking the united states. the job of this committee is to help ensure that that does not happen. the largest concern is isis's recruitment of foreign fighters. many of whom have western passports. they could ease their travel into europe and into the united states to carry out attacks. the fact is you don't know what you don't know. and we only have estimates of how many westerners these foreign fighters are in isis ranks. and potentially thousands that we do not know who they are. one of the biggest worries for a counterterrorism perspective is the unknown terrorists. those with no where will record or intelligence traces, who could use a valid u.s. passport

or the visa waiver program to enter and commit the homeland. for example, in may a 22-year-old florida man who joined in syria, an al qaeda affiliate, killed 16 people and himself in a suicide bombing attack against syrian government forcu.s. officials say he was o their radar screen, but acknowledged that he travelled back to the united states before turning to syria without detection. also key for the administration to take the real steps to stop the radicalization of our youth so they do not leave for jihad. this week i visited the vcp's national targeting center to observe the hard working mane women who were responsible for preventing travel by terrorism and others we have on various watch lists. the work they do targeting

obscure information, connecting the dots to keep dangerous people out of the united states is vital to stopping isis. and when we say i'm very hopeful that tonight, and i talked to the secretary, jay johnson, very hopeful that tonight we'll hear from the president to take the advice of the chairman of joint chiefs, general dempsey, that the only way you can defeat isis is to attack them wherever they exist. and i'm hopeful the the president will come out strongly on the issue. it's a matter of national security. and it's a matter of homeland security that we do so. that we stop it over there before we can come here. and that's really the whole purpose of the hearing, one flight away. because these individuals are just one flight away. and so i would like to ask the panel, you know, we have seen this gentleman from florida get

in and out undetected. we saw tamerlan tsarnaev leave and pull off a terrorist attack in boston. what assurances can you give me that that will not happen in the future? mr. wagner? >> thank you. and so looking at the lessons we learned with tsarnaev and looking at, you know, we had access to certain pieces of information. and certain pieces of information weren't being followed up in closing those gaps. we learned a real hard lesson with the christmas day bomber. and here was a guy we had in our sights, but not really realizing his intentions at the time. we were waiting for him on the the ground. and taking a look at the procedures and connecting the pieces of information we have and taking action against a person as far as in advance of boarding the plane as possible.

whether that's revoking the visa so they check in the with the airline, they're not able to print a boarding pass because it's been revoked or having the preclearance officers question and talk and search a person before they get on the aircraft. and working to question people and talk to them and try to determine a person's intent. with all the systems that we have and all the data we collect, we can look for patterns and pieces of information. we can connect known pieces of information. determining the person's intent is a really difficult, difficult challenge. one best brought by questioning a person and using our skills to be able to do that. l. >> when i talked to the secretary, we talked about the visa waiver program countries. the ability to get more information and more data from the countries so we do know more about the travelers, would you

agree with that? legislatively would that help you? >> yes, as an operational organization we're always looking for organizations to help us or if we can figure out what their intentions are by having access toed a diggal information. but yes, i would agree with that. >> and lastly, on the intelligence side of the house, my biggest concern is we don't have sufficient intelligence, human intelligence particularly in syria to identify the 100 to 200 americans over there. intelligence on the tens of thousands of foreign fight fighters who could board an airplane and come into the united states. i know we're not in a classified

setting, but does that disturb you? and is it possible some of the foreign fighters have actually returned to the united states, like the man from florida and are currently here? mr. miller? >> chairman, yes, sir. it does concern us. and we continue to look at the known terrorists, to look at travel patterns, to look at who they're connecteded to. to look at the the data elements we may be able to utilize to identify future people. we identify -- we continue to work with the law enforcement and intelligence community to see if there's additional data elements that we can yut lisz to help us identify those folks. and we continue to work with our foreign partners as well. but as you state, we can get more of what we're doing to put the full picture together. >> sir, i would agree with my

colleague's comments. we don't have a full picture in all cases. i think thars why our interaction with our foreign counterparts in particular is quite important, so that they have citizens fighting there. we share those identities and that information with each other. and i know in our department and work with state department, both dhs and state are working very closely to make all that information known and shared. >> and all that sounds great. when i ask the question do we have a high degree of confidence with who the people are, i'm not satisfied with the answer. i think the honest answer is we don't. and the vacuum here now that's developed into what is one of the biggest threats in the homeland and iraq and syria that

we regain that intelligence on the ground to determine who is over there so we can stop them from coming back to the united states and killing americans. and with that i yield back. >> thank you chairman for his very insightful questions and comments. chair now recognizes the gentleman from pennsylvania. >> thank you, madame chair. we spent a lot of time today discussing the threat ofs laumic state terrorists gaining entry into the united states. but i'm also very concerned as the rest of the committee, about those who may already be here. last year the government's nonpartisan fact checker, government account about office reported the homeland department of security has lost track of nearly 1 million foreign visitors. mr. miller, what steps is dhs

taking to identify these individuals and ensure the american people that they're not affiliated with the islamic state, and wouldn't the completion of the system help against this threat? >> we have over the last several years taken several steps. >> along with hsi or immigration and custom enforcement to prioritize them through the targeting system. with respect to the biometric i would yield to mr. wag inner. >> and thank you. we're using biographical data. >> but we're not doing land

exits. >> we're doing some of it. >> well my problem with that is if we're not doing everywhere, we really don't know if somebody has left the country. >> absolutely. and those tr the gas we're trying to close. we set up a demo lab with the science and technology branch we opened a few months ago. invite everybody to come up and visit it in dover, maryland. we have scientists there helping test out what are the right biometrics to collect and record that entry and then exit in the united states and then in realtime sochlt the course of this year and next year we'll be piloting different types of biometrics in this demonstration lab. we're looking to do a few over the course of next year and then have a good pilot in place at the beginning of 2016 at a single airport with what we think will be the right

technology that we would expand to additional locations. zble we know they are using the southern border and a broken immigration system to enter the the united states. hezbollah has been setting up terrorist networks for decades now and are working with the the mexican drug cartels to move contraband into the united states. al shabaab has been senting individuals through central america take advantage of our broken immigration system and claiming asylum upon injury but never showing up for the hearings. what measures are the department of homeland security taking to ensure they do not take similar advantage of our porous borders. and is the problem a concern that now hhs are taking minors and just dispersing them across the united states without governors or states or

communities knowing who the individuals are. if you can touch on that. >> sir, certainly we've had a long standing concern in the department about known or suspected terrorists and groups moving in and out of all of our border areas. and so we are continually looking at the information and the intelligence that we receive. determine credibility of that information. to date we have not had credible reporting that either hezbollah or any other terrorist group has been taking advantage of our borders to move individuals in and out. it's something we are always looking for, but to date we have not seen credible evidence of that. >> just this week identi've introduced a bill to stop the federal government from sending unaccompanied minors around the company into our schools and neighborhoods without any knowledge at all of what's

happening. you know, i think we really need to look at what they're looking at as how to get into the united states and kill americans. and so, thank you. >> madame chair, just an inquiry. could you give the gentleman an additional 30 seconds so i can pose a question to the gentleman? >> yes. >> and i thank the gentleman. we've worked together on a number of issues. do you have documentation that unaccompanied children age 2 years old and 4 years old and 6 years old and 10 years old are known terrorists spread throughout the the nation? you have present documentation. but do you have known documentation? >> i'm not saying that we have known documentation. unaccompanied minors are known

terrorists. but shouldn't we consider that a threat that we don't know anything about the individuals and they're being sent around the united states, especially with the threat going on in in iraq with isis, with our known intelligence that they want to come to the united states. don't you think that we are vulnerable without knowing that? >> all right, time has expired. and the chair will now recognize the senator from texas for his comments. >> thank you, madame chair. appreciate you bringing us together for the hearing today and assembling the panel that we have. i want to clarify the response miss lasley made to mr. barletta's question or comment and seek further clarity from any member of the panel who would wish to offer it. when a member of the congress says we all know they are using the southern border to enter the u.s., i think it's very

important for all of us to know whether or not that's a true statement. i have been told by dhs as recently as last month that there's no evidence, nor has there ever been, through the southern border, the border of mexico or terrorist plots were foiled or intercepted at the border or terrorist plots carried out within the u.s. that have a connection to the southern border. that is what i heard directly from dhs. >> will the gentleman yield? >> i will. >> they tried to cross the southern border, contacted what he believed was a mexican drug cartel. turned out to be a dea undercover operative in mexico. his intent was to cross the southern border and bring nefarious objects with him to assassinate the ambassador of

saudi arabia here at a restaurant we may have been attending that night. >> and i'll ask the the experts a the panel to answer the question. sir, i would reiterate what i stated earlier, that we to date don't have credible information that we are aware of of known or suspected terrorists coming across the border, particularly related to this threat stream. >> mr. miller and mr. wagner, would you like to clarify what we have heard so far. either from members of congress or your copanelists? >> yes, thank you. and building upon that the numbers of known watch listed individuals that we have encountered at the ports is minimal compared to what we see in commercial aviation.

you're talking tens versus thousands. it's minimal from what we have seen from watch listed encounters. >> mr. miller? >> i would reiterate what mr. wagner said. in addition, we do have very robust information sharing with the counterparts in central america, in mexico, with the state and local partners. we're imbedded in the texas fusion center. so we continue to look at this, and when and if that surfaced we would take appropriate action. >> i may submit a question for the record. i would like to know once and for all what the facts support in terms of these repeated accusations that the southern border is unsafe. that terrorists are exploiting it into the united states, i want to make sure that we

address the i want to make sure i know the truth on that. thgs not new, by the way. i'm going to ask for consent to submit to the record the herald of 1981. border checked for libyan hit squad. we have been projecting our anxiety -- >> without objection. >> thank you, madame chair. -- about threats to the united states on the u.s./mexican border for as long as i have been alive. it does not mean we should not be vigilant. does not mean we should not take the threats seriously. we should only traffic in the facts and the data and we should only raise these kinds of fears and anxieties when there are facts to support them. so i would ask for my colleagues to do that. there are a number of questions i have. most of them would be more appropriate in a classified

hearing. here's a general one and with time permitting, we would love to get everyone's answer. we're at war in iraq. we have service members flying missions over there. we have boots on the ground and advisers. we're about to formalize that war perhaps to some greater degree after the president's speech and with congressional action. what does a greater state of war in iraq and syria mean to you in the jobs that you do? what additional resources, as the ranking member asked earlier, authorities, and procedures would you need to meet additional threats following a greatest u.s. involvement in those two countries? i don't know if we can just have one of you answer briefly. i'm out of time. so with the chair's permission, would love another 30 seconds to hear from miss lasley. >> sir, i would say that we have

an imperative, and that imperative increases as the threat increases to share information. so that we can identify and stop individuals who want to come to the country. whether that's with the foreign partners, cl that's with the intelligence community or whether that's with the state and local law enforcement. so i think we will continue to be very vigilant in making sure that information is broadly shared. >> thank you very much. and the chair now recognizes the gentleman from florida. >> thank you for the work you do. thanks for coming and being willing to sit in the crossfire a little bit. and for your efforts to keep us as i went through, it felt like the vwp is yesterday's tool for

today's world. and so at a 20,000 foot level, the question that kept coming to my mind as i worked it with my team, do we optimize yesterday's tool for today's world? or do we need to go to a new program all together? maybe that means at one end of the continuum would be visas for everyone. could be less restrictive than that. would be more costly than we currently do. and we would probably hear pushback from the tourism industry and others. i'm not taking a position on that. what i would like is for you to take a position on whether you feel we should optimize yesterday's tool for the world or do we need to break the mold and look for something more current.

implied in my question, of course, is bang for buck. how much are we spending? how do we measure what we get for those expenses? >> i understand 300, but i know you have more sophisticated ways of measuring what we are getting for our resources in this effort. so i would leak to hear all four of you answer how you feel whether we ought to continue this current road. if we can see around corners good enough with in information, or do we need to go to a new level to protect the future? start with mr. miller. thank you. we need to look at the information we're currently connecting. and then take the appropriate action and decide if we need more information to collect.

as mr. wagner pointed out earlier, as operators are using the targeting system, generally more information is better as long as we can collect it in the right way given the civil rights, civil liberties, privacy and we're able to operationalize it. >> i would just say it's an important program. it does get us information sharing agreements and allows our close ally to share very important information with us that we're not getting from countries we don't have a vwp agreement with. it requires them to issue electronic passports, which helps them to report lost and stolen passports to us. like mr. miller mentioned, we're taking a hard look at are we collecting other data elements

and what other information could we make use of and how would we collect it? as we are with many of the programs. i think it dusz have value. and a side by side of vwp versus the visa program would offer and what types of benefits. and what is a good study time to take. >> is anybody doing that? >> sir, we are reviewing the program. we are reviewing a lot of different programs. as we constantly do in life, the different threats that arise. and are there gaps in there. are there gaps in how we connect the system. >> and i would say that's across the department. the department leadership is really looking at all the tools we have in our tool kit and how we can optimize them to make sure we have the data that we need and we're stopping people from coming into the country who shouldn't be here. one of the tools that we have if

i could just highlight one is our watch listing effort. so we are making a concerted effort with the department to share as much of the data with the intelligence community to make sure individuals are in fact put on the watch list. we do that for the entire department, working with the colleagues. and over the last three years, we have significantly increased the number of that we in the department have given to the intelligence community from about 4,000 two years ago to well over 9,000 this year. that's one way we're trying to stop travelers from coming. >> and as i mentioned we have our information sharing agreement with visa waiver program partners. we are increasing those sharing agreements and arrangements, in addition to beyond visa waiver program, we're expanding the

number of agreements, and we work closely with the inner agency partners on the watch list to make sure the foreign partners have those as well. i think those are strong tools. >> i urge you and i urge us to look at secondary and incremental and more than incremental efforts in this, in what we're doing here. i'm a user of global entry for my business before i came here. it makes me nervous that you all interview me but you don't interview people that could be face-to-f face, that could be somewhere in europe that could be wanting to come to our country. to my knowledge, i don't think we do that. am i right about that? >> we get interviewed upon arrival by the cdc. but there is no interview to issue that. unless we have it come through a preclearance location where we would interview them before they got on a plane. or unless our targeting systems

and analysis gave us cause for some time of reason to have immigration advisory program officers coming through one of the 11 locations talk to them before boarding and address any types of questions that we have. so the possibility is there. and we are in a lot of the countries. we are in london heathrow. we're inm manchester. we're in frankfurt. we're in amsterdam. major places of travel. so we have the opportunity if our other systems flag them for scrutiny. >> if you do a face-to-face with me, i would love you to do it with potential bad guys coming from outside our country as well. thank you for your answers. >> thank the gentleman. the chair recognizes south carolina. >> thank you madame chairwoman. thank you to the panel for being

here. thank you for your service to the country. in february of 2014 this year the director started out testifying before the senate armed services committee by saying looking back over my now more than half a century in intelligence, aye not experienced a time when we've been beset by more crisis and threats around the globe? two days ago we have a staff meeting on fly-in day. i shared a video with my staff of an isis produced video. but it showed young iraqi men loaded in the back of pickup trucks and dump trucks taking out into the desert. and murdered. hundreds of iraqis. harken times of the holocaust to watch the images that were disturbing of men shot multiple times to make sure they were dead as they laid in the trench. this is a real threat.

and we may not think as americans we may not be interested in islamic extremism and isis and the establishment of calaphate. but i tell you what, isis is interested in america and they're interested in you. in june i traveled to europe. i couldn't get many members of congress interested in going. we were looking at border security and foreign fighter flow. in june. i was to have that same congressional delegation trip today i would have to turn members away because the plane wouldn't be big enough to travel to europe to meet with our allies about foreign fighter flow. i grew up during the cold war. nation state versus nation state tracking the movement of tanks and large number of troops among borders in mainly eastern europe. we're not tracking troop movement or tank movement today.

we're tracking individuals. foreign fighters who lead not only european countries but this country to travel to fight ji d jihad. often times being radicalized and coming back possibly to the united states of america to create and commit heinous crimes. is that a farfetched idea? well, before i left to travel to br brussels, a young man who travelled to syria through turkey came back through germany. germany tracked its movements but failed to let the allies within europe know about the individual. he entered brussel, is and shot up a jewish museum. at least three or four individuals were killed. have you heard about that? probably not. i know it because i was headed to brussels and it was on our radar screen.

this was a jihadist, shot up a jewish museum, killed people. free travel. free travel among those countries. no border crossings. they're visa waiver countries as well. he would have been part of the visa waiver program, traveled back to his country unbeknownst to the united states personnel, had a valid travel document could have boarded an aircraft and flown to this country. we need to be concerned about that. we also need to be concerned about americans. we have now identified a number that have traveled over to fight with isis. whether it's in syria or iraq or the islamic state and whatever it looks like going. we should be able to revoke the passports of united states

citizens if they do travel to fight for another organization. in fact, u.s. law says that a u.s. citizen shall lose its nationality by volunteering and performing illegal acts. now there is a part of law that says with the intention of relen kwishing united states nationality. maybe we w need to strike that in future law. but if you go on, committing act of treason or bearing arms against the united states. that's exactly what isis and isil have said. if you go onto other laws, we can revoke a united states passport if the secretary receives certification from a state agency that the individual owes child support in excess of $25. we can revoke their passport because they don't pay child support. you can't tell me we're going to revoke the passports of people going to fight with isis that said we're coming to the wlous. we're going to fly that al qaeda

flag over the white house. who have made threats to the united states. who have beheaded two american journalists. but we can revoke the passport if they fail to pay child support? secretary should issue the past port of 19:26 that gives broad power to revoke the passport when necessary for security purposes. we need to keep them from reentering the united states when we know who they are, and we need to understand, america, the challenges of tracking individual foreign fighters and as they fly around the world through ally countries, where they end up. madame chairman, i hope this isn't the last committee hearing. we have a lot of threating facing our country. and i hope that the president comes out strongly tomorrow night against this threat to the united states of america and the very freedoms that we enjoy.

and with that i yield back. >> thank you, gentleman, very much. and i think we are all very interested to hear what the president has to say about this sure. i think it's -- i would guess certainly in my direct and most members when they were home in their districts over the last month we heard about this isis threat over and over and over. and it has certainly -- i think the nation understands and is looking for the president, he is the commander km chief, to outline to the country how serious of a threat it is, and what we need to be doing as a country to address it. and really the purpose of this hearing -- in a moment. really the purpose of this hearing was to talk about what we can do legislatively to assist all of you, and as i mentioned, i have currently two different bills that we're

looking at, and introducing and i would also encourage all of you, for instance, mr. wagner, you mentioned you're looking, you're reviewing, as you always are about what kinds of things would be helpful. please keep us in the information loop. you don't have to wait until we have a hearing to let us know what you're doing. and i know that maybe what you're looking at doing is better talked about in the skiff, but in a classified in situation, but still, keep us in the information loop. does the ranking >> i do, thank you very much. let me just hope to make sure that ms. lasley responds to my question and to just put on the a looming question of watch list, no-fly list. i think this hearing should leave the american public that we are being vigilant and we're knowledgeable that isil wants to

form as an islamic state, but we balance that with our civil liberties and facts. so, i would ask for anyone who may have documentation, i guess it's in different jurisdictions, but i want to put on the record, documentation on the status or the type of unaccompanied children. i would like to get that report from anybody who has access to that. i would like to yield 15 seconds to -- and thank the witnesses very much, too -- mr. o'rourke, very briefly. >> you don't have to yield to him. i'll recognize him. >> when i asked about a connection to known terrorist plots and the u.s./mexico border, mentioned the iran terror plot to assassinate somebody here in washington, d.c., there is, in fact, from everything that i know about this, absolutely no connection to the border. in fact, the plotter was interdicted at jfk airport where

he was arrested due to our coordination with government of mexico. the person he thought he was dealing was actually a dea agent posing as a cartel member. the border was never exploited. while i think this is a serious issue, one which we must remain vigilant, there is no connection to the border. i invite anyone, especially those who have the subject matter expertise to tell me if i am wrong. my understanding is the border is as secure as it has ever been and we do not have any terror plots tied to the border. doesn't mean there might not be some, shouldn't guard against it, but let's deal with the facts. >> i thank the gentleman for his comments. i recognize the gentleman from south carolina, if you would like to respond. >> i thank the gentleman. i think the iranian threat was to come across the southern border. it was thwarted, so you're right and wrong. we have no idea who's in our country. for us not to recognize that we

have open borders and that we have no idea who has entered our country illegally, and what their intentions were -- whether it was the intention to get a job and provide for their family or intention to maybe create a terrorist cell and do something nefarious in the future, we don't know. i met with the security force of the king ranch in your state. 30, 40 miles north of brownsville. 837,000 acres, as large as the state of rhode island. so they have their own security force. this was two years ago. he said, mr. duncan, we're watching on our property some otms. the term otm is only be applied to unaccompanied children from nick rag ra, el salvador. he said, we're catching folks on our property that are african,

that are asian and that are middle eastern. this is 50 miles north of the border. they came across the border illegally. just met with a secret service agent on the sidewalk in washington that was riding a bike. former military guy. served nine tours in afghanistan. that ought to tell you what he did in the military. he said part of his training was on the southern border watching and they saw thousands of people come across the border and they called cbp and nobody showed up. he said, part of our work was radio and communications intercept, because they were getting ready to go do the same thing in afghanistan. he said, everything we heard was not spanish. wake up, america. with a porous southern border, we have no idea who's in our country. i yield back. >> i thank, the gentleman. i thank everyone for their passion on this issue. obviously, there's a lot of interest in this. and i certainly want to thank all of the witnesses for their testimony today. and i know some of the questions

that were asked will be -- answers will be submitted in writing to the committee. we appreciate that. and with that -- >> thank you, madame chair. i want to say thank you. i know you're ending. just want to say that this is a committee of facts. no one knows and has documented that those otms were terrorist. i yield back. >> i appreciate that. >> thank you. >> we would also mention that pursuant to the committee rule 7-c the he

>> president obama addressed the nation to lay out his counterterrorism strategy. that is next. then come will hear from date cheney on u.s. foreign-policy. later, a congressional gold medal ceremony. a ceremony will be held in new york tomorrow morning to mark the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. we have coverage from the national memorial plaza at eight : 30 eastern on c-span three.

>> this weekend, american history tv is live from fort henry for the 200 anniversary of the star-spangled and are. later, on american history tv, we will tour for mchenry and hear how war came to baltimore france's skywhy key was there to witness the fight. the presidential leadership scholar program. coverage of the steak fry. on the evolution of the conservative movement in american politics. secretverstein on the world of oil. kirsten gillibrand

on her life and politics and her call to women to come up and make a difference in the world. let us know what you think about the programs you are watching by calling us and e-mailing us. or, send us a tweet. join the conversation and like us on facebook. follow us on twitter. >> obama is authorizing u.s. airstrikes in syria and will in iraqhe bombings against militants who beheaded journalists. the president spoke.

my fellow americans, tonight, i want to speak to you about what the united states will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as isil. as commander-in-chief, my highest priority is the security of the american people. over the last several years, we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists who threaten our country. we took out osama bin laden and much of al qaeda's leadership in afghanistan and pakistan. we've targeted al qaeda's affiliate in yemen, and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in somalia. we've done so while bringing more than 140,000 american troops home from iraq, and drawing down our forces in afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. thanks to our military and counterterrorism professionals, america is safer. still, we continue to face a terrorist threat. we cannot erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. that was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today.

that's why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge. at this moment, the greatest threats come from the middle east and north africa, where radical groups exploit grievances for their own gain. and one of those groups is isil, which calls itself the "islamic state." now let's make two things clear. isil is not "islamic." no religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of isil's victims have been muslim. and isil is certainly not a state. it was formerly al qaeda's affiliate in iraq and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and syria's civil war to gain territory on both sides of the iraq-syrian border. it is recognized by no government, nor the people it subjugates. isil is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. and it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

in a region that has known so much bloodshed, these terrorists are unique in their brutality. they execute captured prisoners. they kill children. they enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. they threatened a religious minority with genocide. in acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two american journalists, jim foley and steven sotloff. so isil poses a threat to the people of iraq and syria and the broader middle east, including american citizens, personnel, and facilities. if left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the united states. while we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, isil leaders have threatened america and our allies. our intelligence community believes that thousands of foreigners, including europeans

and some americans, have joined them in syria and iraq. trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks. i know many americans are concerned about these threats. tonight, i want you to know that the united states of america is meeting them with strength and resolve. last month, i ordered our military to take targeted action against isil to stop its advances. since then, we have conducted more than 150 successful airstrikes in iraq. these strikes have protected american personnel and facilities, killed isil fighters, destroyed weapons, and given space for iraqi and kurdish forces to reclaim key territory. these strikes have helped save the lives of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. but this is not our fight alone. american power can make a decisive difference, but we

cannot do for iraqis what they must do for themselves, nor can we take the place of arab partners in securing their region. that's why i've insisted that additional u.s. action depended upon iraqis forming an inclusive government, which they have now done in recent days. so tonight, with a new iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and congress at home, i can announce that america will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat. our objective is clear. we will degrade, and ultimately destroy, isil through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy. first, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists.

working with the iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we're hitting isil targets as iraqi forces go on offense. moreover, i have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. that means i will not hesitate to take action against isil in syria, as well as iraq. this is a core principle of my presidency. if you threaten america, you will find no safe haven. second, we will increase our support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground. in june, i deployed several hundred american service members to iraq to assess how we can best support iraqi security forces. now that those teams have completed their work and iraq has formed a government, we will send an additional 475 service members to iraq. as i have said before, these american forces will not have a combat mission. we will not get dragged into another ground war in iraq, but they are needed to support iraqi and kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. we will also support iraq's efforts to stand up national

guard units to help sunni communities secure their own freedom from isil control. across the border, in syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the syrian opposition. tonight, i again call on congress to give us additional authorities and resources to train and equip these fighters. in the fight against isil, we cannot rely on an assad regime that terrorizes its people, a regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost. instead, we must strengthen the opposition as the best counterweight to extremists like isil, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve syria's crisis once and for all. third, we will continue to draw on our substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent isil attacks. working with our partners, we will redouble our efforts to cut off its funding, improve our intelligence, strengthen our defenses, counter its warped ideology, and stem the flow of foreign fighters into and out of

the middle east. and in two weeks, i will chair a meeting of the u.n. security council to further mobilize the international community around this effort. fourth, we will continue providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organization. this includes sunni and shia muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of christians and other religious minorities. we cannot allow these communities to be driven from their ancient homelands. this is our strategy. and in each of these four parts of our strategy, america will be joined by a broad coalition of partners. already, allies are flying planes with us over iraq, sending arms and assistance to iraqi security forces and the syrian opposition, sharing intelligence, and providing billions of dollars in

humanitarian aid. secretary kerry was in iraq today meeting with the new government and supporting their efforts to promote unity, and in the coming days he will travel across the middle east and europe to enlist more partners in this fight, especially arab nations who can help mobilize sunni communities in iraq and syria to drive these terrorists from their lands. this is american leadership at its best. we stand with people who fight for their own freedom, and we rally other nations on behalf of our common security and common humanity. my administration has also secured bipartisan support for this approach here at home. i have the authority to address the threat from isil. but i believe we are strongest as a nation when the president and congress work together. so i welcome congressional support for this effort in order to show the world that americans are united in confronting this

danger. now, it will take time to eradicate a cancer like isil. and any time we take military action, there are risks involved, especially to the servicemen and women who carry out these missions. but i want the american people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in iraq and afghanistan. it will not involve american combat troops fighting on foreign soil. this counter-terrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out isil wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. this strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines, is one that we have successfully pursued in yemen and somalia for years. and it is consistent with the approach i outlined earlier this year to use force against anyone who threatens america's core interests but to mobilize partners wherever possible to

address broader challenges to international order. my fellow americans, we live in a time of great change. tomorrow marks 13 years since our country was attacked. next week marks 6 years since our economy suffered its worst setback since the great depression. yet despite these shocks, through the pain we have felt and the grueling work required to bounce back, america is better positioned today to seize the future than any other nation on earth. our technology companies and universities are unmatched. our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving. energy independence is closer than it's been in decades. for all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history. despite all the divisions and discord within our democracy, i see the grit and determination and common goodness of the american people every single day, and that makes me more

confident than ever about our country's future. abroad, american leadership is the one constant in an uncertain world. it is america that has the capacity and the will to mobilize the world against terrorists. it is america that has rallied the world against russian aggression, and in support of the ukrainian peoples' right to determine their own destiny. it is america , our scientists, our doctors, our know-how, that can help contain and cure the outbreak of ebola. it is america that helped remove and destroy syria's declared chemical weapons so they cannot pose a threat to the syrian people, or the world, again. and it is america that is helping muslim communities around the world not just in the fight against terrorism, but in the fight for opportunity, tolerance, and a more hopeful future. america, our endless blessings

bestow an enduring burden. but as americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead. from europe to asia, from the far reaches of africa to war-torn capitals of the middle east, we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity. these are values that have guided our nation since its founding. tonight, i ask for your support in carrying that leadership forward. i do so as a commander-in-chief who could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform, pilots who bravely fly in the face of danger above the middle east and service-members who support our partners on the ground. when we helped prevent the massacre of civilians trapped on a distant mountain, here's what one of them said. "we owe our american friends our lives. our children will always

remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people." that is the difference we make in the world. and our own safety, our own security, depends upon our willingness to do what it takes to defend this nation, and uphold the values that we stand for - timeless ideals that will endure long after those who offer only hate and destruction have been vanquished from the earth. may god bless our troops, and may god bless the united states of america. >> here is the congressional reaction to the president. --er king tweets

betty mccollum says -- here is richard hudson of north carolina. you can join the conversation on twitter and facebook. >> on the next washington journal, we will get your reaction to this speech laying out the strategy to combat the terrorist group, isis. you can join the conversation on facebook and twitter. we will talk to david sanger about the anniversary of the

september 11 attacks. washington journal is live on c-span. >> dick cheney is critical of obama for being disengaged from u.s. foreign-policy and failing to confront extremist threats by the islamic state. he spoke about the anniversary an event11 attacks at hosted by the american enterprise institute. >> my name is sully friedman. welcome aighted to fellow trustee, the former vice president and secretary of defense. former chief of staff and congressman, dick cheney.

he joins us on the 13th anniversary of 9/11 and that another critical moment for the nation, with russian troops on the move, much of the middle our owncollapse and secretary of defense describes the new enemy, isis, as beyond anything that we have ever seen. we have a talk that begins with the vice president and is followed by a moderated session. great to be back. i have spent time here over the years as a fellow and a trustee. i am an out of work politician and it is a pleasure to come back. atng a fellow and a trustee aei has put me and the company of people i admire most in the city. the american enterprise

institute is a place where serious matters received serious attention and that is the spirit that brings me here this morning. obama will be speaking later today on iraq and the middle east, one of the most pressing of national security issues. concerns thathe compete for our time in washington, nothing matters more than the security of the united states. everything else depends on our safety. of all the things that our federal government attempts to , the onedays obligation only a can do is defend the nation. it is the defining duty of the president as the commander-in-chief and a test of leadership that matters more than any other. the finest of our presidents have measured up to that test and i have seen some of them. it has been my privilege to play a part in some of the more

critical national security decisions we have face. there have been five presidents for four oforked them and work closely with the fifth. i often overcame great difficulties and the same could be said of others in my lifetime, going back to roosevelt and truman. next year will be the eighth decade of what we call the "post-war" air a -- era. security formed in the years after the second world war. , guaranteed,ritten and defended the united states of america. what makes it real is the fact of american military superiority. without that, we would be one more nation with a good

intentions and strong opinions. it is not arbitrary cycle of history that has made the postwar era what it has been. it is power in leadership. before i credit the united states and the diplomats, the credit belongs with the whorations of men and woman gave their lives and lay down their lives for the nation. backdrop, 5.5 years into the presidency of obama, a few fundamental problems are evident. he has served in office longer than 26 of his predecessors and it is hardly too early to draw conclusions about his conduct of foreign policy and the basin ideas and assumptions the president has followed. at times, the president has been

clear and emphatic. distrustmonstrated his .or american power he put it this way to the united nations, no world order that elevates a nation or group over another will succeed. regardtosample, american influence as a problem to be resolved in the world, rather than a solution. itever we interpret obama, is a far cry from kennedy's america as the watchmen on the walls of freedom. the strength to do whatever must be done for this freedom. compare those presidential

declarations and it is more than a difference in time that we are dealing with. they are radically different outlooks on the world and upon american responsibility in it. when you have a president who's primary concern is to -- whose primary concern is to never elevate america, it is no surprise to have a defense secretary in a state of alarm. the world is exploding all over. there is a connection between these problems. presidente disengaged and the volatile situations abroad. in a few hours, we would hear about iraq. we should hope for and look for a forceful and immediate strategy to defeat isis. we can say that such a plan would mark an abrupt and dramatic departure. this is the same president,

after all, who was assuring the nation that the tide of war was receiving. those words suited his purpose in 2012 and that was the very time when danger that is now obvious to all was gathering. all that was needed from a rack q andlsewhere -- ira elsewhere was american power and leadership. if you think with for a means a -- withdrawale, means a return to peace, look at the caliphate. again and again, i have heard the same question, what is obama doing? how can you so carelessly sacrifice of america's gains in , walking away from

friends and leaving violent enemies to fill the void. they cannot understand why the president was so insistent on withdrawing leadership when it was needed the most. non-intervention to be just as dogmatic as the opposite. sure ofident is himself. syria is in example. the regime used chemical weapons and the administration took a "ance of what you might call principled indifference." , just not enough to do anything. aten, obama response to crisis by announcing all of the things he will not do. we hope that the pattern and's tonight. too often, this is been met with

deference by the united states and lengthy explanations of the our inability to shape events will stop in action spells opportunity for our adversaries. in syria, we saw the russians move in for their advantage. vladimir putin has moved into the crimea. to frustrate american objectives at every turn. this goes down, as the administration likes to put it, an19th century behavior and expression of disapproval that never seems to translate in the kremlin. they do not seem to care. the test for some players in this world is if they can get away with what they want to do. if they can, they will. end of discussion. --all know what a ran wants

iran wants. try to imagine life in israel or anywhere else if we permit that day to come. is looking for american resolve or its absence. drawing a redline for a ssad, and your problems do not end in syria. in tehran, they have been watching and they are not impressed. strategic rivals like russia and hostile people are drawing conclusions and take note on the hard things that we do as the preeminent the mocker see. -- democracy. this goes back to fdr. the finest amend new how to choose a message of strength. knew how to choose a

message of strength. i think of the reagan military buildup of the 1980's. american resolve in unmistakable terms. i think of a few days after saddam hussein was taken into american custody. among others who were paying attention was the dictator of libya, who let it be known that we could come and take away his entire inventory of nuclear components. we did. what would have to doff he done ddafi done in 2011? they watch what our leaders do in america and they listen to what our leaders say. a few of our most single-minded

enemies might wonder why president obama was talking about the terrorists being on the run when the opposite was happening. the estimates of the rand corporation, since 2010, there has been a 58% increase in the number of jihadist groups and a doubling of the number of jihadist fighters. a tripling of attacks by al qaeda affiliates. the claim that the tide of war -- the threat was increasing. over to pakistan and to somalia placeseria, and various -- in very as places under various names, a new round of jihadists were on the rise. said, and i quote, when asked if terrorists were on the run,

we could not respond with any answer but, "no." when asked if the terrorists were defeated, we had to say, "no." anyone who answers yes is flat out lying. was that the terrorist threat, far from receding, has been advancing. and the rand report was done before the rise of ices and the establishment of the caliphate in the arab world. is attracting radicals from europe and, potentially, the united states. are intended to return home. that is, unless their passports are canceled, which ought to happen.

these are but a few of the features that make the situation toon most dangers that we have faced in my lifetime and more dangerous than the administration has been willing to admit. when the president's speech today, we only need to listen carefully for a true understanding of the nature and the extent of the danger. let me suggest a few markers to keep in mind for strategic thinking. a realistic strategy has recognize that isis is a grave strategic threat to the united states. the situation is dire and defeating the terrorists will require immediate, sustained, simultaneous action of across all fronts. phasing in actions will not suffice and such a strategy will only prolong the conflict. isis does not recognize a border between syria and iraq and neither should we. we should hit them in their

sanctuary staging areas and wherever we find them. we should provide increased numbers of military trainers and special operation forces. we should aid the iraqi military and the kurdish counteroffensive against isis. towork to defeat ices and feed the establishment of the terrorists safe haven in the and defeat -- isis the establishment of the terrorists safe haven in the middle east. andaeda has not diminished the title iv is not receiving. war is not receding. winning requires allies. assure our friends and

allies that america will not abandon them. ther 5.5 years of administration sending messages of retreat, withdrawal, and indifference, we have lost the allies we need to win this war. we must demonstrate intelligence activities. we know that they are on the frontlines of the war on terror. we should do everything possible to defend ices -- jordan against isis. we should provide the support that the government of egypt nai.s in the sigai we ought to designate a terrorist organization and provide full backing and support for the government across the middle east that are standing against the muslim brotherhood.

we should make it clear that a is anr armed iran existential threat to israel and other nations in the region. accept any deal that allows them to spin centrifuges and and rich uranium. they must understand that the united states will not allow that to happen and we will take military action, if necessary, to stop it. void the tragic error that gave us the caliphate. we should have the draw down of our troops in afghanistan halted. the terror and chaos in iraq ed in will be replay afghanistan if we abandon that country. weh all that is happening, should hear no more talk about treating the fight against terror as a matter of law enforcement. the idea that terrorists are

just criminals is a dogma of this administration from the putnning and it is time to it to rest once and for all. all that we have achieved in protecting the country after 9/11 came from the understanding that terrorists are not just common lawbreakers and that terrorism is not just street crime on a bigger scale. president obama has blake neely desk blatantly -- president obama has been blatantly pointing to the bush-cheney security apparatus. , we have a security apparatus that makes us pretty safe. hear from someone who used to speak so discouraging way about the steps we took after 9/11. after years of saying that america had lost our way and

abandoned our values in building a security apparatus, he is now invoking it. i know something about the apparatus. i was one of the architects. president obama is blind to a key fact. it is not self-sustaining. the policies must be kept strong and current. after five .5 years of dismantling the apparatus, he cannot claim the apparatus will keep us safe and this is the most critical thing to the president's remarks today. ay strategy has to include commitment to restoring military preparedness. we cannot pursue a comprehensive strategy against terrorism when we are sending pink slips in the combat zone. this is happening will stop and

this time of hasty which rall and self congratulations -- withdrawal and self congratulations, we have seen the military power of the united states. even this has been taken for granted. point nearing a crisis near the decline of american military power that has to be addressed right away. the administration should be aware of this by now because of defensertisan national panel appointed by the president's secretary. it is a bipartisan group chaired bill, the former secretary of defense. they did a superb job and i recommend it to anybody was interested in it.

any defense capability has been reduced, with further reductions to come. all have been subjected to a rational budget cuts that have nothing to do with the strategic needs of national security. soon, for instance, will be looking at strength levels that were prior to 9/11. seen crucial weapon systems delayed or canceled arbitrarily or by flimsy rationales. under the president, we are in the midst of a systematic pullback in ways that will projection.der our one of the highest honors of my life to serve as the secretary of defense.

caneed to do everything we to make sure that every expenditure is justified. the defense budget is different from every other part of our federal budget. areas, you start with questions of, what do we have and what can we afford? with the defense budget, we start with the question of, what do we need? whatever the thinking behind these decisions, it bears little relation to a strategic environment that is becoming more demanding by the day. other military powers are adding to their capabilities and some are exploiting the new american vulnerability. countriesclear-armed with uncertain political futures. there is a constant threat of

wmd proliferation. it can only be countered by american power. we have this going on in 2014 and we are investing in defense as if the dangers of the world were on a quiet retreat. they are not. the next commander-in-chief will appreciate this from day one. unless we start matching our military investment with the threats and challenges we face, options haved narrowed dramatically. all of the capacities that we need to shape events may not be there. in thee wisest calls situation room will not come too much without the ability to sea,w through by land, space, or aerospace. when the next congress convenes, i can think of no more urgent business than this.

leaders working together must ensure the highest priority of the federal budget is defense fence and security of the united states of america. the crisis in the iraq -- interact, the ukraine -- in i raq and the ukraine. ultimately, the bad actors are destined to fail. the terrorists are on wrong side of history. thought expressed in an active and not a passive mode. thiserrorists who threaten country and our friends are on the wrong side of civilization. it will be on the wrong side of history if we put them there. we must deal with dangers before the become catastrophes. that is where the best kind of history is made. a story of awful things that

never happened because our foresight and resolve did not allow it to. i can tell you that it is the leadership of brave men and women that makes history. in particular, is united states of america time and again that has answered threats and taken swift and determined action. face, thet we now most self-defeating allusion is that power and leadership is optional. us,s as if with or without the world will get by. you will hear otherwise. they welcome american influence in any manner. they still they know their security and ours depends on american power be restored.

[applause] thank you. he has to leave but he can take some questions erie it we ask that once the event is over if you could they stay seated so the vice president can depart and we will have everyone come out. i will take the privilege of asking the first question. the washington post reports she received a rapturous reception came tool hill when you speak to house republicans. libertarians sat

silently as dick cheney addressed republicans erie it do we have to convince a lot of people first rest of our cracks we do. it was a great reception. neverimpressed erie it --. they never treated me that way when i was president. some people call it a strong feeling against the war. a few you will find in various places in our society. anyone who went through 9/11 when people came through and destroyed the trade center and it isown the pentagon and

let the rest of the world stew in its own juices. i am outspoken about it. ito think what i think about art of the problem is to remind there were some of the democrats, the issues i talk about our real. , atan pursue the course least we cut something erie it we need to play an active role in the world and i believe those who advocate in isolation course are dead wrong. would you say to president obama in advance of the speech and what did you tell the house republicans yesterday? rex i told the president i don't know if he is watching or he

will read my speech. i tried to lay out the principal things that need to be done. especially recognition of the threat and eating honest about what is happening out there. reverselyore -- course of the administration. the reception i got on the hill from my former colleagues was a fewarm and there were in the audience who disagreed. the washington post found two of them. a good meeting and part of it is i considered myself a man of the house, i was 10 years in the house and eight years president of the senate. i have been clear i preferred the house. it is a fascinating time and i have great respect and affection

for those who served. i spent a lot of years as a member of congress or private. we have the got so good people there and we will have a tough fight in the fall campaign but we will renew our commitment to democracy and we will have a new congress, january and hopefully it will be more successful than recent ones. xd you feel the current threat is contained -- is that have router global implications? you touched on iran. we have a situation where the u.s. military was providing air cover for shia militias. theyou talk about that and iranian threat?

>> i am very concerned and i have talked about it frequently. that is the proliferation of weapons of mass distraction. in particular, nuclear materials and it is not just limited to the middle east. we found, the head of the mossad started laying down photographs. there were color pictures taken inside the reactor that had been built by the north koreans. muchorth koreans are very players. there had been reporting from the north koreans had bribed officials to get the latest technology for highly enriched uranium. we can look at that area of the proliferation that it is a major

threat. we do not know where it is going to go. we are lucky when eastern syria fell to isis they did not find a nuclear reactor erie it the israelis took it out and we are qaddafi surrendered his materials. it does have worldwide ramifications. the future of developments in that part of the world clearly are relevant to not just the u.s. but not on a global basis. >> what is the best strategy or strategies for maintaining diplomatic support and how can the support be complemented to combat isis? >> we traveled through the

region and i kept up a lot of my ties since desert storm when i worked with all of them when we were dealing with the first gulf war. and there perception are some israelis and arabs perception that they u.s. cannot be trusted they way we had been in the past. act andto go in and work closely to restore faith in our commitments because it has been seriously eroded. do nota deep leave and i want to zero in on any particular country but it is general throughout the region that the u.s. has been supportive of the muslim brotherhood.

they can trace their backgrounds to the muslim brothers. understand that. it is our concern. we need to keep commitments we made. morsi was toppled in general took and general sisi over. the reaction was to talk about withholding our relationship and throw support and supplies, and that was the wrong deal.

wey want to know that will keep our commitments and they are the ones that are survive every day to against the most radical elements that have taken part of iraq and created the caliphate. diplomatically and militarily from the standpoint of the u.s., we have to prove ourselves and restore those relationships which have been badly damaged. the u.s. has conducted itself over the last few years. >> thank you. thank you for your time. >> thank you. [applause]

>> we will have live coverage memorial plaza. our coverage continues tomorrow evening. david youngfaces in iowa. we will have live debate coverage from iowa public tv on c-span2. house and senate [inaudible] thememorial fund and memorial and museum in newark.

the sir money begins with john weiner -- ceremony begins with john weiner. -- boehner. please welcome our honored guests. [applause] the speaker of the united states house of representatives the honorable john banner -- boe hner. >> welcome.

a.m. theat 8:46 capital will join the nation in . moment of silent tribute to those that we lost on september 11, 2001. it is one of many such moments, silent or otherwise. they come by instinct now. we stand taller and the hand is and wer on the hardeart, we might not when have done so before. this is the responsible people who share a stubborn belief in each other. it is a search to grasp whatever it was in the character of those men and women who are leaving life at its peak thought of others before themselves.

we mourn for what was taken from us. many of those loved ones are here. join me in welcoming them to our ceremony. [applause] all that we americans are and all we will ever be we owe to the following heroes of 9/11. that day was made up of many sacrifice from which emerged one spirit. embodied in the mail we entrusted.

congress has awarded gold medals in recognition of extraordinary deeds. recipients were george washington, john paul jones, andrew jackson. there is no higher honor that we can bestow. this is the first time the tunnel has been given in honor of so many fallen innocents and we pray for this -- this is the last time. becausewhy we do this the most stirring lasting tribute of all is for week to remain never to forget and never to rest until our work is done. thank you for being here today. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of the colors by the united states armed forces colored guard, the singing of our in an anthem and the retiring of the colors.

>> halt. >> halt. >> o say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the

twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as the chaplain of the united states house of representatives, the reverend patrick conroy, gives the invocation. >> let us pray. loving and gracious creator of us all, we give you thanks for giving us this day and so many days since that moment as one 13 years ago. bless all of us who are gathered here. send your spirit of peace and consolation as we recall a tragic day when so many innocent souls were called into your presence and so many others began lives filled with sorrow and mourning. today we remember them all and

in a special way the men and women who died while responding to that national tragedy. we thank you for their courage and self-sacrifice while assisting those traumatized and struggling to survive the violent assault perpetrated on that day. may they rest in peace and may those who mourn their loss be in some small way consoled by this honor bestowed by congress. we implore you, o god, to send your spirit upon all your children. though so many suffer from acts of terror throughout our world and from various perpetrators, some of whom presume to act according to your will, we seem unable to learn how to love one another and come together to bring what families throughout our world want -- peace, health and safe homes for their children.

may our gathering today be a call to us all, to work toward a better world and bring some comfort to those who were so personally harmed that violent day 13 years ago by the loss of their loved ones, the fallen heroes of 9/11. may we always be mindful that you, our god, and may all we do be for your greater honor and glory. amen. >> please be seated. ladies and gentlemen, united states representative from the ninth district of pennsylvania, the honorable william shuster.

\[applause] >> thank you. good morning. it is truly an honor to be with you here this morning as we present the congressional gold medal to the three memorial sites in honor of the heroes of 9/11. i represent shanksville, pennsylvania, the area where flight 93 went down, and more importantly, where the first counterattack on the war on terrorism occurred. it's been an honor for me to work closely with the families of flight 93 over the past several years on key initiatives, including funding the flight 93 national memorial and awarding the 9/11 heroes a conled gold medal today. these congressional gold medals are an honor, in honor of the heroes that perished on 9/11 and will be displayed at each of the memorial sites. the tragic deaths at the world trade center, at the pentagon and in western pennsylvania on

september 11, 2001, have forever changed our nation. the officers, emergency workers and other employees, the state and local government agencies, including the port authority of new york and new jersey, and the united states government and others who responded to the attacks on the world trade center in new york city and perished as a result of the tragic events of september 11, 2001, took heroic and noble action on that day. the first responders to the attack of the pentagon took heroic and noble action to evacuate the premises and prevent further casualties of pentagon employees. the passengers and the crew of the united airlines flight 93 recognized the imminent danger that their aircraft poised, took selfless and heroic action to ensure that the aircraft could not be used as a weapon. by giving the ultimate sacrifice that day, those heroes saved the lives of countless men

and women, american institutions and symbols of american democracy and most likely the building we are standing in today, the u.s. capitol. the united states congress is honored by this opportunity to further pay tribute to the heroic men and women by officially recognizing those who lost their lives that faithful day. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states senator from pennsylvania, the honorable robert casey. [applause] >> thank you very much, mr. speaker, majority leader reid, leader pelosi, leader mcconnell, ladies and gentlemen and especially the families of flight 93. like congressman shuster, i'm honored to be here today as a representative of the commonwealth of pennsylvania. we gather today to both pay tribute to and i believe to draw inspiration from what those passengers did on a bright sunny

day, flying through pennsylvania facing the darkness and the horror that they were confronted with. in addition to paying tribute to them and drawing inspiration, we also express gratitude today, gratitude for what they did to save the lives in this building, this city and of course what they did for america. we also want to express gratitude to the families for what they've done since that horrible day to make sure we never forget the contribution of their family members, to our own national security and i believe to our own destiny. i think if i went to everyone in this room today, we would have one sentiment in common, not just gratitude and sorrow and expressing condolence but also i think we would have a federal reservent hope that each of these -- fervent hope that each

of these passengers could be here so we could shake their hands and present them wet medals we are presenting here today. we cannot do that. the substitute, of course, is what we can do to pay tribute to their families, pay tribute to them through their families. on a day like today, we reach and research for scripture in other ways to remember the contribution and seek inspiration. i'm recalling the words from part of the lyrics from "america the beautiful." the one line, o beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years. in that moment of horror, those passengers, people that didn't have training in national security or law enforcement or dealing with the horror of terrorism, they understood that patriot drome and they acted on that dream because they could indeed see beyond the years,

what their actions would mean that day and what their actions would mean for america. so let us today draw inspiration from what they did and let us today recommit ourselves to making sure that we're doing all we can to remember that patriot dream and to always see beyond the years. may god bless them and god bless their families. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the united states army band and chorus. ♪

god bless america land that i love stand beside her and guide

her through the night with the life from above from the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam god bless america my home sweet home god bless america my home sweet home god bless america land that i love stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above from the mountains, to the prairies to

the oceans, white with foam god bless america, my home sweet home god bless america, my home sweet home ♪ god bless america, my home sweet home god bless america, my home sweet home ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, democratic leader of the united states house of representatives, the honorable nancy pelosi. >> good morning.