, through our field offices, our task forces, we are at the hip with local partners. what i would hope for, i would hope that we continue to move in the direction we are moving and i think we will get there soon. >> i do want to follow-up on mr. barletta's question. right now if somebody overstays -- they cannot come in for two years if it was a short overstated and 10 years if it was long overstay. only are really the disincentives or accountability items. would it be valuable to provide some other accountability to these overstayers to make it a crime? to have some finds?

penalty of not being able to reenter? are there thoughtful disincentives we should consider? >> people that overstay as time goes on the numbers get whittle down. they are subject to the three-year to tenure bar of getting a visa to come back. that information goes to state and they have to go to state and apply and state their cases. once they depart the united states or are removed, it has been difficult to come back in unless they deal with the wafer and there are procedures to do that.

i do not know if making them into a criminal act would change behavior of people who would stay here. >> are individuals who left 60 days late consider the same as individuals you caught 60 days later and put out? that is a different behavior. >> i believe it would be the same. >> do you feel that those disincentives are adequate? >> i think people that will stay here permanently will try to stay here permanently. it will be difficult to come back in once a person leaves that has been identified as an overstay. i think we have exhausted a

lot of items here. let me give the opportunity for any members of the panel to share perspectives you were not asked about that were not in -- not in your testimony. is there anything else you want to leave with us we have not outidered on this issue? >> of the 1900 that you asked about, 130 of those were criminal. of 1910?130, not 80 80 convictions of 130 criminal arrests. that's a higher rate of conviction. great. just told like to add follow-up on what we discussed, our plan is to deploy this 2018.on in fall of the secretary has charged us

with doing that. we have put together a strategy contingent on the government or chairman process to spend the fees that congress has made available to us to do this as a reference of $1 billion over 10 years to do that. several steps that will be engaging industry and doing requests for proposals over the next 18 months to be able to get there. there are some tight deadlines but we will be going through that structure procurement process to be able to take that money and put it onto a contract and be able to spend it to deploy solutions. >> anything else to add? thanks. i appreciate the hard job you will have. -- you all have. different perspectives on what is important. i think at some point quantity

has a quality all its own when you talk a lot the magnitude of individuals. it only takes one person to be a we need to be vigilant about this and do everything we can to make sure that those were trying to use our system and trying to do us harm are very quickly identified and the public remains safe. i appreciate all the efforts that are being made. i think a lot of work has been done but we still have a lot of work left to do. will be partnering with you to make sure that it gets done. technology and procedures and whatever else is required. i appreciate your testimony. members of the committee may have some additional questions so please get back and we ask

you to respond to additional questions in writing. without objection the committee stands adjourned. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

> thursday, cia director john brennan testifies on intelligence activities and work to support national security.

we have live coverage from the senate intelligence committee at 9:00 a.m. eastern on c-span 3. coming up on c-span, president obama on the orlando mass shooting after meeting with his national security council. then, remarks by attorney general loretta lynch. that his father by lawmakers about the orlando shooting and democratic gun controls. >> c-span's washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up this morning, ranking democrat congressman bennie thompson of mississippi will discuss threats to the u.s. homeland in light of sunday's mass shooting in orlando, florida. then virginia republican congressman rob wittman on whether the military is prepared.

and california democratic representative jackie spear will discuss the latest on the mass shooting and what lawmakers learned from tuesday's closed-door briefing with security officials. watch c-span's washington journal live at 7:00 a.m. eastern this morning. >> today, a house committee meets to vote on censuring irs commissioner john kos can in. watch live at 9:00 a.m. eastern on c-span 3. later, the state department envoy from libya testifies about the administration's efforts to establish a unity government. we are alive from the senate foreign relations committee on c-span 3. >> in this morning's "washington post," this headline citing coverage "trump revoking washington post credentials."

writing, the move puts the newspaper on a long list of media outlets the presumptive nominee has banned for reporting that displeased him. margaret sullivan says, does it matter? not in the way you think. she is joining us from the post newsroom. thanks for being with us. margaret: you're welcome. host: explain your response to this development. margaret: it's a disturbing one. it seems to suggest that donald trump doesn't have the basic respect for press rights that he would hope and expect that a leading candidate for president would have. the post editor called it nothing less than a repudiation of the role of a free and independent press. i think he is right about that. host: can you give us a sense of what happened yesterday that displeased donald trump, and how the trump campaign forced the post to either change the headline, or kill the story? margaret: my understanding is that that is not what happened.

post editors looked at the headline, which they believed went a little too far, and changed the headline. marty baron said publicly that it wasn't -- that the headline change was not a result of the trump campaign reaching out. host: let's take a step back. what was the story all about? margaret: donald trump gave an interview to fox news after the orlando massacre. and said that president obama wasn't tough enough and wasn't smart enough, and there was something else going on. and the post road about this and said that he seemed to be suggesting that -- that trump seemed to be suggesting that president obama was tied to the shooting in some way. or was complicit in some way. his remarks did seem to suggest that, or at least create some

vague suspicion. trump's reaction to that story was to cut off or revoke the post's press credentials. i don't think it was just about that story. he has been unhappy with the post's coverage of trump university, the veterans contributions, and other ways in which the post has been pretty strong and aggressive in its coverage. host: in fact, calling the post coverage "phony and dishonest." margaret: that means, for our reporters, they won't be able to attend trump's rallies. at this point, we don't know whether it goes beyond that.

does it mean that he's not going to talk to the post at all? i spoke with the national political correspondent this morning. she says that is untested at this point. it is certainly not helpful to coverage, to not be able to attend rallies. but it's a much more serious thing if the access is cut off altogether. host: and your essay is available online at washingtonpost.com. did you get any reaction from the trunk campaign in the last 24 hours? margaret: i reached out to the communications director. i had a bit of e-mail traffic and said that i like to speak to donald trump, and understand exactly what he thinks the role of the press is in our society. and get him to explain more about why he did this. she said she'd get back to me, but i haven't heard from her. host: has this ever happened, in

your memory, with a major presumptive party nominee? margaret: it is not. i don't think there is any precedent for it. host: to put it in your words, you're in good company -- politico, the des moines register, the huffington post, all banned from trump events. margaret: it's getting to be a big club. it is disturbing. many of them are major news outlets. and certainly, the post is one of the most important national and political reporting outlets. it's a big deal. host: "the washington post" has a team of reporters looking into donald trump's business dealings and life. do you think that in any way has anything to do with his decision yesterday? margaret: i don't know whether it had anything to do with his decision yesterday. but he has expressed his displeasure about this team.

although i know he is also cooperated and given interviews. host: since you bring it up in your essay, your reference to bob woodward, richard nixon, and the washington post's role in the watergate investigation, are there any parallels? margaret: that is right. i spoke with bob woodward, one of the 2 watergate reporters this morning. i talked to him a little bit about how the nixon white house retaliated against those stories. and he talks to me about how there was an effort to push back but that it took a strange form at first in just cutting off the access of a society reporter to white house parties. but then eventually it got to be a much more serious thing. host: margaret sullivan, what is the biggest thing, if there is, inside "the washington post" newsroom? margaret: i think the tone was set by marty baron yesterday when he said that the post will continue doing aggressive,

honest, honorable reporting. that seems to be the feeling going forward, not -- there is no sense at the paper is somehow cowed by this. rather, it is a disturbing development because of what it says. but i don't think it's going to keep the post from doing great work. host: the headline "does it matter that donald trump has banned us? not in a way that you would think." margaret sullivan, columnist for "the washington post." thanks for your time. margaret: thanks so much. >> madam secretary, we pledge 72 of our delegate votes to the next president of the united states. [applause]

>> president obama spoke to reporters after his meeting with his national security council, and challenged critics not to use the term radical islamist. he called the criticism a political distraction. he also talked about the mass shooting in orlando, and efforts against isis. this is 25 minutes. pres. obama: everybody all set? i just met with my national security council as part of our regular effort to review and intensify our campaign to destroy the terrorist group isil.

our meeting was planned before the terrible attack in orlando. but obviously, that tragedy, the awful loss of life, shaped much of our work today. in all of our efforts, foremost in our minds is the loss and grief of the people of orlando. those who died, those who are still recovering, the families who have seen their loved ones harmed. the friends of ours who are lesbians and gay and bisexual and transgender who were targeted. i want to remind them that they are not alone. the american people and our allies and friends all over the world stand with you. and we are thinking about you

and praying for you. as director comey has said, we currently do not have any information to indicate that a foreign terrorist group directed the attack in orlando. it is increasingly clear, however, that the killer took in extremist information and propaganda over the internet. he appears to have been an angry, disturbed, unstable young man who became radicalized. as we know all too well, terrorist groups like isil have called on people all around the world and in the united states to attack innocent civilians. their propaganda, their videos and postings are pervasive and more easily accessible than we want.

this individual appears to have absorbed some of that. and during his killing spree, the shooter in orlando pledged allegiance to isil. as i said before, these small cells of terrorists are difficult to prevent and detect. but across our government at every level, federal, state, and local, military and civilian, we are doing everything in our power to stop these kinds of attacks. we work to succeed 100% of the time. the attacker, as we saw in orlando, only has to succeed once. our extraordinary personnel, our intelligence, military, homeland security, our law enforcement, have prevented many attacks and saved many lives. and we can never thank them enough. but, we are all sobered that despite the extraordinary hard

work, something like orlando can occur. in our meeting today, director comey updated us, and secretary johnson reviewed the measures we continue to take. secretary carter and sherman dunford reviewed military campaigns against isil, and i want to thank the secretary lew for hosting us, and his tireless efforts to cut up the money that isil depends on to fund its terror network. at the outset, i want to reiterate our objective in this fight. our mission is to destroy isil. since i last updated the american public, it continues to be a difficult fight, but we are making significant process. over the past two months, i have authorized a series of steps to ratchet up our fight against isil.

we have additional u.s. personnel and special forces in syria to assist local forces battling isil there and work with iraqi security forces and additional assets including attack helicopters and additional support for local forces in northern iraq. our aircraft continues to launch from the uss harry truman now in the mediterranean. our b-52 bombers are hitting isil with precision strikes. targets are being identified and hit even more quickly. 13,000 air strikes. this campaign at this stage is firing on all cylinders. as a result, isil is under more pressure than ever before. isil continues to lose key leaders, this includes a senior military leader in mosul, another who plotted the external attacks and isil's military in anbar province and the top isil

commander in fallujah. so far, we have taken out 120 isil commanders and leaders. our message is clear, if you target america and our allies, you will not be safe, you will never be safe. isil continues to lose ground in iraq. in the past two months local forces in iraq with coalition support have liberated the western town and pushed up the euphrates river valley liberating a town and breaking the isil siege. iraqi forces have surrounded falluja and begun to move in the city. in the north, iraqi forces continue to push up the tigris river valley and making gains and preparing to tighten the noose around isil. isil has lost half of the populated territory it once controlled in iraq. and it will lose more. isil continues to lose ground in

syria as well. assisted by our special operation forces, the coalition of local forces is now pressuring a key town, which means the noose is tightening around isil in raqqa, as well. we are on offense, isil is on defense, and it has been a full year since isil has been able to mount a major successful operation in either syria or iraq. as isil continues to lose territory, it also continues to lose the money that is its lifeblood. as a result of our strikes against its infrastructure and supply lines, we believe we have cut their revenue by millions of dollars per month. we destroy the sites where they keep their cash, and we have deprived them of many millions more. thanks to the great work of secretary lew and many others

here today, and working with nations and financial institutions around the world, isil is cut off from the international financial system. cutting off its money may not be as dramatic as military strikes, but it is critically important. isil cash reserves are down and it has had to cut salaries for its fighters. it is resorting to more extortion of those trapped in its grip and by isil's own admission, some of its leaders have been caught stealing cash and gold. once again, isil's true nature has been revealed. they are not religious warriors but thugs and thieves. in continuing to push on this front, i want to mention that it is critical for our friends in the senate to confirm adam, my nominee for undersecretary of terrorism. has been working on these kinds of issues for years. it's now been more than a year

since i nominated him. more than 420 days and he is still not been given a full vote. there is no reason for it. it is inexcusable and time for the senate to do its job and put our national security first, and have a vote on adam and help keep our country safe. isil's ranks are shrinking, as well. the morale is sinking. as one defector said, isil is not bringing islam to the world and people need to know that. thanks to international efforts, the flow of foreign fighters including from america to syria and iraq has plummeted. in fact, our intelligence community assesses that the ranks of isil fighters has been reduced to the lowest levels in more than 2 1/2 years. even as we continue to destroy isil militarily, we are addressing larger forces that have allowed these terrorist to

gain traction in parts of the world. with regard to iraq, means helping iraqis stabilize liberated communities and promote governance so isil cannot return. with regard to syria, it means our continued support for the fragile cessation of hostilities there. the cessation of hostilities has not stopped all or even most of the hardship on the syrian people. the hardship on civilians. and the assad regime has been the principal culprit in violating the cessation of hostilities. isil and al qaeda's affiliate in syria also continue to terrorize syrians. but as fragile and incomplete as the cessation is, it has saved lives and has allowed the delivery of some lifesaving aid to syrians who are in desperate need.

as difficult as it is, we will continue to push for a political process that can end the civil war and result in a transition away from assad. beyond syria and iraq, isil is also losing ground in libya. forces of the libyan unity government are going after their stronghold and we will assist the new libyan government as it works to secure its country. lastly, here at home, if we really want to help law enforcement protect americans from home-grown extremists, the kind of tragedy that occurred at san bernandino and now have occurred in orlando, there is a meaningful way to do that. we have to make it harder for

people who want to kill americans to get their hands on weapons of war that let them kill dozens of innocents. we cannot prevent every tragedy, but we know that consistent with the second amendment, there are commonsense steps that could reduce gun violence and could reduce the lethality of someone who intends to do other people harm. we should give a.t.f. the resources to enforce the gun laws that we already have. people with possible ties to terrorism that aren't allowed to be on a plane shouldn't be allowed to buy a gun. i'm not talking about being tough on terrorism -- actually be tough on terrorism and stop making it as easy as possible for terrorists to buy assault

weapons. reinstate the assault weapons ban, make it harder for terrorists to use these weapons to kill us. otherwise, despite extraordinary efforts across our government, by local law enforcement, by our intelligence agencies, by our military, despite all the sacrifices that folks make, these kinds of events are going to keep on happening. and the weapons are only going to get more powerful. and let me make a final point. for a while now, the main contribution of some of my friends on the other side of the aisle have made in the fight against isil is to criticize this administration and me for not using the phrase radical islam. that's the key, they tell us. we can't beat isil until we call

them radical islamists. what exactly would using this label accomplish? what exactly would it change? would it make isil less committed to trying to kill americans? would it bring in more allies? is there a military strategy that is served by this? the answer is none of the above. calling a threat by a different name does not make it go away. this is a political distraction. since before i was president, i have been clear about how extremist groups have perverted islam to justify terrorism.

as president, i have repeatedly called on our muslim friends and allies at home and around the world to work with us to reject this twisted interpretation of one of the world's great religions. there has not been a moment in my seven and a half years as president, where we have not been able to pursue a strategy because we didn't use the label radical islam. not once has an adviser said, man, if we really use that phrase, we are going to turn this whole thing around. not once. so someone seriously thinks that we don't know who we're

fighting? if there is anyone out there who thinks we're confused about who our enemies are, that would come as a surprise to the thousands of terrorists who we've taken off the battlefield. if the implication is that those of us up here and the thousands of people around the country and around the world who are working to defeat isil aren't taking the fight seriously, that would come as a surprise to those who spent the last seven and a half years dismantling al qaeda, including the men and women in uniform who put their lives at risk. and the special forces that i ordered to get bin laden and are now on the ground in iraq and syria. they know full well who the enemy is.

so do the intelligence and law enforcement officers who spend countless hours disrupting plots and protecting all americans, including politicians who tweet and appear on cable news shows. they know who the nature of the enemy is. so there's no magic to the phrase radical islam. it's a political talking point, it's not a strategy. and the reason i am careful about how i describe this threat has nothing to do with political correctness and everything to do with actually defeating extremism. groups like isil and al qaeda want to make this war a war between islam and america or between islam and the west.

they want to claim that they are the true leaders of over a billion muslims around the world who reject their crazy notions. they want us to validate them by implying that they speak for those billion-plus people, that they speak for islam. that's their propaganda. that's how they recruit. and if we fall into the trap of painting all muslims with a broad brush and imply that we are at war with an entire religion, then we are doing the terrorists' work for them. up until this point, this argument about labels has mostly been partisan rhetoric. and sadly, we have become

accustomed to that kind of partisanship, even when it involves the fight against these extremist groups. and that kind of yapping has not prevented folks across government from doing their jobs. from sacrificing, working really hard to protect the american people. but we are now seeing how dangerous this kind of mindset and this kind of thinking can be. we are starting to see where this kind of rhetoric and loose talk and sloppiness about who exactly we're fighting, where this can lead us. we now have proposals from the presumptive republican nominee

for president of the united states to bar all muslims from immigrating to america. you hear language that singles out immigrants and suggests entire religious communities are complicit in violence. where does this stop? the orlando killer, one of the san bernandino killers, the fort hood killer, they were all u.s. citizens. are we going to start treating all muslim-americans differently? are we going to start subjecting them to special surveillance? start discriminating against them because of their faith? we have heard these suggestions during the course of this campaign.

do republican officials actually agree with this? because that's not the america we want. it doesn't reflect our democratic ideals. it won't make us more safe, it will make us less safe, fueling isil's notion that the west hates muslims, making young muslims in this country and around the world feel like no matter what they do, they are going to be under suspicion and under attack. it makes muslim americans feel like their government is betraying them. it betrays the very values that america stands for.

we've gone through moments in our history before when we acted out of fear and we came to regret it. we have seen our government mistreat our fellow citizens. and it has been a shameful part of our history. this is a country founded on basic freedoms, including freedom of religion. we don't have religious tests here. our founders, our constitution, our bill of rights, are clear about that. and if we ever abandon those values, we would not only make it a lot easier to radicalize people here and around the

world, but we would have betrayed the very things we are trying to protect, the pluralism and the openness, our rule of law, our civil liberties, the very things that make this country great, the very things that make us exceptional. and then the terrorists would have won. and we cannot let that happen. i will not let that happen. you know, two weeks ago, i was at a commencement ceremony at the air force academy and it could not have been more inspiring to see these young people stepping up, dedicated to serve and protect this country. and part of what was inspiring was the incredible diversity of these cadets.

we saw cadets applauding classmates who are openly gay. we saw cadets born here in america applauding classmates who are immigrants and love this country so much that they decided to be part of our armed forces. we saw cadets and families from of all religions, applaud cadets who are proud patriotic muslim americans ready to lay their lives on the line ready to protect you and to protect me. we saw male cadets applauding for female classmates who can now serve in combat positions. that's the american military. that's america. one team, one nation. those are the values that isil is trying to destroy.

and we shouldn't help them do it. our diversity and our respect for one another, our drawing on the talents of everybody in this country, are making sure that we are treating everybody fairly, that we're not judging people on the basis of what faith they are or what race they are or what ethnicity they are or what their sexual orientation is. that's what makes this country great. that's the spirit we see in orlando. that's the unity and resolve that will allow us to defeat isil. that's what will preserve our values and our ideals, that define us as americans.

that is how we are going to defend our nation and defend our way of life. thank you very much. >> house speaker paul ryan disagreed with president obama's comments on the term, islamic radical islam. he talked about government regulations. >> obama refuted your comments today about defining the threat as radical islamic terrorism, saying that plays right into the hands of groups like al qaeda and isis that wants to make this a war about religion. speaker ryan: i disagree with them because i stand by what i said.

we are in a war against radical islamic terrorism, and there is a distinction that needs to be made between the moderate people of islam that are helping us in this fight, but that does not mean we should ignore the fight that is facing us. we need to call this threat what it is we're going to confront it. >> attorney general loretta lynch wants to investigate the orlando mass shooting. her remarks: the shooting an act of terror and hate, came during the white house united state of women's summit. this is 15 minutes. ♪

ms. lynch: oh boy. how are you? i know you are good. i see you here. i have seen this program, and i know that it is sponsored by women, focused on women, and it talks about the power of women, so i know you are great. thank you so much for that warm welcome, thank you valerie, for the kind introduction, and the work you do to promote opportunity and advance the cause of justice. i am so excited to be here today. with all of you. all of you. advocates, allies, in the cause of equality. i would like to thank the first lady, michelle obama, and the white house council on women and girls for convening in today's event for honoring the power of women. and, for ensuring that women's issues are seen for what they truly are, american issues. [applause]

ms. lynch: i know you have had outstanding speakers today. i heard some good names. everyone who has been here has dedicated themselves to ensuring thatomen have equal access to education, employment, health care, the security that all americans deserve. let me reserve my greatest banks -- thanks for all of you. all of you have come here today. but before you came here, you have been working in your communities. you have been working in our schools, working in our places of business day in and day out to build a world that is more safe, more tolerant, more equal, more just, not just for some, but for all. you have been building the world that our daughters will inherit. i could not be happier to meet all of you.

that goal feels so poignant today as we speak about this. even as we gather for a summit on out lighting the road ahead, i know that all of us are still feeling the impact and reeling from the events of this weekend in orlando. i want you to know that the department of justice, i and all of my colleagues, the fbi, the atf, our national security division, u.s. attorney's offices, our state and local partners, are doing everything that we can to investigate this appalling crime. and we will bring all resources, everything we have, to this investigation. and for all of us, our hearts and prayers are with those 49 innocent lives lost. they are with many more are

threatened and injured, and the families and loved ones, whose lives have been changed forever. but as we focus on our response to this terrorist attack, and we will respond -- let us never lose sight of who the victims were. let us never lose sight of them. because it is for them that we fight and move and investigate. it is for them that we build this legacy. as president obama has said, this was an act of terror, and an act of hate. we know the story by now. the target was a gay club during a latin night. and the individuals who were harmed and killed were members and friends of the lgbt community, many of them, latino. these men and women, young people, went to a club just to enjoy their evening.

to spend time with their friends and celebrate pride month in a place where they could be themselves, and a place where they can breathe freely, a place where they could feel safe. and as we all know, everyone needs a place of safety. everyone. [applause] ms. lynch: i know that the women in this room and women all across the country understand the importance of a place of safety. a place where you do not have to look over your shoulder, worry about your surroundings. place where you can relax, a place to let your guard down, a place where you can simply be who you are. everyone needs a place of safety. everyone. for some people, a place of safety can be a church. for others, it can be your community center, or a sorority

this gathering itself, here today, is a safe place for collaboration, a safe place for discussion, a safe place for growth among women. we can speak with each other, learn from each other, in a supportive atmosphere. what for our friends and family members and loved ones within the lgbt community, places that are for safety and inclusion and acceptance have historically been few and far between, even as they remain profoundly necessary. everyone needs a place of safety. particularly, because for our lgbt friends and family, home is not always the place where you are safe from judgment or in violence. everyone needs a place of

safety. and for the bar owners and clubs have at times provided that haven from judgment, that respite from intolerance, that source of comfort and community, indeed, they are provided sanctuary. and this attack this weekend was made all the more devastating because it occurred in such a place, a place that was supposed to be safe. it has deeply damaged the sense of security. it has left a profound feeling of loss. and as always, the question that we ask ourselves, is where do we go from here? and for me, the larger answer is in response to this tragedy, we must examine what we can do and what we must do to make our country, this beautiful country that we call home, a place of safety and comfort for all americans, no matter who we are, no matter where we are from, no matter what we look like or whom

we love. everyone needs a place of safety. everyone. [applause] ms. lynch: and we are moving forward in our work. those of us at the department of justice, but there is also ways for all of us here in this country. within the department we will continue to investigate this attack and see if there are lessons we can learn to prevent another tragedy. but for all of us, all of us, there are ways we can move forward. we need to have the hard discussion. there is talk about gun laws that allow an individual to legally purchase weapons that facilitate mass killings. we have to have those hard discussions. we have to push back on the

fear and sowrey on division. and most of all, we have to stand up, we have to stand up against hate. we have to stand up for love, a love that embodies america at its best. and as we all try, as we always do, to make some sense to find some reason in an inherently senseless act, i want all of our lgbt friends, our friends, our -- our neighbors, our family members to know this, that we support you. we stand with you and in the aftermath of this horrific attack, we have been inspired by you. we have been inspired by your community coming together in resilience, coming together in strength. coming together in love. and i know that you've relied on all of these in the past, to know yourselves, to declare yourselves and to stare down

prejudice with a defiant pride. you are giving all of us the example that we need to rebuild our sense of safety, to rebuild our sense of community and to vow never to let fear take hold. and we honor you for that. [applause] ms. lynch: this is not an easy task, particularly in light of such pain and such loss. particularly in the aftermath of an attack like this, that shakes our sense of self, shakes our understanding of our own safety, and has the potential to make us doubt who we are. to make us wonder, what can we truly accomplished together? they can be so tempting to give into cynicism and despair. can be so easy to believe that our progress has been an illusion, that one step forward

will always be met with two steps back. but i want us to remember -- remember and hold on to this. the victims of this attack were living in an america that had newly recognized their fundamental right to marry. they were living in a country that had draped the white house in a rainbow flag. they were living in a world where the highest court in our land had declared that love is love. and remember this, and know this, and hold on to this -- we are still that country. [applause] ms. lynch: that is still us. and let us declare and let us be clear and make it so that far from dividing us as terrorism aims to do, let us show the

world that this attack, this attack has brought us together in support, has brought us together in solidarity, has brought us together in love. and that was so clear over the last few days. the long lines of men and women in orlando waiting to give blood to help people whose names they had yet to learn. it was so clear in the vigil outside the white house by our lgbt family and members where the gay men's chorus sang "we shall overcome." and it is clear today, as we all gather, women from different regions and different backgrounds and different generations, and different traditions to talk about how we can draw our nation closer to the fulfillment of our fundamental belief that all men

and all women are created equal. we are a country that shares a bond of common humanity. all of us together and that bond, that connection, that same sense that draws us together is stronger than anything that can divide us. it's stronger than race. it's stronger than ethnicity and nationality. gender identity or sexual orientation. it's the principle on which this nation was built. it is the bedrock that our communities share and it has drawn us all here together today and our shared call for safety, for opportunity and advancement. and this common humanity, this bond, has been the spark that has ignited every movement for progress in our history. and every movement, indeed, has faced opposition and faced threats, faced violence and fear, but we have persevered. but we are still that country,

that is still us. and what we do, what americans do, is we stand together. and that's what we will do in the aftermath of this attack. we will all stand together. we will all be united and we will all be proud. and know this, that this department of justice and this administration will never waver or falter or rest in our fight to make sure that these united states of america are a place of inclusion, are a place of equality, are a place of safety for all of us. [applause] ms. lynch: thank you for letting me spend just a few minutes with you today. and thank you even more than that for coming together today. thank you for your efforts to promote leadership and create opportunity.

thank you for your support of those that people want to make us hate. thank you for your love of people that others want to have divided away from us. thank you for believing in the promise of america and the promise of america's women and the promise of america's future. i know you are going to have a wonderful rest of the conference. thank you for letting me spend a few minutes here with you today. thank you. [applause] ♪ >> lawmakers on capitol hill spoke to reporters about the mass shooting in orlando. hearing from house republicans leaders including speaker ryan, who took questions and comments by presidential candidate donald trump.

former leaders of the democratic caucus called for new gun legislation. after that, senate democrats, led by harry reid, talked about >> hello, everybody. >> good morning. paul ryan: appreciate it. >> good morning. i'm chairman of the house homeland security committee. let me just first acknowledge and give our condolences to the victims. this last sunday, as we all know last sunday it was the deadliest attack in the homeland since 9/11.

today at 3:00 in the capitol visitor's center, i'll be moderating a classified briefing with the f.b.i. irector, secretary jay johnson nd npc director and we'll be pressing the administration for answers as to what happened to find out what happened and see what we can do in the future to prevent a situation like that from happening in the future. all too often we're seeing these events since boston, forward hood, chattanooga, san bernardino and now this event. the homeland is under attack and with the highest threat environments i've seen since 9/11. let me just say that the suspect, the orlando shooter, was under the radar on several occasions. there were flags in this case we'll be examining in our oversight responsibilities.

usda add and the -- to the saudi arabia and emirates in 2012 and came under the f.b.i. in 2013 for making inflammatory comments about connections to al qaeda and hezbollah and other remarks. then in 2014 by attending the same mosque as the first american foreign fighter suicide bomber in syria. these connections are all very concerning to us. it's something we'll be taking a very close look at. i want to commend the leadership behind me for supporting me and my committee in our legislative efforts and leader mccarthy and i will be introducing legislation in the short term in response to these horrific acts to do what we can in the congress in addition to

our oversight responsibility. we can't stop them all. we arrested the 85 isis followers in this country. we had 75 plots against the west and we stopped many of these. it's the one you don't know about that keeps you up at night. this one certainly kept us up at night and i pray we don't have any more in this country. with that i yield to the speaker. paul ryan: over the weekend we saw the worst terror attack on our soil since 9/11. we continue to mourn the dead and pray for a swift recovery to those who are injured but we need to be clear about who did this. this was another act of war against america by radical islam. the same time, let's also be clear, members of the lgbt

community were the targets and simply attacked for who they are. this is an ideology that rejects who we are as a country , open, tolerant, free. it preys on the vulnerable and the insecure, seeking to radicalize them into murderers. this is a threat that knows no borders. this is a threat that cannot be contained. this is a threat that simply must be defeated. and right now, right now the president doesn't have a plan to get the job done. that's why this week house republicans introduced what we believe is a way for national security. in it are 67 ideas to keep america safe, including many to address homegrown terrace him. and of course the house has acted on numerous occasions to address this terrorist threat. and we will continue to do so.

because we must stop people who want to do us harm from coming here. we must give our intelligence and law enforcement communities the tools they need and we must work with the committees and communities to prevent radicalization before it starts. above all, above all, we must never back down. >> we continue to mourn the loss of innocent american lives that were taken because of terrorism. 6 i want to lay out to you exactly what we've been doing to prepare before and the actions we have taken. the speaker asked what we saw transpired in the other terrorist attacks abroad in paris so we put a task force together from our committees. we have moved nine bills off this floor in a large

bipartisanship manner. three of them that deal directly with the radicalization inside america of terrorism. six, dealing with counterterrorism bills. unfortunately, they sit inside the senate. this week we will take these actions. first today we'll recess the house so everyone can attend the member only classified briefing. that chairman mccaul spoke of. his hearing already had a up dealing move it with the attack. and finally, we'll change our schedule this week to repackage the bills that have already passed. and can deal with this for the future into one, we're sending it to the senate and asking them to take it up. these are large bipartisanship bills. these are ones that can help

fight what is going on around the world and within our own country. for the sake of those innocent individuals who have lost their lives, we have to make sure it does not happen again and that we're both best prepared to fight. >> may prayers continue to go out to the victims in the terrorist attack in orlando, an attack on any american is an attack on all americans and we have to stand with those who were tacked by radical islamic terrorism in orlando. we've seen too many of these. countless times there's been attacks on america's homeland and that's why the house has taken action and why the house laid out again a detailed plan. 67 points how to go out and actually stand up and have a plan to defend america himself homeland. the majority leader pointed out we passed a number of bills out

of the house in the last few months to focus on addressing the problem of radicalization among terrorists here in the united states. it's time for the president to join with us in getting the bills signed into law to put a sharper focus on how to deal with a real threat here in america. it's not something that's coming. it's here. we've seen attack after attack by terrorists in the united tates and it's got to end. >> i want to thank michael mccaul for joining us this morning. we were heartbroken by the tragedy over the weekend. and as we mourn together, we're learning of tragic news out of france this morning, a reminder that these are fighters embedded across europe and the threat around the world continues. violence of any kind is cowardly and goes against our values.

as a nation we grieve together and at the end of the day no matter your background or walk of life, we are all americans, every man, woman and child in this country should have confidence to live free knowing they are safe from terror in their own community. this tragic weekend was a stark reminder that the threats against our country are very real and that he are growing stronger by the day. not since 9/11 have we seen so much bloodshed on our soil. acknowledging the threat, radical islamic terrorism is more important than ever. american leadership is more important than ever. the loved ones of those who have been attacked continue to be in my prayers. god bless. >> i join my colleagues in their prayers for the victims, the injured, their families and all of those that are involved in the orlando tragedy.

the senseless shocking act of terrorism based on hate and spurd on by radical islam. too often we've seen this take place on american soil in san bernardino and boston and fort hood. even in my home state of kansas, the february had acts to prevent another homegrown plot against fort riley last year. i hope the victims' families know that americans stand with them as orlando rebuilds its community. so, too, will america. we will not be intimidated by cowards, our nation will rise up and fight those who attack our freedoms and our way of life. there's no place where those who are committed to hatred and violence can hide. paul ryan: questions. craig? reporter: what are the actions donald trump will take today on

orlando? and with a are your comments suggesting american muslims are harboring terrorists and questioning whether president obama really wants to fight terrorism. mr. ryan: that's a loaded question. you pack a lot in there, craig. first of all, i would encourage everyone, including everyone to work with us because we've been working on this issue for quite some time. as soon as the paris act occurred we put together a task force consisting of our committee chairs to get ahead of the this problem. we passed nine bills here in the house of representatives dealing with this terrorist threat and dealing with homegrown jihad and homegrown terrorists. we'll be moving those bills again to try and get them over the finish line. i'd also argue on the immigration front. we did pass into law patching the loophole of the visa waiver program so we already addressed one critical component of that. we've also passed a refugee bill because we want to make sure we have a security test so

we know who is coming into this country and we've properly vetted that person based on the security threat they may or may not pose to this country and what we passed out of the house and that bill is sitting in the senate being filibustered by the democrats. we believe we should have a robust security test to massachusetts sure law enforcement gets the tools they need so we do control who comes and goes in this country. as far as the muslim community, i think there's a really important distinction that every american needs to keep in mind. this is a war with radical islam. it's not a war with islam. muslims are our partners. the vast majority of muslims in this country and around the world want are moderate, peaceful and tolerant. among our best resources in this fight against radical

islamic terrace -- terrorism. it's important we honor that distinction. let's remember we're all in this together. we're not lbgt americans, muslim americans, we're americans. and as americans we need to up our game to deal with and confront this real threat. we don't think the administration has done enough. that's why we put out a 67-point plan last thursday to deal with the terror threat and deal with the national security and deal with homegrown jihad and homegrown terrorists and to deal with these issues including immigration, foreign policy and the rest and we want to offer the country a better way to preconvenient these problems and get them out of control. reporter: aside from vetting, should there be an actual ban on the goneance of religion to

countries with terrorist ties we know are breaking terrorist ideology in the community. paul ryan: we've addressed part of the issue with the visa waiver. we thought there was a problem where you had people from different countries with a visa waiver where they could come without a visa. we passed law addressing that. we believe ultimately we ought to have tools to have a security test, not a religious test but a security test and we think that's the preferred route to go. reporter: you said donald trump's ban for muslims coming into the country was not conservative and chairman mccaul said inflamed rhetoric could help in the recruiting of isis. was donald trump wrong to double down on the terrorists? mr. ryan: a muslim ban is not in our country's interest and is not reflective of our principles not just as party but a country and the smartest way to go in all respect is to have a security test and not a religious test. reporter: constitutionally do

you think donald trump could enact a ban on congress? mr. ryan: that's a question on immigration law and you can go to the 1952 immigration act to determine if that president has that discretion or not. reporter: last on appropriations how has the orlando attack help the appropriations process beyond a delayed markup of the home security bill. and the second part is on zika, when do you expect to -- mr. ryan: our companies are making excellent progress on zika, mr. cole and mr. blunt. that congress is making good progress. we have defense right now underway. we delayed the homeland security markup in case there was something that needed to be addressed out of that appropriations bill because of this terrorist attack. thank you very much. reporter: you stand by your support of donald trump? speaker ryan?

[inaudible] >> good morning. the chairman of the house democratic caucus, pleased to be joined by the vice chair of the caucus, joe crowley, with me as well are colleagues who actually worked quite some time on a number of matters very important to us today. mike thompson from california who has been our leader on the issues of gun safety,

addressing gun violence in the use democratic caucus, corrine brown, our colleague from florida and the colleague who is the representative of the location where the unfortunate incident in orlando, florida, took place and took the lives of 49 people and injured 53 others and we thank her for being with us and david sicilini who has been a fighter for the rights of all americans including the lbgt community and is one of the quality caucus co-chairs. we're going to have each of them speak and we'll all try to be brief. it's kind of tough because i think -- and the reason we had a very long caucus meeting is because members were very vocal. they were adamant and they were unequivocal. we can't just have moments of silence when we see american lives parish. and as robin kelley, a colleague from ill said, we can't just think about american

lives that are lost when it's mass shootings. every day there's an american who is killed. 30 people, 30 americans killed every day as a result of the use of weapons. and we need to stand up and the message was very clear in today's caucus, members will stand. we understand it's important to express to the people of this country this moment of silence, to let the families of the victims know that we're thinking of them. but by god, this is the people's house and if we can't stand up and then do something, then we're in trouble. there are any number of things that can be done. and we must do a better job of identifying and checking the background of those who seek to buy weapons, especially assault weapons. we can ask people to pass the legislation that mike thompson introduced and has asked through a district petition that every single member of the

house sign on to so we can have this bill debated to make sure that if you can't fly because you're on a no fly list because of your potential to commit terrorist acts, then you should not be able to buy a weapon by going into a gun shop and walking out with something that can let you do your mass destruction. we have to do a better job of responding to the red flags and showing signs of fanatic extremism or severe psychological strain. but what we shouldn't do is simply bow our head for a moment of silence. unfortunately, that's all speaker ryan would allow us to o yesterday. terrorists should not be able to buy guns but right now a suspected terrorist might enter a store, a gun shop, and walk out with a weapon of his or her choice. our republican colleagues refuse to act in the house of representatives. speaker ryan said in a

statement after the shooting, as we heal, this is a quote, as we heal, we need to be clear-eyed about who did this. end quote. mr. speaker, we're very clear-eyed about this. the man responsible for the inconshe knowable mass shootings in orlando was investigated by the f.b.i. and at one point he was on a federal watch list and yet he got his hands on an assault weapon and he committed mass murder. mr. speaker, let's be clear and let's be clear-eyed. let's not allow a vote -- to not allow a vote on this critical bipartisanship legislation to keep someone who is on the no fly list from buying a gun is wrong. it is time to allow the american people to speak through their representatives and have a vote. inaction is a choice. and in congress, it has proved

harmful. with that let me yield to the vice chair joe crowley. mr. crowley: thank you, mr. chairman. first and foremost, i want to respect those lives that were lost and their families and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this horrific act. secondly, i just want to make a comment about last night. the action that i think my colleagues and myself included expressed from the floor was ne of outrage, of frustration, and wanting to see something happen, not out of disrespect to anyone, even those of my colleagues that chose to not stand or to leave the chamber, again, not out of disrespect to the victims but out of respect to them because they simply stand for a moment of silence and then do nothing is really the ultimate case of disrespect and that is what the rep

leadership has continued to do. i suspect speaker ryan could not wait to get out of the rostrum last night because he was uncomfortable as well when he heard us yelling for a bill. where's the bill? where is the no fly, no buy bill. where is the thompson legislation? is it the end all? is it a panacea? no. but it's a start. it's a start to try to do something to help prevent events like this from happening again. we in the democratic caucus have no disrespect to any of these families. we love these families. we're concerned about them. they are our families, american families that are hurting. and these 49 victims join a long list of victims and families that are hurting because their congress will stand for a moment of silence and do absolutely nothing,

don't even talk about it, don't even bring it up. don't hold a hearing. call a select committee on umpteen other things but not when it comes to gun violence in america. nothing, nada, zip. they'd rather these events continue to happen, i guess. i don't know what the answer is. they're complicit in this by not acting and not taking a stance in some way. demonstrate to the american people you have some undergo of what has taken place again and again and again. and still they stand there like deer in the headlights. we're incredibly frustrated as was demonstrated on the floor last night and we'll be incredibly frustrated until we get something passed. and we're going to continue to protest in some format to demonstrate to the republican members of the house of representatives and to their constituents that their failure to do something is complicit in

events like what took place this weekend. and with that i'll yield it to the champion on our side of the aisle on the issue of guns and gun safety, my good friend from california, mike thompson. mr. thompson: thank you very much. i'll give you a clear-eyed assessment on who the shooter was in this latest tragedy. he was someone who shouldn't have had access to firearms. plain and simple. and the list of folks who fall into that category as we know are pretty long. 30 people a day are killed by someone using a gun. we've had large scale massacres as what happened in orlando happen more often than any of us want to think about. and our response, the congress of the united states, the people's house, our response has been stand for a moment of silence. we've had over 30 moments of silence since the tragedy in

sandy hook. we've had moments of silence ad naseum. i tell you what we haven't had. we haven't had one single vote on any piece of legislation to address the issue of gun violence prevention. we've not had one single vote on any piece of legislation that tries to make sure that we do everything possible to keep people who shouldn't have guns from getting guns. it's an embarrassment. it's an act of cowardness and we should all be ashamed of ourselves. as the chairman and vice chairman noted, one of the most specific efforts that we put forward is a simple piece of legislation that says if you're on the no fly list, you can't buy a gun. now, as was mentioned, the shooter from orlando had been on the no fly list. the irony is when he was still on the list, he could have gone

into a gun store and legally purchased the same firearms that he legally purchased when he got off the list. that's wrong. there's a big gaping hole in our safety net. it's a big gaping hole in our responsibility to make our communities safe. we should call this bill to the floor. it has bipartisanship support. there's a discharge petition on it now. we should call that bill to the floor and it should be taken up for a vote and we should pass that. we should do everything in our power to make sure that people who soon have guns don't get guns. and there's no conflict with the second amendment. it's no conflict with legal folks being able to purchase legal firearms. it's our responsibility and we're not living up to that responsibility. >> corrine brown, florida. ms. brown: thank you. i come this morning with a very heavy heart.

i had the honor of representing orlando for 24 years and orlando is the international city and is all of that. but it's also a family oriented communities and the community has come together whether it's the first responders, whether it's the airline, whether the community comes together to pay for all of the funerals. they had a vigil last night, over 10,000 people came out. sunday morning when i got up and heard it, i went to church to pray because i do believe in prayer. but then i got in my car and i drove down to orlando to be with my orlando family. now, when i came back here yesterday, we always have those moments of silent prayer when something happens. i received a notice saying that we was not going to come down to the floor. the speaker was just going to handle the whole thing. in other words, the florida

people wasn't even allowed to come to the floor for that one minute to say nothing and do nothing. that is unacceptable. i had a press conference and i was talking to people in london. they think the people in the world are thinking something's wrong with us. why is it that this continues to happen and we are the do nothing congress? now, you know, it's questioned about whether this was a hate crime. clearly it was a hate crime. pride month and the club, i mean, it was clear a hate crime. now, we in congress need to do something other than that moment of silent prayer. the community expects us to do more. to whom, you know all my colleagues all the time talk

about prayer. to whom god gives much, much is expected. he expects us to do more than just stand up for a moment of silent prayer. >> we now ask the author of hate crimes prevention legislation. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i also want to begin by expressing deep sadness and condolences and prayers to the victims of this horrific and monstrous shooting and to the families of those who are still in the hospital. i think as corrine said, we all reacted the same way when we heard this news. i think americans all across this country were horrified to hear about the single largest mass shooting in the history of america which took place in orlando, florida. and we are all incredibly frustrated. while there's not a single piece of legislation that will solve all of the problems of gun violence, a combination of measures taken together can significantly reduce the

likelihood that our constituents, people who live in cities and towns all across it country, can be protected from gun violence. and the failure to have a piece of legislation to solve all the problem is not a license to do nothing about it. and we have a number of bills that can make a big difference in helping to produce safer communities and help protect people from the ravages of gun violence. one of those bills is a hate crimets prevention act which would require someone who is convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime be prohibited from purchasing a firearm. and if you look, there was a wonderful report done entitled "hate and guns, a terrifying combination" that really tracks what happens with hate crimes and people begin with more modest assault and efforts to intimidate and it escalates as the attacker wants to make a point to a particular community based on their ethnicity or

sexual orientation. so a black family may be the victim of some graffiti and assault to o an their home or church. there's a escalation of hate crimes. this legislation intends to catch it before it happens if someone is convict of a misdemeanor hate crime which is compelling evidence of what the future holds, prevent that person from walking into a store and buying a gun and using that to harm other people. there are other examples, the terror watch and a number of things. we've got to do something. we don't need more moments of silence but sustained action to get things done and keep the merican people safe. we are calling on the member of the house to bring the bills to the floor . we haven't had one measure to help protect americans from gun silence and it's a national

isgrace that has not happened. we had a number of efforts to deal with lgbt discrimination and we're going to lock down the rules so we can't have those. they think to put the g, nie back to the bottle but does an event like this bring the genie out of the bottle and how can you fight that in an effort to say this is what we're talking about. we've got someone to deal with his issue. >> we are not going to stop before we knew we had the votes before republicans twisted arms and had passed this measure offered by shawn patrick maloney our colleague from new york. we're going to continue.

but we need to make sure we ake this congress act. there's no question the hateful let richt that exists before the lgbt community across the country is a tremendous challenge. we knead to legalize some forms of discrimination against the lgbt community. in this environment it's particularly important we take some steps to ensure members of our community are protected from discrimination. there are members that should not be treated fairly or equally to an affirmative statement for people based on their gender identity is wrong or in this country is illegal and we need to pass the equality act which all members

of the democratic caucus co-sponsored, a comprehensive civil rights bill and would be a strong recitation to this. but we know what the party intends to do is use every indication we can to reinforce the founding principles of this country that everyone should be treated equally and with dignity and respect and that people should not suffer discrimination of any kind. >> when did you start circulating the discharge petition on the no fly bill and can you talk about how many you have gathered, how many ignatures? >> i think there are 175 democrats who have signed the discharge petition. one of our colleagues in the caucus today who wasn't on the list wanted me to go to the floor right away

spnspn peter king and i offered passed in the house of representatives. [inaudible question] >> it's up to the republican leadership who have to show the courage to bring it up. >> there are enough votes on the floor to pass it. they just have to have the courage to bring it up for a vote. . >> you said this person should not be able to buy guns. are you suggesting anyone who has ever been on the no fly list not buy guns? >> no, i'm not. i'm suggesting if you're on the no fly list you shouldn't be able to buy firearms. you've correct this person was on it and then taken off. it seems to me there should be some notification of someone is the f.b.i. ought to

get a call if they buy assault weapons to see if things have changed. at the time it wasn't an issue. we never had a situation where someone was on the list and who taken off the list committed an act of terrible violence like this. but the important point is right now the law is it you're on the no fly list the terrorist watch list allows you to fly. you can legally go into a federally licensed gun store and you can buy an ar-15 or buy whatever the handgun is this guy was using or any other firearm that's legally sold in the united states of america. and i think that's wrong. i don't think you should be able to do that. reporter: you know what the republicans will say, you'll

say we can pass the bill and would not have prevented this action from happening and gives them an easy out to not vote on your bill. >> i don't think that anybody suggests we should have a bill specifically for every instance that happened. and i'll tell you what, if that's what the republicans are saying, they better bite their tongue because the only bill that we can pass that would prevent all these things from happening is a bill to ban firearms. so are you telling me the only bill is a bill to ban all firearms? >> we get elected to do something, not to just sit around. and i don't think anyone believes when congress passes something it resolves all the problems of the world. but pretending that the only thing is perfection is to say that you don't want to do anything. unfortunately this is a congress that proved it is very good at doing nothing.

we'll take one final question and then close. eporter: is there a likelihood of passing? [inaudible question] >> sara, we know there are problems and we know there are people trying to acquire weapons to do americans harm. to do nothing to try to prevent that when we know that there are people on the no fly list there's a strong chance some of those individuals, not all but some of them may actually try bad e forward with their intentions and do nothing about that to allow those folks on a no fly list. you can't fly on a plane in the united states of america but to allow them to consider weapons or at least check them or do the universal background check so we know who is buying weapons. doesn't mean you're a terrorist if you're in a really bad mental state and do nothing to check on your status

or well-being to allow you to ick up a weapon. sandy hook is the best example. should we have stopped it by passing a particular legislation? we should try. is. >> this was established and over 2,000 people on the no fly list legally purchased firearms through licensed dealers. >> thank you very much. >> it should give everybody cause to pause.

>> we have to be quick today. e got a picture. e had a terrific caucus. senator sanders took time to talk about his experiences that were really very moving. our nation was shaken this weekend by the worst mass shooting in modern american history. 49 dead, scores injured, some of them very, very critically. there's an attack on the lgbt community, the latino community, and america. everyone in america was attacked. and it demands action. the people of orlando responded to this unimaginable tragedy with unity, courage and generosity. they came together in a time of

crisis to get things done. that had to get done. here in congress, we must react the same way. that starts with closing the terrorist gun loophole. according to the government accounting office, more than 2,000 suspected terrorists were able to buy guns from 2004 to 2014 in that 10-year period. terrorists have urged lone wolves to take advantage of america's lax gun laws. a spokesman for al qaeda said, and i quote, america is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms so what are you waiting for? close quote. l qaeda. what is the response of the republicans? more guns. of course.

shameful republicans care more about the n.r.a. and the fight they're having with the gun owners of america and he's driving the other further into radicalism and protecting american citizens, absolutely shameful. why do they run for office in the first place if the republicans are following n.r.a. more than their own constituents. democrats will force a vote on this terrorist loophole and will do it on the c.g.s. appropriations bill. there's no excuse for allowing suspected terrorists to buy guns and that's not going to be our only problem, we have other things to deal. how about funding the f.b.i. they complain about the f.b.i., the republicans. they're not doing enough. because

republicans are shortchanging. they deserve an up or down vote. pass meaningful legislation to help protect america people. they are protecting donald trump. >> the lesson of orlando, the lesson of san bernardino, the lessons across america. we need to do a better job at keeping guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. they have no business owning guns in america. election isthis

going to be about, i will stand by the american people. common sense dictates we listen to the pleas to stop the gun violence. heartbreaking.s what happened in chicago it is hard raking to. -- heart breaking, too. to haves my heart people in neighborhoods across the city scared to death. do we have the guts to stand up are wesomething? or going to cower in front of the national rifle association? i would like to make another statement. in times of crisis, we expect leadership. president george w bush after the epic tragedy of 9/11 made it

clear those responsible would be held accountable. but he warned of america not to guilty for what was done. obama condemned this act of hate and terror and promised to investigate and hold .esponsible contrast this bipartisan .eadership of donald trump donald trump, the man who would be the republican president, in the wake of the tragedy congratulated himself for his bigotry toward muslims and wasted no time blaming president obama for the deficit. question facing republican leaders again this week is whether they will ignore the fact their candidate for the presidency is totally unsuited to lead this nation, his emotional rants, his serial insults, his bizarre can spirit they varies, and his -- bizarre

distinguishheories himself from any other candidate in modern political history. to hear the republican speaker and senate majority leader and doors donald trump and care rise his statements as only being off message and unscripted is to dismiss the toxic rhetoric of donald trump as only the product of poor political coaching. it is more. windoweful rants are a on his character and soul. how many of these are making plans to attend the republican convention in cleveland? how many will bring the friends, their family, to join them in standing for innovation? history will remember them as willing participants at the scene of this political crime perpetuated on mr. lincoln's grand old party.

>> thank you. last year, 244 people on the tried totch list purchase guns. terrorists walked into gun shops and attempted to purchase guns. only 21 went empty-handed. terrorists, of suspected terrorists, when they sought to purchase a gun last year were successful according to gao. let our republican colleagues contemplate that. they want to fight terrorism, but they say they are one to continue a situation where 91% of suspected terrorists can get a gun? who are they kidding? i have a simple question. for the republican senators and

the nra. when the senators voted against the terror gap last year, why is that acceptable? why should suspected terrorist be able to purchase firearms? why? why? no reason. no reason. the answer is obvious. the american people agree. republicans, democrats, independents agree it is absurd. to allow terrorist suspects to purchase gun. but the nra is the tail that wags the republican dog when it comes to congress and guns. the nra is more concerned with the rights of suspected terrorists they and they are with the victims of gun violence and our republicans bow down to that to nra horrible, horrible value choice in america. thehey continue to oppose terror gap the nra and the nra itself will be in part responsible for every terror attack that involves a gun in this country.

plain and simple. there is no other way to avoid that fact. on this upcoming bill we are going to try you again to close this dangerous loophole once and for all when the senate considers the next appropriation bill. can we win? we will win sooner or later. we will keep trying. we're not giving up. their reporters come over and say, you cannot win, why'd you do it? a boat,me we have hopefully we can win. change theiry will minds out there. but if not, they will face the consequences and that makes progress move forward. the moment of soul-searching for our republican colleagues is now. what is it going to be? are they going to side with the extremists in the nra, with the

vast majority of their constituents and all americans who simply do not believe terror suspects should have access to guns? the only people who seem to believe it or the other republican senators on the floor of the house in that body. >> thank you gentlemen. >> since sunday night, tens of thousands of people around the country from los angeles to boston, charleston, s.c. to fort worth, texas have turned out for vigils to mourn the heinous act of terror that erupted over the weekend in orlando. that was in attack on our values. lgbt communitye that has into art so much violence through the years. and it was an attack on every single family across the country. the question these families are asking around their kitchen table is what will it take for this congress to enact

commonsense reform to keep our communities safe? it is mind-boggling. every stay in this country including my home state has been affected by horrific gun violence. for it is far past time this congress to have a vigorous debate about what we can do to stem the tide. republicans continue to block us at every turn. they are so adamant that we do nothing, they blocked us on the most obvious amendment of all, to prevent people who are on the terror watchlist from being allowed to buy a gun. when you have politicians so beholden to the gun lobby they can't even support the idea that potentially dangerous criminals and terrorists shouldn't be allowed to walk out of a store they gun, there is a serious problem with our priorities. but that is not going to stop us

from pushing this amendment. not to mention the other commonsense reforms like eggs ending -- like expanding background checks. something 90% of americans want. like so many americans, i am tired of hearing the thoughts and prayers of my colleagues with zero follow-up. it is time for action, we cannot wait for another mass shooting. and i hope our colleagues on the , other side of the aisle will finally wake up to the problem at hand and work with us to make progress on a crisis hurting as us all every single day. >> i am always pretty good about handling questions, but there are 96 senators waiting for us. i will take a couple quick questions. >> would you support an assault weapons ban? >> do i? it yes.

>> american citizens on the watchlist without join probable cause to a judge, should the government -- >> at you have been taking too many cues from the nra. the answer is, that is nonsense. last question. to get energyhing tax incentives? >> the fact is, we would love to get it and extended. we should not do it on a short-term basis. we are a long way a way from that. [inaudible] announcer: house members received a briefing from the fbi and federal officials about the investigation of the mass shooting in orlando. next, remarks from jeh johnson,

florida representatives david jolly and alan grayson, and intelligence committee ranking member adam schiff. this is 25 minutes. >> thank you. [laughter] >> i think we had an informative session and many questions about the pending investigation which the f.b.i. director answered. it's important to remember it's still early, 2 1/2 days after the attack in orlando. i suspect we will be back up here. i know we have a meeting tomorrow with the senate and there will be opportunities to testify publicly. reporter: what do we know about the radicalization of the suspect? that started at the time he was watching these videos in 2012, 2014?

>> i think at this point, it is fair to say that this individual was someone who self-radicalized. there is no evidence at this point to that he was part of a group or a cell acting here in the united states. and there's no evidence at this point that this was a at tech.-direct it in other words, that this individual had been direct did a terrorist organization or its leadership from overseas to carry out an attack. and, this is the environment we are in. where we have to cope with terrorist-directed a text. the prospect of a terrorist directed at attack, and the prospect of a terrorist-inspired a text from a home-ground extremist. we continuees that to take the fight militarily to

the islamic state, al qaeda overseas. we will continue with our aggressive law enforcement efforts here at home, but there is a role for the public to play. public vigilance and public awareness to make a difference. it is almost always the case where someone self radicalized is that someone close can see these signs and see where the individual was going. it is critical we continue to build bridges to american muslim communities to help them help us in our efforts to counterbalance extremism here at home in the united states. that weese are things are going to continue to do in the department of homeland security. just since i have been secretary, we have a doubled our efforts at countering violent extremism. building bridges to muslim american communities. i have personally been around all parts of the country meeting with muslim communities of many

different types and so this whole effort requires a whole of government approach. victims the loss of the , those who were killed in orlando. those killed two and half days ago. we mourn with their families. i know the president will visit orlando on thursday. and so the message here is there are a lot of people in national security, law enforcement, homeland security, working overtime to protect the american homeland but there is a role. a role for the public to play. public vigilance, public awareness. and, if you see something say something is more than a slogan. reporter: are you aware of whether his wife tried to talk him out of it? >> i would have to refer you to the fbi. >> congress can support us through a budget, through adequate

funding to resource our efforts in law enforcement, in national defense, homeland security and i have been pleased with the bipartisan level of support that we have been receiving from congress for things like t.s.a. reprogrammings. we got the sign from congress yesterday on that so we can keep the wait times down nationwide through converting part-time to full-time our t.s.o.'s and bringing more on. there is a role for congress to play in terms of ensuring our homeland security efforts are adequately funded. got to go. thank you.