alan fisher has this report. >> reporter: they know who but don't know. u.s. investigators are still trying to figure out alexis shot and killed 12 people at the navy yard. alexis' mother has apologized toot victims' families. >> he has had a profound effect on the families of the victims. i don't know why he did what he did, and i won't be able to ask him why. >> reporter: at the pentagon reporters wanted to know why alexis' past didn't keep him from getting a job as a defense contractor and secret security clearance. he had a history of run-ins with law enforcement. a month ago he called police in rhode island to complain he was hearing voices. authorities say alexis was never convicted of a crime, so passed background screening but they admit more could be done. >> there were a lot of red flags as you noted. why they didn't get picked up and incorporated into the clearance process, what he was doing, those are all legitimate questions that we're going to be dealing with. >> reporter: one thing officials quickly dismissed, whether the pentagon cut corners on

alan fisher reports. >> reporter: they know who but they don't know why. u.s.nvestigators are still trying to figure out why aaron alexis shot and killed 12 people at washington navy yard. alexis mother has apologized to the victims' families. >> his actions have an every lasting and profound effect on the families. i don't know why he did what he did, and i won't be able to ask him why. >> reporter: the pentagon reporters wanted to know why alexis' past didn't prevent him from security clearance. he had a series of runnen i runh law enforcement, and a month ago he called police in rhode island of hearing voices. they admit more could be done. >> there were a lot of red flags as you noted. why they didn't get picked up, why they didn't get incorporated in the clearance process of what he was doing, those are all legitimate questions that we're going to be dealing with. >> reporter: one thing officials dismissed was when the pentagon cut corners on screening any contractors to save money. >> the budget issue did not degrade the security at the navy yard in any w

[laughter] (applause) >>> hello, i'm alan fisher. i have been teaching esl for over 30 years at the mission campus of city college. it's been a wonderful experience. and i just retired. i couldn't stand what's been going on to the college. and i thank you for holding this hearing. it's a great injustice that the democratically elected board of trustees has been removed from power and, you know, they should be included and i'm glad they have been included in this hearing. but i would like to speak a little bit about the accjc and its conflicts of interest, that it received three large grants from business-related foundations. one from the gates foundation and two from the lumina foundation. and i think we need to look at this in connection -- in the context of 600,000 students in california who have been turned away from community college education in the last few years. and also in the context of the fact that the accjc and its leader, barbara beano, were politically fighting in support of the student success task force which, if you