[background sounds] >> please remain standing for the acting deputy secretary, carrie huffman. >> thisin me in welcoming the secretary of the department of homeland security, the honorable kristi noem. [applause] ♪ ♪ [applause] ♪ ♪♪ >> good afternoon. good to see all of you. go ahead and be seated. thank you much, so much, for that wonderful welcome, and thank you to deputy secretary huffman. he's been fantastic, hasn't he? let's give him a round of applause to thank him. [applause] i had the chance to visit with him several times on the phone before i was actually sworn in, and we had candid conversations and visited. and when i got here, he handed me a binder full of papers, and he said, i signed all of this, hope you wanted me to. [laughter] but i've enjoyed spending time with him and with all of you with. thank you for welcoming we so much, and i am so thrilled to be a part of the family at the united states department of homeland security. your mission is big and it's vast, and i' know that you with approach it with the seriousness of which the day day the and age we live in requi