susan dimarco, my and my daughter natalie johnson. my son jeh johnson, jr. and my sister from birmingham, alabama. i'm pleased they can be here. i think the public officials in the room will appreciate, and they know that the burdens of public office are made lighter by the support engagement of your family. i am honored by the trust and confidence president obama has placed in me when he nominated me to be secretary of homeland security. i also appreciate the letters of support addressed to the committee from the law enforcement organizations, retired senior military officers, and former officials of both the bush and obama administrations. i respectfully submit that i am ready, willing and able to lead the department of homeland security. i have experience in law enforcement. as a federal prosecutor in new york, i worked with law enforcement officers of the secret service, what was then called the immigration and naturalization service, the fbi, the dea, and other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. i have experience as a key member of the