dr. coburn. we don't have any facts pointing to any sort of wrongdoing by director mayorkas at all, as best i can tell. none of the anonymous sources or so-called whistle-blowers have provided information to the majority regarding their concerns, something i think is unprecedented in these types of circumstances for our committee. we've been unable to question those bringing these anonymous concerns on the majority side and our republican friends on the committee, and maybe largely in the senate, have refused to talk to the accused and he's not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing. that doesn't add up to me. maybe it does to some people. that just doesn't add up. we don't get to talk to the people who have raised these concerns? and our republican friends won't talk to the accused, who's not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing. on the other hand, we have over 30 people from both sides of the aisle who are well-known and hugely respected citizens. they've gone on the record with glowing sup

dr. coburn. gao's recommendations -- there've been 26 and only four are in process and have only been in process for about four weeks, meaning there are 22 still open, and we will provide your staff with the exact information on those. >> they're interesting. thank you for the clarification. >> some points that have not been brought up that are relevant. the first, as mr. amitay has said, it is important that there be better clarity in terms of contractors liabilities. we have interviewed dozens of contract guards over the last decade all of whom have felt they do not have clarity on what their roles and responsibilities are and when they can use force and cannot use force. and most have told us over the years that their companies have all but said don't you ever pull out your gun, don't you ever do anything with it. there is a lot of lack of clarity in this area. the second is the role of the inspector at the federal protective service. it would be great if they were able to, as mr. wright said,

dr. coburn. then we will lead to senator heitkamp. >> general patterson, go through recommendations that you all have met and when they were met. my understanding was of the 26 gao recommendations between 2010 and 2012, prior to the navy yard, only 4 of those have been acted on. is that correct? ofi can get you a listing all of the recommendations -- >> and your testimony, you listed several. do that again. >> i don't think i listed them specifically. >> you said numbers, that is what i want. >> i can get you the specifics, i do not have the recommendations before me. the numbers are accurate. there was 20 six outstanding gao recommendations between 2010 and 2012. them had been acted on an accomplished based on the recommendations. you gave a litany of others who have acted on. >> i was give you a general oversight of the number that we had -- >> give that to me again. submitted, fps documentation foreclosure and consideration pertaining to 13 gao recommendations including humanrategies to enhanc

dr. can coburn's -- dr. coburn's possibility. gao's recommendations, there have been 26 between 2010 and 2013. by our records only four are in process and have only been in process for about three or four weeks when we received them meaning that there are 22 still open, and we can -- we will provide your staff with the exact information. >> thank you. thank you, that's very interesting. thank you for that clarification. >> yes, sir. i would, just three brief points that haven't been brought up too much this morning which i think are very relevant. the first, as mr. amitay has said, i think it is important there be better clarity in terms of contractors' liabilities. we've interviewed dozens and dozens of contract guards over the last decade, all of whom have felt they don't have clarity on what their roles and responsibilities are and when they can use force and when they can't use force. and most have told us over the years that their companies have all but said don't you ever pull out your gun, don't you ever do anything with i

dr. coburn. then we will lead to senator heitkamp. >> general patterson, go through recommendations that you all have met and when they were met. my understanding was of the 26 gao recommendations between 2010 and 2012, prior to the navy yard, only 4 of those have been acted on. is that correct? ofi can get you a listing all of the recommendations -- >> and your testimony, you listed several. do that again. >> i don't think i listed them specifically. >> you said numbers, that is what i want. >> i can get you the specifics, i do not have the recommendations before me. the numbers are accurate. there was 20 six outstanding gao recommendations between 2010 and 2012. them had been acted on an accomplished based on the recommendations. you gave a litany of others who have acted on. >> i was give you a general oversight of the number that we had -- >> give that to me again. submitted, fps documentation foreclosure and consideration pertaining to 13 gao recommendations including humanrategies to enhanc

dr. coburn. his staff was also unaware that the nominee was under investigation by the inspector general. it is extremely troubling then that a hearing was scheduled to proceed without the ranking member of the committee knowing about the pending investigation of the nominee within the executive branch. both my staff and ranking member coburn's staff contacted the inspector general's office. we told his office about the whistle-blower allegations and asked for confirmation as to whether there was an open inquiry. this type of procedural information is routinely disclosed by an inspector general's office to congress, and rightly so. further, we asked for an explanation of why that information would be withheld while the committee was considering the nomination. now, you understand that the senate has a constitutional function of providing advise and consent on these nominations. in order to do our duty, every senator who is asked to vote on that nominee needs to have all the relevant information a

dr. coburn, made support his support for jeh johnson and even went so far as asking him to stay on as secretary after the 2016 election. a high compliment, indeed. and mr. johnson's wife was sitting immediately behind him, madam president. and when dr. cohen asked that assurance from the nominee, i wasn't sure if she was going to come out of her seat. and it was in support of the idea. well, mr. johnson is undoubtedly a highly-skilled leader. he is just the type of person that we need for this extremely important and challenging position. mr. johnson, of course, will not be alone in the task of leading the department of homeland security. it is critically important that mr. johnson be allowed to surround himself with a capable leadership team and we can help. indeed, we must help. at the department of homeland security alone, there are 14 presidentially appointed positions that are without a permanent replacement. of these, 10 require senate confirmation. this is a condition i call executive branch swiss cheese, madam president. and as we consider mr. johnson's nomination, we must remember that

dr. coburn. >> just a follow. i want to put in the record a letter from dhs police deputy director of operations chris clyne that was released novemb november 22. which is new active shooter guidelines. and i'm somewhat confused after reading this. i think i can pretty well -- i don't understand the engagement. if somebody is with a firearm in a federal building and we have a pso officer there, nothing here says that they will engage him. >> yes, sir. my point was that the original objective and mission of the pso was to ensure that safe ingress and egress of people coming into the facility but it was not to pursue an active shooter. that has always been the purview and the ground of, for law enforcement, trained law enforcement personnel. as we have we looked at how we might have our psos engage, we were looking at any legal obstacles that we may have to overcome as a result of that. as well as any state requirements that they may have to meet as well. and my point in talking about, if, in fact, an armed individu

dr. tom coburn's "back in the black," comments that he's had there.specifically, it specifically shows where cuts can be done. and i think this is what we need to do, is to look at what actually can be done. if you look, excuse me, if you look at "back in the black," it would save about $9 trillion, and it's very specific. i've gone through it several times to show where this could be done. so i would ask that you would consider this. >> guest: well, we need to consider every idea to reform thing system. the affordable health care act has within it the exchange with all of the controversy that we're presently seeing about the exchanges, national and state exchanges, but it also has some very, very important reforms to the way in which medical practice is done across the nation. one of them that's already having a profound effect is that hospitals are not paid for readmissions on hospital-acquired infections. and guess what? they're going, oh, we're not going to get paid? well, we better make sure there's no hospital infections. so we're seeing a signi

i would like to ask that you coburn's back dr.n the black comments that he had their. -- there. -- it shows where the cuts can be done. we need to look at what can be done. me, if you -- excuse look at back in the black, it saves $9 trillion. it is very specific and i have gone through it. i would ask that you consider this. est: we need to consider every idea to reform the health care system. the affordable care act has exchanges, with all the controversy that we are seeing with the national and state also has, but it important reforms in the way that medical practices done across the nation. one of them has had a profound effect. hospitals have not paid for readmissions. guess what, they say they are not going to get paid. we need to make sure that there are no hospital infections. we have seen hospitals across the nation pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene. that is just one example of the many different pieces that are in the affordable care act that have a profound and positive the cost ofducing health care. att: have you

dr. keith ablow will answer that question for us. we have senator coburn the many ways we are wasting our money as well as many surprises. i can't wait to see what steve and elizabeth are wearing. hoping something blue. >>> welcome back. about eight minutes till the top of the hour. a private sper had i in north ran -- sperry ran aground near the cape fear river. at least 30 people were on the ferry at the time of the accident. three vessels responded and transported the injured back where ambulances were waiting to take them to a nearby hospital. one person was airlifted with potentially serious injuries. >>> amazing video of a man trapped on a burning crane. a canadian military helicopter coming to the rescue of kingston ontario. the crane operator became stranded when the apartment building under construction caught fire. police say he suffered minor injuries. no one was hurt in the apartment fire. >> people in new york calling it a miracle. a blind man survived after falling on the subway tracks thanks to his guide dog. officials say the dog named orla

dr. coburn? >> go through the gao recommendations again that when they were meant it? my understanding is that 26 the prior to that the navy yard shooting is correct? >> the editors testimony would you do it again to listed as several? >> i did not list them specifically. >> usage numbers. i want that. >> i can get you specifics better to have them before me right now but the numbers are accurate. >> but there was 26 outstanding recommendations between 2010 and 2012? >> four of them were acted upon and accomplished based on the recommendations did you give a litany of others you have acted on. >> yes, sir. a general oversight. >> go back to your testimony and give that to me again. >> yes, sir. in 2013 fps submitted to equitation in consideration in pertaining to 13 gao recommendations including strategies to enhance the human capital planning and improved communications. of those percentage six were accepted, excuse me and has implemented and said bin are pending internal review. >> so that is half of the 26. so my question to use secretary durkovich were you aware th

dr. coburn and i sent another letter to the inspector general and said, how are we doing? let's provide some priority to this and let's get to the bottom of this. that was in october. two weeks ago, minority staff, majority staff on the committee had a conversation, phone conversation with the o.i.g.'s office and said, how are we doing? and they said, well, there's no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing by anybody. not by mr. mayorkas, not by anybody at d.h.s. but we're not done yet, we need several more months. maybe come back in february or march. in the meantime, the department of homeland security doesn't have the leadership that it needs, at least confirmed by us. how long are we going to wait? the terrorists aren't going to wait. the ones in foreign countries aren't going to wait. the ones in this country aren't going to wait. we need leadership. it's key for everything. everything. madam chairman, there's another audit that's been going on as well by the i.g., same i.g., of the eb-5 program. i'm an old governor, i'm an old state treasurer. we used to get audits all