we are working with them to make sure we have entered- inoperability with them and us. >> -- that we have inter- operability. >> it is important to follow the supply chain from the job site. those are jobs that did not exist either. >> yes, sir. >> that is before this recovery funded aid. i recall so well, just a month after the president signed the recovery act, a young civil engineer in my hometown had moved away, got his degree in engineering, and found work with civil engineering companies doing highway design work. he came into the office to see me and said, i want to thank you, the congress, and the president because i am back at work. i had been working for a year with this company but was laid off when the recession took hold. before any projects were under way, the company called me back saying, we know we will have a number of projects to bid on and we need to put you to work. it just turned out that he had a week's vacation coming after getting back on the job. he took his way to washington. but that is happening all over the country. i want those jobs accounted for as wel

but trying to make sure that we have that next generation public safety spectrum that's fully inoperable. i think it's still an embarrass nmt this country that this many years after 9/11, we don't have that full functionaling safety across tspectrum. making sure as we do this analysis and how we get it out to the public and perhaps at the same time generate revenue. i look forward to working with you and it's great to have you back in the public sectontosect. i i know my fellow virginian will be great at getting the sec back on track. >> nart gabich? >> thank you, very much, mr. chairman. i will be very brief. thank you for the time that you came and met with me in your dmimt to consider coming to alaska again and see what we're doing up there. your credentials are incredible and i'm to the sec. i have some questions i'll probably ask you to put on the record. again, thank you for being here. your family i know needs to support you in this endeavor as you'll be drawn across the country at times to present, discuss and have issues brought to your attention that will require you to leave w

we know firsthand the difficulties that arose in that terrible tragedy because of the inoperability, the lack of communication technologies, working together, among police, fire, and other emergency services. there was a landmark publication, why can't we talk, which was produced in the wake of 9/11, produced by national task force of 18 associations representing public safety. it noted five key reasons why first responders struggled to communicate sometimes with their own agencies. this project, this $1 million project, would support specific initiatives established in the national emergency communications plan delivered to congress in july, 2008, by the u.s. department of homeland security's office of emergency communications. working in partnership with that office, the national institute for communications interoperability would address the most critical issue facing the first responder -- community today. their ability to command and control emergency resources in response to terrorist acts, natural disasters, and crimes through interagency communication. this project will not o