mr. chaffetz: i recognize ms. watson coleman from new jersey. mrs. watson coleman: i want to ask you a question, the secret division is a component of drment h.s.? mr. roth: correct. mrs. watson coleman: do you think it makes better sense that there are department-wide policies regarding such important things? -- as opposed to a component-wide policies? mr. roth: it's not an issue that i looked at or thought about. there is certainly a validity to have uniformity across d.h.s. which there clearly is not right now. mrs. watson coleman: we hear that in the other committees i'm on. according to the memorandum of understanding between the secret service and your office, certain misconducts must be referred to you. mr. roth: correct. mrs. watson coleman: did it constitute something of that level? mr. roth: yes, it did. mrs. watson coleman: in youres

mrs. watson coleman: and you were informed of it on -- mr. roth: march 9. mrs. watson coleman: mr. clancy was informed of this on march 9? mr. roth: correct. mrs. watson coleman: he didn't start an investigate at the same time you were going to take that on? mr. roth: that's correct. mrs. watson coleman: the agency isn't going to conduct? mr. roth: only one group can conduct an investigation otherwise you have people tripping over each other. once a decision is made for us to take it everyone has to step back. mrs. watson coleman: if we were going to focus in on who or what level we believe is the biggest problem here, other than the self-reporting up the chain of command, where would that be? mr. roth: i think the point of failure was the senior management within the uniform division, who knew of it and did not report it to for example, director clancy or the office of professional responsibility. mrs. watson coleman: is that the watch commander? mr. roth: no. the watch commander reported up to his chain of command, to the deputy chief of the uniform division. additionally there wa

mrs. watson coleman: thank you, mr. speaker. i am so pleased to join with my distinguished colleague, the gentlelady from florida, as we discuss an issue of great importance to my district and quite frankly to every member of congress, transportation infrastructure. last week our nation endured a terrible tragedy azzam track northeast regional train 188 derailed in philadelphia on its way to trenton en route to new york. that accident killed eight americans including one of my constituents injured more than 200 and disrupted service on the busiest rail corridor in the nation for nearly a week. in the days since the accident, investigators have indicated that high speeds may have played a significant role in the derailment. speeds that were more than double the limit in that stretch of the track. my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have used those details to deflect attention away from discussing our nation's investments in had our infrastructure or the lack thereof in rail and all of our other surface transportation inf

watson coleman. >> thank you. mr. chairman thank you. mr. roth. the secret service division or component is a component of d.h.s. right? >> correct. >> do you think that it makes better sense that there are departmentwide policies regarding such important things as opposed to o a componentwide policy? >> it's not an issue that i really looked at or thought about. i mean, there is certainly a facial validity to have uniformity across all of d.h.s. which there clearly is not right now. >> we hear that in the other committee that i'm on. adoreding to your memorandum of understanding between the secret service and your office, certainly categories of misconduct must be referred to. >> correct. >> so did what happened on march h constitute something of that level? >> yes, it did. >> in your estimation, who

watson coleman: thank you very much. mr.chairman, i don't know if we were planning to come back afterwards. i have a series of questions. i also have a series of questions that i would like to bring before the inspector general as to why we really given a little bit of information regarding these three issues in particular and why it was all associated with some sort of partisan. i don't know what the plans are, but i think we are done here. i thank mr. mayor kiss. -- mayorkas. i think that we should applaud that instead of excruciatingly, but maybe next time. >> let me just say that i'm very lenient with time as a chairman, but i am china keep this within some bounds of reason. -- trying to keep this within some bounds of reason. i try to keep that on both sides of the aisle. with that, the chernow recognizes mr. walker. -- chair now recognizes mr. walker. rep. walker: i think it wasn't to interrupt the member, but to mr. mayorkas. the section of the policy states for oral communication that takes place between u.s. staff a

bonnie watson coleman: i have relied on mr. palone and mr. payne. they have introduced me to many people and helped me not get lost. they are very open and supportive of new members. host: you're the first african-american woman to represent the state of new jersey. what does that mean for you personally? rep. bonnie watson coleman: for me, it means that i am the congress representative to women who feel that we haven't had a congress representative for a very long time. i am going to women's organizations and trying to help women candidates. it is the same with african-americans. fortunately, new jersey has three. we have a responsibility to uphold the cause and issues for people like us all over the state of new jersey as well as representing everybody within our district. it means that i get called to come to suffolk county or cumberland county to meet with a woman's group or an african-american group in addition to doing the things within your district -- the things within my district i'm doing. it goes from mercer to middlesex and a little bit

bonnie watson coleman: i have relied on mr. palone and mr. payne. they have been very good to me, introducing me to many people and helped me not get lost. and in general, i look to other colleagues. they may not know me as well, but they have been here longer. and they are very open and supportive of new members. and that is good. host: you're the first african-american woman to represent the state of new jersey. what does that mean for you personally? and to the broader community? rep. bonnie watson coleman: for me, it means that i am the congress representative to women who feel that we haven't had a congress representative for a very long time. so i am in my district and out of my district of going to women's organizations and trying to help women candidates. it is the same with african-americans. fortunately, new jersey has three. we have senator booker, -- , and myself. we have a responsibility to uphold the cause and issues for people like us all over the state of new jersey as well as representing everybody within our district. so it means t

watson-coleman: i have relied on mr. payne in particular.es introduced me to places and people, helping me when i am lost in between buildings. in general, i look to other colleagues. they may not know me as well but they have been here longer. they are very open and supportive of new members. and that is good. bill: you are the first african-american woman to represent new jersey. what does that mean for you personally and the broader community in new jersey you represent? rep. watson-coleman: for me, it means i am the congress representative to women who feel we have not had a congress representative for a very long time. in my district and out of my district, i am going to women's organizations and trying to help women candidates. it is the same thing with african-americans. new jersey has senator booker, congressman payne, and myself. we have a responsibility to uphold the cause and issues for people like us all over new jersey as well as representing everybody in our district. it means i get called to sussex county or coverlet county --

watson coleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. mr. mayorkas, i have a lot of questions so i too, would like to have expedient answers. you started in 2009 in this program over the eb5 program, right? >> yes. i became the director in august 2009. >> and when did you leave? >> i left in december of 2013. >> and when were these three cases in particular the subject of consideration and supposedly your involvement? >> 2011 on and i can't -- i apologize, i can't provide a more discreet time frame. >> do you know when the inspector general started his investigation? >> i don't. i believe i believe it was in 2012 or 2013. >> some of this happened while you were there, and some of this happened while you were gone? >> i learned of the inspector general's investigation in july of 2013. >> during his investigation how many times did he interview you? >> i was interviewed once. >> during that interview did you share with him -- did he raise the issues that -- of preferential treatment and preferential access was alleged and that decisions based

mr. chairman? >> miss watson coleman is recognized. >> i don't understand the necessity of swearing in the undersecretaryn we had the inspector general who generated this the reason for our being here in the first place. we never once asked him to be sworn in. i just find that is unusual and unnecessary given this high elected, this high appointed official who has such tremendous credentials on his behalf. i want it stated for record. i thank you. >> i appreciate the gentlelady's point of order i suppose. when we say the committee and house rules provide for the swearing in of any witness that the chair deem appropriate. i think given the serious allegations generated by the inspector general's report warrant the swearing in of this witness in particular, and i again, giving the witness an opportunity to explain his side of the story. >> thank you mr. chairman. but may i just say, that the reason that we're here is we are relying so heavily, you are relying so heavily on the limited and very myopic findings of inspector general. and his report has caused tremendous consternation here, and i'm sure in the

. >> now recognize miss watson coleman of new jersey for five minutes. >> thank you very much. mr. chairman, thank you mr. roth. ask you a question. the secret service division or component is a component of dhs. right? >> correct. >> so, do you think that it makes better sense that there is -- there are department-wide policies regarding such important things as opposed to component-wide policies. >> not an issue i've looked at our thought about. there's certainly a facial extra lilted to have uniformity across all of dhs which clearly there is not right now. >> we hear that in the other committee i'm on. according to memorandum of understanding between the secret service and your office, certain categories of misconduct must be referred to you. >> correct. >> so, did what happened on march 4th constitute something of that level. >> yes. >> and in your estimation, who should have reported it? how many people? what level? what are those titles? this doesn't fall on one person's responsibility. right? >> correct. the duty to report it to office, the office of inspector general is th