There must be whistleblower protection. Can you address how you feel about whistleblowers and retaliation within the department. I would be happy to. Should i be confirmed i would do everything in my power to make sure theres no retaliation. I feel whistleblowers are an important part of the way democracy functions and i was happily recently the president signed into law and other whistleblower due to efforts, but i believe within each department we need to ensure not only various environment of of trust and respect, but a safe place for voices to be heard. Its vital we understand concerns of employees. Let me also address contracting after disasters. We are all very worried about all of the americans. For the first time i believe, in my lifetime weve been unable to restore a sick living necessities to thousands of americans for weeks now. Im confident you will get other questions about puerto rico, but i want to hone in on contracting youve awarded more than 2 billion in contracts, twice the amount the agency typically conducts in an entire year just since Hurricane Harvey struck. What circumstances do you think is appropriate to award nobid contracts and what could you do to prepare the agency with contracts that have been competed that could slide into place in the aftermath of a disaster. Thank you for the question. Should i be confirmed this is an area i would like to work with congress on. We need flexibility and accountability and agility in these contracts so in some cases we need to adjust the rules such that we can get the Mission Assignment to the people, but we have to make sure there is accountability and that we have checks and balances and internal control, so im not fully aware of every particular avenue fema has pursued, but i think what we need to be aware of is the innovation should be balanced with accountability. Generally what im looking to heres that you have a bias against noncompete contracts. I think its a very last resort in my opinion. If its lifeanddeath there may be circumstance thats my point and what i really hope happens is that you begin a comprehensive effort we know these disasters are coming. We know there will be disasters, Natural Disasters across our country. I believe a lot of this is climate. Thats another discussion, but in order to have standby contracts that can be competed that takes leadership from dhs and fema. Of course you have to knew it nobid contract if you have nothing prepared for the moment when you need thousands of people restoring electricity. I agree. I think we need better modeling and based on that modeling and understanding we need to work with state and local governments to have this contract in place predisaster. You and i discussed yesterday one of the biggest concerns is our ports and my colleague to the left here and many other and senator johnson all of us are so concerned about the Public Health crisis that grips our nation in terms of the death toll from opioids. We know a lot of this is coming in in fact i think if we do a close analysis we will see more in the ports. Meanwhile, we are adding more Border Patrol officers on the border to agents on the border and we cant we are cutting port officers where we need more manpower. Thousands of folks are short. I will get you electric shock, but i would like to you for you to address a make a commitment you will look at this in balance and address it that we are actually potentially overloading the Border Control and ignoring the ports. Senator, you have my sentiment and i look forward if confirmed to working and understanding needs on the border. As you know and we talked about combination of personnel and technology. Technology can always serve as a supplier if implemented correctly. We need to understand where and how the director coming in, the best commendation resources including personnel to combat that. How did you like that, mr. Chairman, three seconds. Senator portman. First, thank you for your indulgence. First, welcome and again we are delighted by stepping up to take on this Important Role in one thing mentioned earlier was congressional oversight and theres been frustration expressed in this committee over my tenure on this committee the last several years that we dont get the kind of responses that we need to do effective oversight and this is not a partisan issue and shouldnt be and as the chair of the subcommittee we have worked on a totally bipartisan basis and done but good work, but it requires the administration to be responsive. I would say it might be helpful to give a specific example rather than talk generally and it has to do what with what senator mccaskill talked about with focusing on the supply side with drugs coming into our country. I wont get into detail about the investigation, but we are trying to get information from the front lines as to whats happening with regards to looking at packages. We know that no is the number one killer in my state of ohio, increasingly the drug pushing out here when another opioids. Most of it comes from china. Private carriers as you know have to provide data which we will talk about in the second. Traffickers use the Postal Service and we want to know how to stop this poison from coming to our community and we all in this committee have focused on the demand side and not important, but we also know if we can stop the poison from coming and it will save lives and at a minimum cost, so we went to interview the online people who are actually doing the inspection of packages at jfk, at your other sites were yet the post op is bringing in overseas packages. We are told by dhs those are two level people and yet interview the supervisors and we can persistently introduce the supervisors. They dont have the information. I will tell you even the supervisors refused to look at the emails to provide us responsive answers which was frustrating. They told us to talk to the online people, so dhs refuses to allow us to talk to the online people and we go to the supervisors and they say we dont have firsthand knowledge, talk to the folks on the frontlines i went to give you that is a specific real side real concern we have and i think it the senator here he would echo my concerns. We dont want to go to subpoenas, but we will and i would just like the commitment that you expressed to me in private in our meeting about this broad topic that you will work with us to enhance the responsiveness of the department its a big Strong Department with the challenges and a layering. We want the commitment you will work with this committee, which is the committee vested with the responsibility to provide oversight of her dhs to respond to congressional inquiries. [inaudible] to be very clear with respect to the policies regarding oversight and transparency. I believe those are keys not only to leadership, but to the Effective Partnership required to combat the threats today, so you would have my commitment that any question you have we would be responsive and provide you the information you need to do your job which helps us do our job. A message from the top is important and again my colleagues, both sides of the would appreciate that. On this issue of drugs coming into the country, let me ask you about an initiative. Most members of this committee have been involved in the stop act that says with regard to private carriers you have to have the advanced electronic data as to whats in the package, where its from and where its going, be able to identify those packages and stop some of the poison coming in and i has seen the facilities of these private carriers. At the post office, theres not that requirement through the Postal Service. In 2002 congress required private carriers to do it. That was 15 years ago and even today the post office is pushing back, so what i would like to hear today from you is your commitment to getting legislation through. Its simple. It says the post office has to require the same advanced electronic data so your folks can identify this poison coming in and we talked to cpb and they are interested in this legislation. They need this tool and when we talk to postal inspectors and Law Enforcement, same thing. The legislation has not moved in part because the post office has pushed back and in the last two weeks the commission the present formed on opioid specifically is the stop act, so its now on record officially. Can you give us your commitment to help us get this legislative fix in this one area completed so we can make progress keeping the supply of the drugs out of the countrys . Yes, sir and should i be prefer confirmed i will provide Technical Assistance to make sure we can implemented effectively working with the Us Post Office and Border Control to make sure they have resources and personnel they need to play their part. Thank you. So many other questions. For the record i will ask questions with regard to security. This is one of the issues we struggle with. I will also ask questions on the management side for discussion earlier about the complexity of the challenge you have a particular workforce management, but we appreciate the fact you are here today with your experience and background to help break during a critical time. Mr. Chairman, please note i am yielding back 38 seconds. I will note i appreciate that. Senator. Thank you, senator for yielding back i will utilize those 38 seconds. Thank you for being here. Assuming you will get confirmed hopefully montana will be on your docket for places to visit so you can look at a number of things your Agency Impacts in Rural America and in the lines of Airport Security the Law Enforcement officer reimbursement grant, are you for my with those . Can you repeat that . Its a program to help Law Enforcement agencies to secure local air force airports and i think its eight Important Program and what i believe about it is that administration would have eliminated this program through their budget. I think it puts a whole bunch of things that risk by doing that because it provides opportunity for weak links. My crack staff tells me the program is still at risk by the administration and i went to know what your view is on those and then i will have a followup. Thank you. Should i be confirmed it is something i would want to look into. Theres a mix of ways in which the department of Homeland Security can work with state local officials. The area around the area you can walk in without screening, so there is more we need to do. Dhs can provide training. They can provide information, so guess you have my commitment. Theres a common nation of resources dhs needs to provide in working with state local officials. I would tell you that in the end whether its called a Different Program or not, but small Airport Security is just as important as big Airport Security so i would hope you would fight hard like that for that. I will speak for myself. Its im never been a big fan and theres number of reasons why. I think we can get this pounded out, but it will require visiting bipartisan visiting with a number of senators to make this work so that we dont end of doing things like in montana having to cause citizens additional dollars, so i need your commitment you would work with us on this issue to move it forward and like i said it would be they bipartisan manner to get the solution because its been around as long as ive been here yes, sir. Border security is a big issue and if im asking questions already asked, forgive me. The president has been an advocate for a wall in the southern border. As you well know i serve as Ranking Member on the appropriations Homeland SecurityCommittee Also decides this committee, so the question i have is from your perspective number one i assume you have been on the southern border . Yes. You have seen it. What is your view on a wall and whats your view on technology . First of all i would like if i could to quote something senator mccaskill said at the beginning. The president has stated and its something i share that theres no need for a wall from sea to shining sea. We need to work with operators and it should i be confirm i would look forward to speaking with officials on the ground, Law Enforcement to include cbp to understand where we need some sort of physical barrier. Technology plays a key part and we cant forget that. Theres a lot we can do with technology. In a more Cost Effective way, i might add. There was a report due by your office august 3, i believe on a comprehensive review of what the plan is for the border. I did not pass my staff, but we have not received it and that may be one reasons we have it marked up that comment security is appropriations bill. Number one i guess is could you see if you could assuming you get confirmed put the gas on the pedal to get that because i think its really important we have a plan that we dont back into, but we actually have a plan moving forward for the southern border. Yes, sir. I think should i be confirmed the plan needs to be linked to any appropriation. Absolutely. Do you have any plans of the top of your hand had on Port Security . I think what i would say is we need to continue to evolve with the times, so everything from Cyber Security threats we now face to additional perhaps more innovative ways in which the threats is there any technology you know it that supports dont have that they need . I am aware of some additional screening equipment that we are looking up highly being and using at the borders. Im not aware of constraints that the port environment might provide, but we need the best and brightest in terms of personnel and technology at the border. Thank you very much and i would like the chairman to note i yield back a minute and 13 seconds. This is fabulous. I think we all appreciate a by the way. Thank you, mr. Thank you, mri wont disappoint you. You know its coming, a question on the northern border. The northern border threat analysis was released in july after our Bipartisan Legislation that senator kelly and i cosponsored. Obviously when we look at the northern border its 5500 miles with a very very historic and significant partner in terms of canada, but that doesnt mean we could ignore our northern border threat assessment. Dhs has committed to me that items such as improved facilities, better retention and better use of technology will address be addressed in this strategy, but thats only a first step in implementation must be prioritized during the budget process. Im going to ask a series of yes or no questions. Would you commit to pushing in the next dhs budget for sufficient funds to execute the northern border strategy including funds to begin improving facilities, recruitment and retention at remote and rural locations and smart investment in technology to improve domain awareness . Yes, i will. Will you commit to me the northern border will be a priority if confirmed . It must become a guess. In order to understand, montana shares a border so if you want to come to montana, we will make it so you come to montana and north dakota at the same time and you will see that in Border Security that is particularly difficult in terms of recruitment and retention of staff and again monitoring and securing the northern border facility and that would be that wideopen space north all the way over to the montana border. Its critically important we get more of your commitment on the northern border issues. Another Program Within the department of Homeland Security, which i have taken a interesting is countering violent extremism section and we have not heard a lot about it, but obviously when the chairman went to a number of those incidents, a number of those are really home main what kind of situations and we want to make sure we have relationships within the organization and within the communities to avoid radicalization, so will you commit to evaluating the program and dhs and reporting back to us in 90 days on your initial plans regarding the program, its goals and its grants and how you intend to prioritize the mission of this organization, which i think is a little at sea at the moment. I think its critically important and i would ask that you pay particular attention to that problem i was struck by your Opening Statement where you announced as we all do with the principles that you believe in the principles of our founding documents and what constitutes our country and one of the great founding principles of our democracy is that we are a nation of laws and i think over the last couple months we seem to find policy announced in unconventional ways and policies challenged in courts in ways that doesnt advance the goal of the administration. Just delays the goal of the administration, but yet we arent shearer whos doing the policy and how we can affect seamless integration and implementation if dhs isnt involved, so wanted to just give you an opportunity to respond to this question. If you are, in fact, confirmed and you determine that a policy announced from the white house is in fact potentially illegal and going along with what dhs is able to do within not law or regulation and its otherwise not in the best interest of dh as or the American Public will you take up and repeat the president s statement of policy before congress and of the American People and then that the law of regulation to fit the policy thats been stated or will you tell the president and the white house that he has proposed limitations on his power and otherwise its outside the bounds of law and regulation and beyond what is good for, in fact, the department . Thank you for the question, senator. I fully intend in all