Good morning. Picketing will come to order. This is a Hearing Resource the title protect the homeland. We will review the department of home its a good budget. When the acting sect of Homeland Security, the honorable Kevin Mcaleenan here to testify and want to fraternal appreciate and thank you for your long service to this country. And in particular, at this moment where we are glad, grappling with some issues. The aftermath of an unprecedented level of disasters of hurricanes and fires in california, hurricanes in the gold coast, the disaster that is occurring at the border right now. If we could just put up our chart. Do we have our chart . Org we have it it on the chart that we have and that an oshkosh would weaken the required a a giveaway. So a quick produced out of my factory some cups with that exact same chart. What it shows is how out of control this problem is in the first seven months of this year. We had over 300 total, 312,000 individuals coming either as over the border illegally being apprehended either as unaccompanied child or as part of the family unit. I know these are not for public release yet, so they are initial numbers. But in the first three months of may, another 65,000 unaccompanied children but again primary coming in as family units, and for apprehended at the border in between the ports of entry and over 97,000 total apprehensions. So were on path of breaking again, you know, from i guess march 103,000, 3000, april 109106000 and now we will be on that in may. This is a growing problem. It needs to be taken seriously and it is what you and the men and women that you lead are grappling with, and just got bless you for doing it. I mean that in all sincerity. I know because ive been to the board and will be going with the Ranking Member and a couple other senators later today. We know what youre having to deal with and its an impossible task. So again i just appreciate your dedication, your willingness to serve and with without alterinr to Ranking Member. Well, thank you, mr. Chairman and thank you, secretary mcaleenan. We appreciate you being here today. Im going to do front into my open,. I know our time is limited and remembers that have meeting coming up and i know youre on a hard stop as well. I do members of this Committee Want to ask questions so i will ask unanimous consent to my Opening Statement in the record. Without objection. I will ask the same request. That sounds good. Ill turn over to you. Mr. Secretary, it is the tradition of this committee to swear in witnesses. If you will stand and brazier writing. Do you swear the test when he will give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth all to god . I do. Please be seated. The honorable Kevin Mcaleenan is the acting secretary for the department of Homeland Security was inserting dispositions of april 2019. Prior to this appointment he had a dusting of his career at the euros customs and Border Protection where he recently served cbp since january 2017. In 2015 mr. Michelini received the president ial rank award, the nations highest Civil Service award. Heals a bachelor degree from Amherst College and a j. D. From university of chicago law school. Mr. Mcaleenan. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking Member peters comp establishment of the meeting, senator portman come preshift opportunity to appear before you today. It is a a sincere honor to sere as acting secretary and represent dedicate men and women of the department of Homeland Security. Really do believe that dhs has a most Compelling Mission income but to safeguard the American People, our homeland and our values. As acting secretary i intend to work with this committee and have been in the last six weeks in serving as an advocate for the do from to chew our people have the resources and authorities they need to carry out their Critical Missions on behalf of the American People. As were highlighting the president 2020 budget of what you point out a few of the key areas where theres critical investment across dhs and the multimissions that we carry out. I want to ensure this committee we will not lose any momentum on our multiple missions from cybersecurity to disaster responses. We see whats happening this morning with the floods in oklahoma, the attorney of the touchdown in in the street and well stay on top of all of these missions that i want to highlight some investments. Of course i will speak to the security crisis which this committee is focus on and understands very well. The president s budget request money for Critical Missions across the department for cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, the budget request 1. 3 billion to cybersecurity risk and protect Government Information Systems and critical infrastructure. The budget supports the launch of project 2020 a new initiative died to get all states to baseline level of election infrastructure cybersecurity well before the National Election in 2020. The budget supports additional transportation Security Officers to enhance Security Effectiveness and stay ahead of increasing growing traffic at airports nationwide. 3. 3 billion for tsa also includes funding for an additional 700 screeners and 350 computed tomography unit. For fema this budget provides a significant increase in the Disaster Relief fund, begins to move the patient of new requirements and the reform act and funds critical operation positions identified in the twentysomething Hurricane Season after action report. For the u. S. Coast guard, this budget continues efforts to fund offshore patrol cutter and advances or security cutter program. With regard to Border Security and Immigration Enforcement as youre well aware, we are in the midst of an ongoing security and he american crisis at the southwest border. Your chart puts that in stark contrast, start with, mr. Chairman. Almost. Almost 110,000 migrants attended across without legal status last month, the most in over a decade. Over 65 were families and unaccompanied children. That means over 40,000 children entered our immigration system in a single month. The president s budget will address this 2020. First the request23 million for the american crisis. This money while i was to provide better care for those we come in contact with through apprehension, custody, detention and removal. Second, to address the Border Security aspects of the crisis it request 5 billion in funding funding for the construction approximately 200 miles of a new portable system, request by frontline agents and also calls for 750 Border Patrol agents, 273 cbp officers and over 660 i is frontline and support personnel. The budget request to make muchneeded upgrade to cinches, command control systems and a credit to our men and women combat criminals who are profiting from human suffering. While the 2020 budget will address this crisis will need additional funding. Given the skill of what were facing we will exhaust our resources before the end of this fiscal year which is why the administration set of fundamental supplemental request. In addition to a 3 billion for health and Human Services to care for unaccompanied children the request includes 1. 1 billion for the department of Homeland Security and would provide 391 million free american assistance including temporary microprocessing facilities at the southwest border, 539 for Border Operations to include our search personal expenses and increase transportation at detention costs. 178 million for operations and support costs including for operations and support costs including pay and retention incentives for operational personnel as well as upgrading our i. T. Systems. The supplemental request is critical and unless Congress Addresses the factors, children will continue to be put at risk during a dangerous journey to our border. Without these authorities and resources the situation will remain untenable and while dhs will continue to all the can to manage this crisis, every day that congress does not act puts more lives at risk and increases the burden on the system. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member peters of endings for a long time. This is a third time ive been in a leadership role during a migration surge at the border. Families and children. Both in 2014 and 2016 at the end of the last administration. We have more than doubled those crises combined in the first seven months of this year and were still in the middle. We are doing everything we can to address it. As you will see, on the medical front, we had about ten people providing medical care in our top Processing Center as of a year ago. We now have 50 in that center alone. 24 x seven coverage in all all of her highs traffic sectors with u. S. Coast guard medical teams on the ground. We have health and Human Services, commissioned corps on the ground with us. Working to protect the special children that come into our custody. Weve expanded our facility. We put up 1000 spaces in two location. We will have 10,000 by the end of next month to address this growing crisis. Weve gotten tremendous support from the department of defense, National Guard, from our state and local partners and we can close with nongovernmental organizations and charities to try and help those in need but none of that is going to be enough. We are still seeing too much tragedy and this week and must have been no exception. 40 of our agents are off the line doing processing transportation and care, hospital watch, feeding and cleaning migrants in our custody. This leads to significant Border Security risk added all think we can tolerate given the drug epidemic of the dangers to our communities across the country. My second week in this job i went to see the 9 11 Memorial Museum to get really inspired at the origin of the department of Homeland Security. It was kobe might of Homeland Security when we started with noncommission. It was a nonpartisan mission that all americans supported at a note this Committee Works in that spirit. Through your prior hearings to become expert on this and help inform the American People, for efforts to go to the border, i know your point again, this is unique approach the committee is taking to grapple with the problem based on a shared set of facts and solve it. I want to work with you and the Ranking Member and both parties. Our frontline agents and officers needed, they deserve the support if the children being put at risk you as well. Security of our border in the future of our region depend on it. I appreciate the opportunity to appear you before today and i look forward to the dialogue this morning. Thank you, mr. Secretary. Im happy to do for my questioning to you or to send to department to just keep things moving. Did you want to ask your questions there . Okay. Senator peter. Thank you for your comments. I know you mentioned in your opening comments the challenges, the medical charts in particular youre having along the border. The last evening it was reported that a young girl from el salvador died last year while in custody, but her death was undisclosed publicly until last night. Which made her now the six migrant child to die after crossing the southern border in less than a year. We all agreed we must absolutely secure our borders, but the death of children, i know you agree, the death of children in custody is simply unacceptable. But first we must identify what went wrong and it sure this doesnt happen again. Brief questions, yes or no. Does every child in cbp custody have access to a pediatrician . No. Does the cbp have clear protocols regarding the transfer of children to a hospital in presenting acute systems, especially look at the aggressive nature of the current outbreak were seeing along the border . Yes. And as commissioner i i directd that all children come into our custody he screened by a certified medical professional and thats what weve undertaken steps to accomplish, or both of our extension of a contract to get medical professionals into our facilities at soldiers coast guard and a Public HealthCommission Corporate that effort is extensive and ongoing. 65 65 people being brought to e hospital every day, watched and support by agents and offers. This is a massive effort going on to protect children. I know we have saved dozens and dozens of lives over the past several months. Although theres been cases, recent cases of a 16yearold who passed which was not not taken to the hospital. So there are gaps that have to be filled. He was both great and offered medical care and we look forward to the finals of the medical journal to see if we can do better. One of the key areas ive got high but its effect hs does not have enough funding for bed space for teenage males and thats the main arriving at a company child right now. We are not able to move teenage males as expeditiously as we should be to the better situation for tier within health and Human Services, and we need that support from congress in the supplemental. I fast many of our colleagues and pride dhs leadership and ill ask you again today, how long is too long to detain a child . Detention for a child is for the safety of the child. Thats the only reason to do it. We dont believe that children should be detained very long at all. We would like to move as quickly as possible to health and Human Services to a more appropriate setting for unaccompanied children where they can be placed with an appropriate sponsor through hhs processes. I think thats the best approach. Id like to get that 2440 hours and try to comply at all times with the standard and the protection act which is 72 hours. Upon arrival at the border as opposed to not finishing as quickly as possible. There is no desire to detain children of any capacity for long. It is reported dhs is acquiring fema and other components to contribute staff to various securities security the northern and southern borders must be our top priority. We have a northern border as well. Im concerned about an readiness in my state of michigan and other northern border states. My time is short but could you give me a brief synopsis of the specific duties of the folks being asked to do on the southern border . Is in any crisis we call on volunteers to respond. Last year, for hurricane harvey, hurricane emma, we had 2000 people deployed across the department. Right now we have to hundred 50 volunteers. What i ask our volunteers to do is make a Risk Assessment and decide who is available. They are doing all kinds of things for attorneys and commercial drivers licenses to transport migrants to folks helping with food service and care, the variety of michigan we are fortunate to have volunteers helping out in the crisis. Shortage of personnel is an issue for you, even before the recent increase in migrant traffic at the southern border it was clear cvp was not adequately staffed to secure the borders and facilitate the other mission which was to move legitimate trade and travel in other parts of travel. The cbp discovered new leadership as the commissioner identifies a shortfall of thousands of cbp officials, this is the current situation. To help address this gap in personnel senator cornyn and i have introduced Bipartisan Legislation to give Clear Authority and direction to cbp officers to the levels identified in the model you put together. Especially concerned about critical personnel being moved from michigan to the southern border while michigan remains two of the three busiest border crossings in the nation. Will you commit to working with congress to advance this legislation and close the hiring gap we currently have . I will end appreciate your support to additional hiring of cvp officers, among one of the most critical lock relations occupations. We netted 20008000 in the last few years. We are expecting to make 1200 additional officers. Based on a number of changes we have made in congress. A modelbased staffing strategy accommodates growing security threats as a way to plan for the future and i appreciate efforts to support that. I appreciate your support of getting this legislation passed. I have a little remaining time but i want to make sure everyone asks questions, stick to our strict 7 minute time. We were talking about hiring rate. Is it true we have greater hiring than attrition rate . For Border Patrol agents it is closer to attrition although we are making progress. That is good news. I am highly concerned with the current crisis. We dont have the resources and you are courting all the volunteers Border Patrol officers will start im a certain concerned about attrition rates. Have you seen that in the crisis . My first decision as acting secretary was to extend 5 retention and sent it to our agents who are working incredibly hard. We need to look at all we have to maintain our tremendous professional workforce and they need t