View, but every case is individual. Everyone had to be proven guilty. A lot of people are locked up and that is a big problem, but heres the fact. In 2014, america was f safer than it was when i was born in 1960. I think a big part of that change is due to Law Enforcement. Im of the view that yes, we can reform our criminal justice system, but weve got to reform it with an eye towards where we used to be. I would not want to give back to our grandchildren the america we lived in in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. I believe we can be better in a lot of ways. I think it is important for us to be thoughtful. I grew up in new york city in the 1980s, in the midst of the crack cocaine epidemic, 2000 homicides in the city. No one wants to return to that. That in all 17ed states that have cut incarceration rates, theyve experienced a decline in crime over the past decades. It seems to me that there is room based on the data for a real discussion as to how to get the balance correct. I gather you share that view. I appreciate your willingness to continue a dialogue for us to get the benefit of your views. Director comey thank you. I yield back. I now recognize mr. Can i be recognized for a point of personal privilege . Without objection. Im a student of history and when i make a mistake, i want to correct it. I was wrong in saying that senator vanderburgh son committed suicide. It was senator hayes. His son was arrested in Lafayette Park for being gay, but that was mccarthy who was after him. I want to correct the record. Thank you. I now recognize mr. Desantis for five minutes. Good afternoon, director comey. Companies have begun notifying customers when Law Enforcement requests data through subpoena or warrant unless there is a nondisclosure requirement, particularly for child pornography investigations, this may be an issue. Do you think that could hamper investigations . Director comey i do. It is something i have been hearing more and more about. Im glad to hear you say that. The president has a plan to bring over a lot of people from the civil war in syria, perhaps as many as 100,000. Can we vet them, and if not, isnt it just a fact that some of those people will be contributing to some of the homegrown terrorism in this country . Director comey thank you for the question. It is a very important issue. We can vet them. Weve gotten better at vetting and learned lessons from the vetting of iraqi refugees. We can only vet against data thats been collected with respect to a person. The information we had for iraq was much richer than we will have for syria. So theres a problem here, potentially. I know its going to fall on you to defend the American People it is something im concerned with. Theres been talk about reforming. People sayview that drug offenses are nonviolent, but when they get into the federal system, trafficking, is it accurate to say they are nonviolent . Director comey i guess each case is different. In my experience, anyone whos part of a Trafficking Organization is part of an organization that has violence all through it. Whether you are a runner, lookout, or enforcer, you are part of something that is suffocating a community. I have a hard time categorizing drug organizations as nonviolent. In terms of the drop in crime that you alluded to, is part of that simply because there have been stiffer sentences and so habitual criminals are off the street . Director comey i believe that was a big part. I believe most experts believe it was a big part of the historic reduction in crime over my career. With respect to individual offenses, theres been mishandling of information, does the fbi keep records of all the investigations related to each offense . Director comey i dont know that it is searchable by each offense. If a case was charged, the offenses would be reflected. In other words, we know every mishandling of classified information offense. We can look that up. But we dont know whether the u. S. Attorney declined x number of cases pertaining to that . Director comey i think thats correct. I also dont know what our records would reflect if there are a number of violations in a case, whether it would be clear that it was that. In terms of handling classified information, theres been stuff in the press about, something needs to be marked classified. Is your understanding that the u. S. Code, if i were to send classified information over an unsecure system, the fact that it was not marked classified, does that mean i have not committed the offense . Director comey i think i would prefer not to answer, trying to make sure that given we have a matter under investigation that relates to that topic, that i preserve our ability to be honest, independent, and competent. I worry that i could jeopardize that. I think thats an admirable posture. , when the president renders a judgment about a case, saying theres no National Security damage if certain information has been disclosed, how does that help the investigation . The three things i said earlier, honest, competent, and independent. We follow the facts, only the facts. Doubt that that will be how you conduct yourself. I just hope that as you do your work, as it moves on to other aspects of our system, that its based on the merits of the case and not based on political edict from on high. Thank you for your time. Recognize thank you. Director, thank you very much. You appeared yesterday in front of the Homeland Security committee and added a great deal of insight. I like to not pursue a line of questioning, but hope to have an opportunity to meet with you on something we began discussing yesterday, Cyber Security and the role it plays as an all most another figure, if you will, in the scheme of terrorism. I and the Ranking Member of the subcommittee, with my Ranking Member and chairman, we are looking to be responsible in addressing issues in the criminal justice system, and somewhat overlapping the question of terrorism in this committee, and certainly in Homeland Security. Let me quickly start with a question that i think i introduced in the record yesterday, nofly for foreign fighters. We heard testimony that indicated the numbers might be going down. I had notes that there was 250 americans who had left to the foreign fight and may be coming back. We must always be prepared. Was one thatnario we had never imagined before. We never imagined an airplane being used as a torpedo. We imagined a hijacking. We lived through that. I know that this is a very serious posture. Hopefully, any extra tool that we can give you with respect to refining and defining the list that you have, to make sure that we have every potential every foreign fighter, would that be helpful to you . Director comey yes. We want to make sure the list is comprehensive. Legislatione this to ensure that that list is a vetted and wellupdated list, would that be helpful . Director comey i dont know the legislation, but the goal, i share. I appreciate that very much. Guns. Move now to the i dont want to put words in your mouth, but i imagine, and i served as a Municipal Court say, whod id have to are you . Dealing with some matters in local government, they were in some tough places. I recognize the dangers that our officers face. We had a horrific tragedy in houston. We just recently lost an officer again in new york. With others who are impacted by guns, the 11yearold who shot anotherold, and old, weer, threeyears never can imagine the ability of our children. I ask you a question, why Law Enforcement is not our biggest control, not on gun gun safety regulations. Not on diminishing the Second Amendment, but responsibly handling weapons. Who would want to lose a fouryearold in a driveby shooting in new mexico because someone had a gun . Introduced legislation, and you might want to comment on this in particular, that gives you an extended period of time on this gun check situation, which was one of the horrible situations in the South Carolina nine. The system was doing its work, but since you werent heard from , they allowed this gentleman to get a gun and kill nine people. We have a number of legislative initiatives. Members of congress dont want anything to do with taking away your gun. They want to regulate safety infrastructure. Ive introduced legislation to keep guns away from children. In your dealing with Law Enforcement, the impact guns have, the impact on the work you all do, could you answer that for me, please . There have been a number of church fires. We keep ignoring it. We had another series before. Would you comment on the fbis work that they are doing . Down, take this name rodney colan, who was killed on his front porch, a driveway of his home excuse me, let me stand corrected. Lives wounded and still with a bullet in his liver. Aspect is thatng it was an officer who mistook him as an africanamerican male in a stolen car. He was in his mothers car, going home to his house in houston, texas. Is, what further fbi investigation can go into this case . I thank you for your indulgence. Director comey thank you, ms. Jackson lee. I will look into the last matter. With respect to church fires, we have not ignore them. Our agents are investigating a number of incidents around the country. We have not found patterns that connect to our civil Rights Enforcement work. With respect to guns, people in the fbi care deeply about trying to stop gun violence. Will the bureau does not do is get involved in Public Policy legal questions. Our job is to enforce the law. We leave it to the department of justice to make suggestions. We are passionate about trying to enforce the law against bad guys with guns of all kinds, especially in our cities, where gun violence is increasingly a plague this year. The proliferation of guns and dangers Law Enforcement, does it not . But gentleladys time has expired. Guns in theey hands of criminals and danger all of us, including Law Enforcement. Thank you. I think all of us would agree with that. Ill recognize myself for five minutes. I want to thank you for being here. Many people at the committee have recognized your unbiased attitude towards enforcing the law as written. I think that speaks very highly of you. Ive been impressed with the cogency and clarity of your testimony this morning. I believe the commitment to independent enforcement of the law is a genuine and sincere conviction on your part. The department of justice has investigated past allegations of possible violations, and i know youve touched on this before, so forgive me for rehashing it, possible violations of the partialbirth abortion ban act. 2015letter dated august 4, responding to this committees request for an investigation of possible violations of the partialbirth abortion ban act by planned parenthood, the department of justice stated that since the inception of the act, the department has invested allegations with facilities that are related to possible violations of that law. Is there any current relatedation by the fbi to planned parenthood and the footage thats been released by the center for medical progress at this time that you know of . Director comey i will get back to you and let you know. As i sit here now, i dont have a Strong Enough grasp of where that stands. I do know letters were sent to the department of justice. Ill get back to you. As far as you know, even apart from the planned parenthood videos, do you know of any partial birth abortion ban investigations by the fbi . Director comey i dont. I believe we have, but i dont know enough to answer that well right here. I would appreciate that last part being included in any response you have. Theres some of us that think the rule of law applies to these little ones that have so little ability to protect themselves as well. Let me shift gears. Theres been several questions asked today about gun violence. I agree with your last answer completely, that we want to do everything we can to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. It is vital for the safety of the public. There are those of us that would ask Law Enforcement, do we think it would be wise to take guns out of the hands of Law Enforcement . Almost no one would suggest that. Guns inve, i do, that the hands of properly trained fbi agents is a protection to the public. From my perspective, that would suggest it is not the guns, it is whose hands they are in. It is hard to make a case that if they are a protective measure in the hands of police officers, that they are something that can protect and prevent violence, that they are a good thing, and that all of us from almost every spectrum of political consideration would suggest that , then the obvious reason becomes that it is indeed not the guns, but whose hands they are in. Is, how do we you separate the argument so that we are doing everything we can to prevent those who have lost their Second Amendment rights, who have demonstrated Violence Toward society, or an issue with mental illness, how do we deal with that while still leaving intact the right to own and their arms under the Second Amendment by those who follow the law . I think thats a question for others, including congress. Such, i think is it is very important that not be a debate we participate in. We dont make policy for the American People. The American People tell us what they think the law should be. We will enforce the law. I think that is critical to us remaining honest, competent, and independent. It is not a conversation i think the fbi should participate in professionally. That is a reasonable answer. I hope that we can do that. End myat, im going to question time. Do we have yes, we do. Mr. Bishop is not here. Oh, im sorry. Mr. Bishop, youre recognized for five minutes. Flying under the radar. I was here earlier. I apologize for stepping out. And your thank you entire team, because what you do on a daily basis is something that most of us dont even know about. We cant comprehend. You keep us safe and we are grateful for what you do. On behalf of my family, my constituents, im grateful to you and your entire department. Wanted to tell you that. I admire your testimony today. Thank you for your candor. Youve been here forever. I thought maybe id ask you about Syrian Refugees and what were seeing. Is a hugef michigan hub for those of middle eastern dissent. Middle eastern descent. There is concern about refugees in our country. You, how do we refugees coming to our country . Is there a way to do it that we can rely upon . My office does a lot of immigration work. We work with those who are attempting to emigrate legally every day and we help them anyway we can to get through the hoops. It is very strange that we now have groups that are coming in the way they are, that really skip all those steps in between. Im wondering if you could share your experience and what you know about the process. Director comey its a process i described as good news and bad news. Athave gotten much better organizing ourselves so that we get a complete picture of what we know about somebody. We learned some lessons from iraqi refugees eight years or so ago. Weve gotten better. If theres a ripple this person has created in our pond, im confident we will see it. The bad news is, we will have less data with respect to folks coming out of syria then we did with iraq. We dont have the u. S. Army presence that would give us biometrics. The risk is that someone who is a blank slate to us will be vetted in a process that is complete but will show no sign of anything because they never crossed our radar. Thats why i described it as a process that has gotten better, but we cant tell you is riskfree. As time goes on, the process that you are going through will be more apparent to the American People. There are a lot of folks in my concerned. Re very that level of unknown, of not understanding the process, has caused a little panic across the district. The more we can here, the more we understand what the process is. We remember the iraqi refugees in the state of michigan, especially my area. I appreciate your ongoing communication. I want to switch gears with you real quick. Ive had the pleasure of working with a number of youthserving organizations and one of those is here today. It is important work they do. Ive spoken to some of them about the importance of keeping their kids safe. One of the ways they do that is getting background checks. It ensures so many different ways of fostering a safe environment. It is an issue i feel deeply about. Can you talk about the value of including national fbi fingerprint background checks as part of the comprehensive screening of staff and volunteers . There are so many that are right there with our children. We know that the fbi background check is the Gold Standard of the process. Can you share a little bit about how we can promote that and encourage that . Director comey thank you, congressman. If i remember correctly, weve been doing a Pilot Program on that topic at our criminal oftice Information Systems operation, which i believe is the Gold Standard. Anybody who wants to ensure that people in contact with children have been checked out, the best way to do it is working with us. As an exciting new feature that is coming on now, we are building in something called rap back. Y somebody as a daycare provider, if they are ever again arrested, you will be notified. That will make a big difference and make the Gold Standard platinum in a way. I very much agree with your sentiment. Back . You say rap director comey rap back. Someone develops a rap sheet, we get back. Ok. Thank you for your time. I think the gentleman. My apologies for missing you the first time. I now recognize mr. Ratcliffe for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Director comey, thanks for being here. I want to ask you a couple Cyber Security issues. I do