Wrote her book as soon as she left the white house. She invented the modern first lady. Q a, betty boyd discusses her book and an inside look at the american Political Partnership of lady bird in lyndon johnson. She is a perfect example of the conclusion i came to, which was, those women off something in those men, the ambition, the opportunity to climb and you dont make a mark in the world and they married them ands art and they married them in spite of parental objections. I had to find out more about them. Tonight at eight eastern and pacific, the span q and a. Fbi director james coney testified before the Senate Judiciary commission. Severalctor addressed challenges facing the fbi including data encryption and the ability of isis to create fraudulent past. This is almost three hours. Director call me that director james comey, we welcome last week confirmed that radical islamic terrorism continues to be a of whetherrdless that is politically correct for convenient for our president. Is a determined enemy executing a plan to gain and itself,ritory, in rich inspire followers, and launch deadly attacks against the west. The American People are very worried. It is not just about terrorism, but about our president s inability or unwillingness to oury the country to lead international partners, to develop a credible strategy to destroy isis, and to execute that strategy. We are now paying a price for that weakness. Turn, eventsry have proven the president wrong about this. In august 2012, to a redline warning the regime not to use chemical weapons in syria. But the president back down after and isis blossomed. January 2012, the president referred to isis as junior varsity. Probably spent the next six months conference territory across syria and iraq. The same day, the president conceded that he did not have a strategy to defeat isis. A year and a half later, remains without a coherent plan. Even former secretary clinton admitted the other day that we are not the fight. The president has been hoping that isis will go away. It doesnt fit the political narrative. But hope is not strategy. Hope is not a plan. And hope is not action. All the while, the drumbeat of attacks on the u. S. Continues. There was an attack on a Convention Center in garland, texas. In july, wed had the attack on military facility in chattanooga. James comey had reported that the fbi has been engaged in approximately 900 active investigations against suspected isis operatives and other extremists. He estimated that 250 americans have left the United States and travel to syria to fight with isis. Nonetheless, in november, president assured us that isis is contained. It, the very next day, inflicted the most deadliest attack in europe with a coordinated assault in paris. If you ask a few weeks later, in San Bernardino, two of its executed theorters deadliest attack on the homeland since september 11. Unfortunately, our president has responded to this crisis by trying to divide us and distract us. He is doubling down in the strategy. After reports suggested that one of the paris terrorists possessed a passport and entered the u. S. As a refugee, many eggs rest concerns of refugees coming to the United States. James comey reflected similar concerns and warned that there we gaps in the information have to bet people coming out of a war zone. He warned that letting anyone coming into the United States carry some risk. We can point to the brothers who marathon whoston was granted asylum here. Our president responded to the concerns expressed by Many Americans by mocking them for being afraid of orphans. But events continued to prove that our president spectacularly wrong. As it turns out, women are radical islamists terrorists, to, to the president s surprise. Malikw that tashfeen arrived in the United States on a beyond say on a fiance visa. Our government did not catch the false address in pakistan that she listed on her application. To top it off, earlier this week, we learned the National CounterRhythm Center has identified individuals with ties to enter theempted United States through the Refugee Program. That was one intelligence court the administration couldnt shade to make its confirmed conclusions. It always bears repeating, legitimately so, that islam is not our enemy. Radical islamists terrorists are our enemy. The vast majority of muslims in this country and around the world are nonviolent, and lawabiding. A fear that one of the reasons for the regrettable backlash against muslims in this country is the publics frustration with a resident with the tosidents repeated failure utter the words radical islamic terrorists. Our president has concluded to divide us and distract us with the issue of gun control. President , islamic, radical terrorism is not to blame. Strict, european guncontrol laws did not stop the parrot attack. Stop the paris attack. Stop the sanid not bernardino massacre. Now, the Obama Administration argues that allowing foreigners to buy guns who enter the United States to the Visa Waiver Program is a album. I agree it but at the same time, the administration is apparently refugees onlowing deferred action and other noncitizens who are not legal, permanent residents, to buy guns. The mix of sense. That makes no sense. Currentnistrations fixation on guns and the Visa Waiver Program can be explained because it is another area where the administrations actions have made u. S. Citizens feel less safe. At least, to establish residency for 90 days. These 90 days could be crucial in terrorism investigations. When we address the issue of four in the United States buying guns, we need to be comprehensive about it, not just that thishe mess administration has created. Our friends on the other side of the aisle have attempted to divide us, to write us, and distract us with all souls to deny the right to his on various those terror watch list, including nofly list. The incident in california and the terrorist connected with it were apparently not on terrorist watch lists. Such a proposal would have stopped that attack. ,he president s claim that people we dont allow to fly can go into a store right now the United States and by higher arm and if is nothing we can do to stop them. It is it true. The fbi is notified when someone on the nofly list of 10 to and can taken steps to ensure that a gun doesnt all into the wrong hands. The president and others have been misleading the American People on that matter. The more fundamental point is that while these lists are useful in keeping us safe, they are the result of the executive branch unilateral decision to put people on them without any opportunity to be heard. They can be unreliable. It isnt just constitutional to continue to condition the fundamental right to keep and bear arms under the administrative list that lacks that kind of due process. We wouldnt consider conditioning any other constitutional right such as screening of speech, or religion, or searches and seizures on such a process. Why that itthat is is so surprising that this president and so many of his party with port such a scheme. The fact is, Law Enforcement hasnt raised gun purchases by people on watch this as a huge problem. I know director james comey when you to tell us have to confront a serious obstacle in keeping us safe. Heard hearing in july, we all of the top from director james comey about the problem and the increased use of encrypted munication by terrorists. Encrypted communication by terrorist. I will be interested in hearing about technology and how it is proceeding. I also look for to discussing a range of other issues with the director today. One is the fbi. I hope i have the support of the director to strengthen the whistleblower law. I have questions about the fbis investigation into former secretary clintons emails. Spyware. F and the ongoing efforts to correct injustices that result in florida forensic work. I apologize for a longer statement. But i also think that these are things we dont discuss enough and we have the opportunity today to discuss them. Leahys turn. Ator tickle the time you need, and i know you will anyway. Take all the time you need, and i know you will anyway. [laughter] federal bureau of investigation is entrusted with enormous responsibility. Threat, nohat the matter what the motivation, the fbi is told to keep us safe. Fbi aroundn day, the the country investigates cases games,sm, Violent Crime, identity theft, human trafficking, hate crimes, child they know there is no simple answer. One of the greatest terrorist , nones by Timothy Mcveigh of us said after that, we have to start excluding people who served in the military or people Timothy Mcveighs religion. The event of the past six months have underscored the very nature of the threat the fbi faces. This past june, nine African American churchgoers were murdered by a white supremacist during a bible study in charleston. The day after thanksgiving, three individuals, including a police officer, were shot to death inside a Womens Health clinic in colorado springs. Last week, 14 county workers in San Bernardino were murdered in a shooting rampage. Related. E scene all of them had different motivations among those shooting. Not be able toy share all the details about these investigations today, but we cant agree there is one common motivating factor hateful extremism. One of the churchgoers murdered, the people in the Womens Health clinic, the people in San Bernardino, hateful extremism coming from different directions. It reminds us to be vigilant against all forms of violent extremism. I would hope that no one underestimates incredible difficult job protecting the country from terrorists threats. We can try to put all the blame on one person, thats fine, but it is not one person, it is all of us. We have to sit Law Enforcement and intelligence officials by giving them the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively. As we have heard from many officials, we have to continue the hard work sometimes. We have build trust in our communities among neighbors and with Law Enforcement. We can all share in the responsibility of keeping our communities safe area at the same time, i wish we would all categorically reject the divisive, corrosive rhetoric of fear that only serves to undermine us as a nation. We know what happens when leaders come to the politics succumb to the politics of fear in those tight of our american eyes. Drove theat government to violate the constitution and imprison thousands of americans of japanese descent. That was during world war ii. What fielded the justification of torture by the cia, which director jamie which director james comey you objected to. I applaud you for that. I know the director reminds all of us all of his new agents led the rhetoric of fear hoover to target Martin Luther king. If we get into the fear, the terrorist extremist win. They want us to be afraid. Groups like ice is actively promote the narrative around the world that muslims are not welcome in the United States. It is reprehensible. As thatw them just around the world. When there is talk about rounding up muslim americans, or creating a registry based on religious beliefs, or shutting our borders to all muslims, that is the kind of hateful rhetoric that just plays into our enemi eshands and demeans us as a democratic nation. The americans are better than that. We americans are better than that. Lets not succumb to fear and get an image that is not a great country that brought my grandparents and my great grandparents here. We are a courageous and strong country. Our strength keeps our country great. Senate at its best can be the conscience of the nation. In recent events, to start doing our very best. We are not afraid of terrorists, and we should not let our country be defined by fear mongering. We should continue the committees bipartisan oversight of the fbi in other areas. Learneds ago, the fbi about the hair microscopic analysis. I am not satisfied by the fbis efforts to notify those defendants who may have been affected. The fbi should sending agents out to gather all of that information. Of americans depend on it. I would i will continue to work with senator grassley. Comey forrector james coming to the committee today. I have known the director for years. I know he shares my respect for the constitution. People. In the american we can rise above the divisive rhetoric of here. We are americans. We should be better than that. I believe we are. Thank you. Since this is an oversight hearing, i would like to direct james comey, do you declare that the testimony let me start over again. Do you affirm that the testimony will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god . Yes. Thank you. I would like to read the short introduction. It is a pleasure to introduce you to the committee. Director james comey became the director of the fbi in 2013. You served as Deputy Attorney general and u. S. Attorney in new york and an assistant u. S. Attorney in virginia. He is a graduate of the chicago law school. Welcome. Proceed with your testimony. Thank you mr. Chairman. Members of the committee, it is good to be back before you. The fbi has a very broad array of responsibilities to address a staggering array of threats that face our country. In terrorism, and intelligence. The key of doing it well is the great effort of the f guy. Effort of the fbi. The best part of my job is to get to watch them work. I am very grateful or the support of this committee. I would stop i will start with the top priority which is countering terrorism. I will take about the approach of the attack in San Bernardino. The terrorist threat we taste today comes at us from a number of groups the terrorist threat we face today comes at us through a number of groups. Number one, they aspire to send operatives to attack the United States. That can, they aspire to attract people to come to their caliphate to fight and achieve glory. Last, where they cant send operatives, they hope to inspire, or direct, or believe together people to engage in acts of violence. To radicalize and kill innocent people on the half of these terrorist. In paris, we saw one dimension of that threat, which was the sending of operatives to attack and kill innocent people. In San Bernardino, we saw a different dimension of threat, which is homegrown violent extremists, the radicalizing in order to kill innocent people on behalf of a terrorist organization. To claim a terrorist organization and give it credit for acts of violence. To find homegrown violent extremists, those will radicalize and be inspired by those groups is a very hard thing. All of you know from what we are an, we work at it every day and use all the lawful tools you have given us on behalf of the American People. Critical to our finding of those people are tips from the community. We have worked very hard to develop Good Relationship in communities across america, especially in muslim communities , where we have terrific relationships. Those people so often tell us when they see things that dont make sense. We want those folks to know that one of responsibilities is to crimes,estigate hate and if you think someone is threatening based on your National Origin or religion, please tell us so we can investigate that. All in this together. San bernardino involved two killers who were radicalized for quite a long time before the attack. Our investigation to date indicate that they were radicalized before they started courting or dating each other online. As early asate 2013, they were talking about jihad before they became engaged and married and live together in the United States. He also believed they were also believed we they were inspired by terrorist organizations. We are working hard to find the source of their inspiration. We are working hard to find if there was anybody else involved in anybody else involved with assisting them. Did they have other plans . That work continues. Critical to that work is the help we get from state law officials. Those 100 or so task forces are the backbone of this countrys downturn terrorism response. We are grateful for help from state and local Law Enforcement. If you needed confirmation of the quality and talent of the state and local Law Enforcement in San Bernardino that day, as you mentioned mr. Chairman, i want to give you a brief report where we are with the respective encryption to our counterterrorism work. Goodu said, we have had conversation with the folks in the tech sector and different parts of this great country. Those conversations convinced me of two things we care about the same things. The Tech Companies and the fbi and everyone involved in this discussion, both care about the safety on the internet. We understand encryption is a very important part of being secure on the internet. Care about public safety. We see a collision between those things right now. We see encryption is getting in the way of our ability to have ordered orders affected to gather information we need in our most important work. We all agree, we have to figure out if we can maximize both values. Safety and security on the internet and public safety. That is good news. We are not at work, we care about the same th