Transcripts For CSPAN2 Capital News Today 20121221 : vimarsa

CSPAN2 Capital News Today December 21, 2012

His judgment and the aarps judgment is theres simply not enough time to use military force to respond and make a difference in that situation, but you raise a very good, broader question, and its certainly something well work through with the colleagues and pentagon and elsewhere in the administration. Mr. Chairman, given, again, the potential for unrest across the middle east, i would hope that we followup on this specific question because it seems to me to be critical as we look at the situation going forward, and i will just conclude by adding my personal thanks and appreciation to the senator lugar. Its truly been an honor to serve with you, and you leave a tremendous legacy for this committee and for the country. Thank you. Senator, thank you. Let me say i just thought a lot about what you said with respect to the availability of teams or forces with respect to emergency extraction, and or Emergency Response in various parts of the world, and i think its something we really need to Pay Attention to and think about in terms of deployment and preparedness so we got to do that. Senator isakson. Ill be really fast so others can question too. Let me quote the predecessor in the senate saying they dont make them any better than dick lugar. I want to echo that. You are a great servant and friends. I thank you very much. My statement is in the report, admiral mullen and secretary, it says there was a culture of pushback in the state department. Not a question, but ive seen the culture of pushback, embassies in africa who made security related requests, minor like securing ground level residents in an Apartment Building that couldnt get done until the United States senator asked for itment i think the state Department Needs to look at the process internally to see to it theres a flow to the top of important security request comes from embassies. Thats a statement on my party. My question is, secretary nides, you made the statement, and i read the following, may need your help in having your authority to streamline the usual processes and produce faster results, related to security. What process is inhibiting faster results in terms of security in our embassy . Broadly speaking. As you know, every time we put a contract out, theres a bidding process that needs to be taking place. Nothing is done quickly as im learning quickly, and, again for the second time, and its done rightly; right . The peoples bids put out, contracts awards, and theres a process. That process, unfortunately, takes time. Theres oversight to be done, contracts are rewarded and challenged, and so we may need to ask for some authorities to allow us to expedite some of the those, and thats what i was generally talking about. Its security and other constructions. Just to build a wall at an embassy could potentially take months to go through the contracting process, to get an agreement to get the bids. We may need to come to the institution to protect ourselves for challenges that we have during the contracting process, and thats what i was referring to, sir. So competitive bid requirement; is that right . Im not an expert to be honest with you, but there what im an expert on is nothing can get done quickly. I think it is some of it is legitimate. Some of it needs to be done quickly, and well need to get the authorities in which to do that. What we should do, mr. Chairman, is investigate a negotiated bid because theres a way around the competitive bid process in a security situation where you can react quickly, and we ought to give you very, very good suggestions, senator. Well take that, for sure. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman, and, first, to senator lugar in wyoming, we have the code of the west, and number one is live each day with courage, and number two is take pride in your work, and you really are the embodiment then of the code of the west, and so youre always welcome in the Rocky Mountain west and specifically wyoming. Thank you so much for your leadership, senator lugar. Thanks. Now, for our guests, president obama claims that the moment he heard about the attack on the u. S. Consulate in benghazi said he gave three directives. Find out who did this so we can bring them to justice. In secretarys letter she states, quote, we continue to hunt terrorists responsible for the attacks in benghazi and determined to bring them to justice. Have you determined those responsible for the death of the brave americans and the destruction of the u. S. Facilities . Senator barrasso, just to restate, we are absolutely committed to bring those responsible to justice. We are absolutely committed to bringing every resource to the u. S. Government to bear to accomplish that. We are pursuing this through a number of different channels. Some of which can be discussed in other settings, but as you know, the fbi is leading the investigation, the state department is actively supporting this. Ive been in libya to talk to the libyan leadership to talk about the importance of their cooperation and the investigation. I think we are making some progress. Our char on the ground works every day in support of the fbi. I was in tunisia last week to emphasize to the president and Prime Minister the importance we attach to cooperation in ascertaining a suspect in the benghazi attack, and i believe we are making some progress there. The answer is, sir, to your question, is we dont have all the answers yet, but working relentlessly, and i think we are making progress. Thank you. With regard to implementation of the recommendations of the report, you go through the report, and senator corker referred to 18 different accountability review boards over a number of years. A recurring theme seems to be stove pipe decision making. I mean earlier today, i heard the bureaucratic verbiage of what got to the sixth floor and the seventh floor, that Means Nothing to the senators or those around the country who see a terrible situation in a failed security effort, and, truly, what is the state Department Going to do to get beyond this what goes to what floor to make sure this doesnt happen again . Senator, as someone whose spent a lot of time in Corporate America as well, plenty stove piping that goes on there too as youre well aware. We have to learn from this. We have to hold people accountable, which were doing, and we have to change processes to make sure that were getting it right. We are going to relook at them from how we make our decisions relating to security decisions, how the bureau reactses to that, who is making decisions, and we have to embrace this and hold ourselves accountable. Secretary clinton made it very clear to us that were accountable for executing these recommendations, and were going to have to learn from this quickly and get to the bottom of the answers that are set up as it relates to the specific tasks laid out for all of us to look at. Thank you, mr. Chairman, in the interest of time, ill cease questions. Thank you. As we conclude, this is a good process, not a fun process. Its not meant to be, but it is open, accountability, impressed by the directness and professionalism of the report deliveredded to us yesterday, but im also impressed today by the just obvious combination of some pain at the losses that took place for which, obviously, everybody feels a sense of responsibility within the department ands acknowledgement, difficult as it is, that mistakes were made and things have to be done differently so i want to salute both of you for coming in here, and i think good questions have been asked, legitimate ones, and this process will result in improvements. Im confident in that. We thank you very, very much for coming in today. Its been, i think, very, very helpful, and well look forward to working with you, with the committee to make sure that the implementation is as effective as possible to make sure that we do our part, that the congress stepped up here and weighs i think senator corkers questions about the money, you know, we have to analyze is, see where the improvements can be made. No question in my mind that we need Additional Resources in significant ways, and were going to have to document that and do all things necessary to make it clear. Thanks very, very much for coming in today. We wish you well, and we look forward to picking up whether wr the next hearing will be with the secretary. Thank you. Thank you. We stand adjourned. I dont want to spoil the book for you so let me just say that the year began with the American Republic in grave danger. The union armies struggling to grow virtually overnight from a few thousand men scattered across the continent to more than half a million. The inexperienced officers thrust into command of the raw volunteers were stymied by the sheer size of the break away Confederate States of america which covered a space larger than the entire european territory conquered by napoleon. The closest adviser was the secretary of state and said that even smart people failed to see the difficulty of the unions tasks. They didnt apprehend the vast extent of the rebellion as he put it. Military operations, to be successful, must be on a scale hitterred to prakically unknown in the war. The second year of the war, weak union forces, daifdz von brehle on 1862 and lincolns rise to greatness at 8 30 eastern this weekend and right through Christmas Day on cspan2. Senator daniel of hawaii given a rare honor of lying in state in the capitol rue tun da today. He died sunday in an area hospital. Hes the second longest serving senator in u. S. History. After the arrival at the capital, congressional leaders and Vice President biden spoke at a memorial for senator inouye. [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] [background sounds] let us pray. Gracious god, sovereign lord of history, thank you for the exemplary impact of senator Daniel Ken Inouye on our national history. Lord, were grateful for the excellence that distinguished his significant career, for the quiet grace and dignity with which he represented the ahoha state and gift of ennernment that enabled him to serve you faithfully for the good of america. As we express gratitude, of all the foot prints he left in the sands of time, give us your power to persevere in promptly doing what is right. May the memory of senator inouyes indefaticable life provide for all of those who labor for liberty. Lord, intensify our dedication to make sacrifices for the good of our nation and world as we put our trust in you to do for us immeasurably abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine, according to your power, working in and through us. We pray in your sovereign name, amen. Senator dan inouye was a noble soul, one of the finest men ive ever met. United States Senate and the entire country are poorer for his loss. I wanted to join senator ownerships family, people of hawaii, and all americans in paying final respects to an American Patriot and hero. Senator inouye was one of the deluxe senators to ever walk the hallowed halls of the great building. He leaves behind a legacy of public leadership and private kindness that will not be forgotten as long as these walls stand and as long as historys written. Its fitting the hawaii state for the enduring state of democracy, the dome of the capitol, and its proper that he should rest upon the lincoln platform upon which abraham lincoln, president john f. Kennedy, rosa parks, and 26 others of this nations luminaries have lain in state. Dan inouye was an institution and deserves to spend at least another day in this beautiful building in which he dedicated his life. As a second longest serving senator in our history, dan inouye represented our 50 th state on the first day was admitted to the union, but his tradition of Service Began long before he came to the United States senate. He was just a boy when he heard the war planes, the drop on pearl harbor, andgan to give aid to the wounded. He was 13 when he volunteered to serve the nation overseas even though his people have been declared aliens, and looking at secretary here, who served in one of those intournament camps. Senator inouye became a member of the regimennal combat team, the most highly decorated unit in the history of the United States military. That says it all. After being gravely wounded in italy, senators arm of amputated, spent 21 months recooperating from the wounds in an Army Hospital in michigan. During that, he met a lifetime friend, future majority leader bob dole, another young gi who had been also wounded in the european theater. Senator dole told senator inouye he planned to go to law school and eventually serve in congress. Dan inouye was elected to congress in 1959 as hawaiis first congressman. Bob dole was elected to congress a year later. Senator inouye always joked, i went with the dole plan, and i beat him. Three years later, dan inouye was elected to the senate being a soft powerful voice for the people of hawaii ever since. Although senator inouye was an unabashedded progressive democrat, he always put his Country First and his party second. Dan was a vibrant and vital presence in the senate, and in death, hell remain a legend. His last words on earth, aloha, and it is with a heavy heart that i, we, bid aloha, goodbye, to a friend of the senate, Daniel Ken Inouye. Good morning. On behalf of the United States house of representatives, i extend sincere condolences to senator inouyes family, colleagues, and his constituents. In late 1963, a young freshman senator stood under this splendid dome as we do now. Years on, Daniel Inouye could still recall how quiet this rutunda became when president kennedys casket arrived. All i heard, he said, was the shuffling of feet. That day, absorbed in his thoughts, this son of hawaii and a veteran of 442nd, good couldnt have imagined he spend another five decades passing through this hall. He couldnt have fathomed all the good that he would do here. Helping to build a new state, gaining rights and benefits for veterans, supporting agriculture, speaking out against injustice, and becoming one of the most revered senators in our history. He couldnt have fathomed it, and unassuming as he was, he wouldnt have trieded. It was always for the nation he loved and the state that he served to his last breath. While this may be a quiet ceremony for a quiet man, it will endure long after the respects are paid. For when this returns to life and tour guides give their pitch, theyll always speak of Daniel Inouye, the gentleman from hawaii, and one of freedoms most valiant champions. Irene, jennifer, ken, if my father were here saying, kid, you got good blood. Jessica, henry clay, thaddeus stevens, charles sumner, robert byrd, general persing, general mcarthur, ten president s, 31 in all lay in state, only 31 in the history of the United States of america under this dome. This is an honor to state the obvious that very few americans, some truly great americans never, ever received. In each and every american whos been granted the honor according to danny today, they have been granted it because they possess a particular quality that we view as uniquely american. Its thoroughly appropriate that our friend, danny, is granted this honor because he was in every sense the qint american possessing every virtue that we like to ascribe to our country. , the dop of dannys life, the country was emerging from a great war, a war that left the rest of the world in ruins, but placed america squarely in the center of world leadership for the first time in our history. Yet on the horizon was the greatest economic depression this nation had faced or has faced sense. His mother, his mother, the first of her generation in hawaii to immigrate from japan at a time when there was strong and real prejudice that still existed in america, a man who came of age as the second war burst upon the scene, and that very prejudice against japaneseamericans reached a kris cresnedo. As majority leaders eluded to, on the way to church with your grandfather, listening to the radio about the bombing that was taking place in pearl harbor, and at first as danny told the story, over several times, at least i heard it, he thought it was the wells kind of thing, and they drove, and looked on the hoer rye horizon and could see pearl harbor, the bombs bursting. He was then labeled an enemy alien. He was labeled an enemy alien as his family was. Because of his japanese an ancestry, but he fought. He fought for the chance to fight for his country and had to fight for the chance to fight for his country, not just to prove that he was an american, but because he knew, he knew what was at stake, because it was the right thing to do. My mom, as i was telling my colleagues before we came out, used to have an expression. Shedd say, joey, youre defined by your courage and redeemed by your loyalty. Youre defined by your courage and redeemed by your loyalty. In the years i have served here, and were i still in the senate serving out that term, id be the most senior person in the senate, a frightening thought to think im that old, but i never met a man or a woman in that period with as much physical and moral courage as danny inouye. I never met a man with as much loyalty to his country, to his family, and to his friends. Some who received with him a long time remember hes one of the few people that would stand on the floor to defend a colleague who was under siege without ever considering the political consequences to him back home. He always just did the right thing. He always had the moral courage to do the right thing. He had a compass that always directed him to his true north and a resolve to do truly extraordinary things. Things that few women and men ever contemplate or able to consider doing. We all know that on april 21st, 1945, and i had the prief leming of being privilege of being with her on the 50th anniversary of dday, and we were with bob dole as well. He and bob dole were on the mountain top

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