The speaker begins by acknowledging the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and expresses the enduring impact of the event on the nation. He notes the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in response to the intelligence failures that allowed the 19 hijackers to enter the country legally. The speaker also highlights the increased funding for vetting and enforcement within the immigration system as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
However, the speaker points out that while the country is safer today, there are problematic aspects to the approach, such as the treatment of asylum seekers. He emphasizes that the federal government is focused on keeping Americans safe from both domestic and foreign threats.
The speaker refutes the claim that the next 9/11 is imminent and that it will be planned by someone who snuck over the Southwest border. He argues that there has never been a successful attack planned by someone who illegally crossed the Southwest border. He also mentions the rigorous vetting done by DHS and intelligence agencies to keep the country safe.
The speaker criticizes the lack of government witnesses at the hearing and the absence of a thorough accounting of what the government is currently doing to address potential threats. He expresses frustration with the committee's inability to provide answers to questions about the government's actions.
The speaker concludes by expressing appreciation for the leadership of the subcommittee chairman on important issues and yields back the balance of his time.
1. The speaker commemorated the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
2. The attacks were carried out by 19 hijackers who entered the country legally on visas.
3. The intelligence failures that allowed the hijackers to enter and execute the attacks led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.
4. The Department of Homeland Security led to massive increases in funding, vetting, and enforcement within the immigration system.
5. Immigration became inextricably linked with National Security.
6. The federal government is deeply focused on keeping Americans safe from threats, both domestic and foreign.
7. Attacks by foreign-born terrorists on U.S soil since 9/11 are vanishingly rare.
8. The speaker criticizes the Republican colleagues for trying to scare people into believing that the next 9/11 is just around the corner.
9. The speaker refutes the claim that the next 9/11 will be planned by someone who illegally crossed the Southwest border.
10. The speaker emphasizes the rigorous vetting done by DHS and intelligence agencies to keep us safe.
11. The speaker mentions that much has been made about recent reports that Asylum Seekers from Uzbekistan were aided by a smuggler with ISIS sympathies.
12. The speaker states that the FBI is continuing to identify and vet this group of individuals even after the National Security Council stated publicly that there is no indication that any of the people who actually entered the U.S have any connection to a foreign terrorist Network.
13. The speaker criticizes the subcommittee for pulling together a hearing to make headlines rather than progress.
14. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for their unseriousness about fixing the problems plaguing the immigration system.
15. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for wanting to defund DHS, DOJ, and the FBI or else they will shut down the government.
16. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for not joining with Democrats when they appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars to provide new technology inspection systems and CBP officers to the Border in last year's Omnibus spending Bill.
17. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for not voting in favor of that bill.
18. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for their extreme Mega priorities.
19. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for their wrong priorities and the American people are watching.
20. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for not wanting answers and someone from the government can give them to us.
21. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for their lack of response to the questions asked.
22. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for their lack of response to the letter sent to them.
23. The speaker criticizes the colleagues for their lack of resources to get some answers for the American people.