Thank you, Secretary Chertoff and Congresswoman Harman, for the kind introduction.

It’s great to be here with the Homeland Security Experts Group, where colleagues, experts, and thought leaders can constructively discuss the most pressing threats to the Homeland.

Some of you have served at the Department, and others continue to serve as mentors and friends to Departmental leadership. 

A few of you have even stood in this role—and I often refer to the examples you have set as DHS heads into a new decade, where the threat landscape is more complex and dynamic than ever.

On behalf of the Department and me personally, thank you—to all of you—for lending your expertise and insights to making our country more secure.