WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.850 --> 00:00:10.850 [Secretary Johnson] Good morning everyone. Thank you Jane and 2 00:00:10.850 --> 00:00:15.790 the Wilson Center for hosting me again for this annual ritual. 3 00:00:15.790 --> 00:00:19.932 Jane is a terrific supporter of our Department and our 4 00:00:19.932 --> 00:00:25.540 homeland security mission, and a voice of strength and common sense in this town. 5 00:00:26.180 --> 00:00:30.120 Jane, for the third year in a row, I continue to appreciate your leadership 6 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:33.354 and mentorship. Thank you again. 7 00:00:33.354 --> 00:00:38.350 Today I will outline progress we made in 2015 and the goals the President and I 8 00:00:38.350 --> 00:00:42.850 have for the Department of Homeland Security in 2016. 9 00:00:42.850 --> 00:00:48.930 In the remaining 344 days of this Administration, there is much to do. 10 00:00:48.930 --> 00:00:52.720 I intend to make every day count. 11 00:00:52.720 --> 00:00:57.030 The former president of my alma mater, Morehouse College, used to tell his 12 00:00:57.030 --> 00:01:02.870 students we only have just a minute, but eternity is in it, and it’s up to 13 00:01:02.870 --> 00:01:05.320 us to use it. 14 00:01:05.320 --> 00:01:10.080 With Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as my partner, we will push an aggressive 15 00:01:10.080 --> 00:01:12.050 agenda to the end. 16 00:01:12.770 --> 00:01:18.190 I begin these remarks with a shout-out to the men and women of DHS, led by the 17 00:01:18.190 --> 00:01:22.120 terrific component heads seated before me. 18 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:28.050 It’s the nature of our business in homeland security that no news is good news. 19 00:01:28.050 --> 00:01:32.800 But no news is very often the product of the hard work and extraordinary, courageous 20 00:01:32.800 --> 00:01:38.430 effort our people put in every day to keep the American public safe. 21 00:01:38.430 --> 00:01:45.050 Last fiscal year, for example, TSA screened 695 million passengers 22 00:01:45.050 --> 00:01:50.440 (3 million more than the year before); screened 450 million pieces of checked 23 00:01:50.440 --> 00:01:56.400 luggage (the highest in six years), and, at the same time, seized a record number 24 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:03.320 2,500 firearms from carry-on luggage, 84 percent of which were loaded. 25 00:02:03.320 --> 00:02:11.790 Last fiscal year CBP screened 26.3 million containers, 11.3 million commercial trucks, 26 00:02:11.790 --> 00:02:19.050 1 million commercial and private aircraft, 436,000 buses, ferries and trains, 103 million 27 00:02:19.050 --> 00:02:25.720 private vehicles, and 382 million travelers at land, marine and air ports of entry 28 00:02:25.720 --> 00:02:28.070 to the United States. 29 00:02:28.070 --> 00:02:35.050 At the same time, CBP collected nearly $46 billion in duties, taxes, and fees, making it 30 00:02:35.050 --> 00:02:39.630 the second largest revenue collector in the U.S. government. 31 00:02:39.630 --> 00:02:47.380 Last fiscal year, HSI made a record high 33,000 criminal arrests, including 3,500 32 00:02:47.380 --> 00:02:54.700 alleged members of transnational criminal gangs, and 2,400 alleged child predators. 33 00:02:54.700 --> 00:03:02.780 Last fiscal year the Coast Guard saved over 3,500 lives, and seized 319,000 pounds 34 00:03:02.780 --> 00:03:11.790 of cocaine and 78,000 pounds of marijuana worth a total of $4.3 billion wholesale. 35 00:03:11.790 --> 00:03:16.050 In just one mission off the coast of Central and South America, the National 36 00:03:16.050 --> 00:03:21.750 Security Cutter STRATTON alone seized over $1 billion in cocaine, along with 37 00:03:21.750 --> 00:03:26.130 two drug cartel-owned submersibles. 38 00:03:26.130 --> 00:03:30.850 Last year the Secret Service successfully orchestrated what may have been the largest 39 00:03:30.850 --> 00:03:37.150 domestic security operation in the history of this country, by providing physical security 40 00:03:37.150 --> 00:03:43.320 to 160 world leaders at the UN General Assembly, and, at the same time, providing security 41 00:03:43.320 --> 00:03:48.840 for Pope Francis as he visited New York, Washington, and Philadelphia. 42 00:03:48.840 --> 00:03:54.160 Last year FEMA provided over $6 billion in federal disaster assistance, and was there 43 00:03:54.160 --> 00:03:59.630 to help communities recovering from flooding in Texas and South Carolina, 44 00:03:59.630 --> 00:04:04.340 tornadoes in Oklahoma, and typhoons in the Western Pacific. 45 00:04:04.340 --> 00:04:11.690 This past Sunday, DHS personnel from the Secret Service, TSA, CBP, HSI, FEMA, I&A, 46 00:04:11.690 --> 00:04:17.590 NPPD, the Coast Guard, and other components led the federal effort to provide ground, 47 00:04:17.590 --> 00:04:22.900 air, maritime and cyber security for Super Bowl 50. 48 00:04:22.900 --> 00:04:29.940 Then there are the individual acts of good and heroic work by our people, to save lives 49 00:04:29.940 --> 00:04:33.490 and go above and beyond the call of duty. 50 00:04:33.490 --> 00:04:39.250 In late December nine Border Patrol agents traveled miles on foot or by horseback to 51 00:04:39.250 --> 00:04:43.950 come to the aid of an Arizona rancher who had fallen off her horse in a remote, 52 00:04:43.950 --> 00:04:46.180 mountainous area. 53 00:04:46.180 --> 00:04:51.230 Last March two uniformed Secret Service officers helped save the life of a journalist 54 00:04:51.230 --> 00:04:54.370 who suffered a heart attack in the East Room of the White House. 55 00:04:54.370 --> 00:05:00.640 Last July Coast Guard Petty Officer Darren Harrity swam nearly a mile, at night, 56 00:05:00.640 --> 00:05:09.970 in 57-degree water and 30-mph winds, to save the lives of four stranded fishermen. 57 00:05:09.990 --> 00:05:14.890 Finally, we honor those killed in the line of duty. 58 00:05:14.890 --> 00:05:21.130 HSI Agent Scott McGuire was killed last month by a hit and run driver in Miami. 59 00:05:21.130 --> 00:05:25.550 I was glad to at least have had the opportunity to visit with Scott’s wife 60 00:05:25.550 --> 00:05:30.780 and five-year-old son, and hold Scott’s hand before he was officially declared 61 00:05:30.780 --> 00:05:34.850 brain dead. His funeral was 10 days ago in New Orleans. 62 00:05:34.850 --> 00:05:39.470 Our people do extraordinary work every day to protect the homeland. 63 00:05:39.470 --> 00:05:47.140 Please consider thanking a TSO, a Coastie, a Customs officer, or a Border agent 64 00:05:47.140 --> 00:05:49.880 next time you see one. 65 00:05:49.880 --> 00:05:55.750 Though our people do extraordinary work, I know we must improve the manner in 66 00:05:55.750 --> 00:05:59.135 which the Department conducts business. 67 00:05:59.135 --> 00:06:03.500 Like last year, reforming the way in which the Department of Homeland Security functions, 68 00:06:03.500 --> 00:06:08.170 to more effectively and efficiently deliver our services to the American people, 69 00:06:08.170 --> 00:06:11.660 is my New Year’s resolution for 2016. 70 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:15.820 We’ve done a lot in the last two years, but, under the leadership of our Under 71 00:06:15.820 --> 00:06:20.790 Secretary for Management Russ Deyo, there is still much we will do. 72 00:06:20.790 --> 00:06:27.330 My overarching goal as Secretary this last year is to continue to protect the homeland, 73 00:06:27.330 --> 00:06:34.160 and leave the Department of Homeland Security a better place than I found it. 74 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:39.450 The centerpiece of our management reform has been the Unity of Effort initiative 75 00:06:39.450 --> 00:06:46.650 I announced in April 2014, which focuses on getting away from the stove pipes, 76 00:06:46.650 --> 00:06:52.770 in favor of more centralized programming, budgeting, and acquisition processes. 77 00:06:52.770 --> 00:06:56.020 We have transformed our approach to the budget. 78 00:06:56.020 --> 00:07:01.160 Today, we focus Department-wide on our mission needs, rather than through component 79 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:07.440 stove pipes. With the support of Congress, we are moving to a simplified budget structure, 80 00:07:07.440 --> 00:07:11.541 in which line items mean the same across all components. 81 00:07:11.541 --> 00:07:16.437 We have transformed our approach to acquisition. Last year I established a 82 00:07:16.437 --> 00:07:21.600 DHS-wide Joint Requirements Council to evaluate, from the viewpoint of the 83 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:28.820 Department as a whole, our components’ needs on the front end of an acquisition. 84 00:07:28.820 --> 00:07:33.460 We have launched the “Acquisition Innovations in Motion” initiative, 85 00:07:33.460 --> 00:07:37.430 to consult with the contractor community about ways to improve the quality and 86 00:07:37.430 --> 00:07:44.320 timeliness of our contracting process, and the emerging skills required of our 87 00:07:44.320 --> 00:07:50.470 acquisition professionals. We are putting faster contracting processes in place. 88 00:07:50.470 --> 00:07:55.860 We are reforming our HR process. We are making our hiring process faster 89 00:07:55.860 --> 00:07:59.830 and more efficient. We are using all the tools we have to recruit, retain 90 00:07:59.830 --> 00:08:02.990 and reward personnel. 91 00:08:02.990 --> 00:08:08.340 As part of the Unity of Effort initiative, in 2014 we created the Joint Task Forces 92 00:08:08.340 --> 00:08:12.760 dedicated to border security along the southern border. 93 00:08:12.760 --> 00:08:16.040 Once again, we are getting away from the stove pipes. 94 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:22.040 In 2015, these Task Forces became fully operational. In 2016, we are 95 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:26.220 asking Congress to officially authorize them in legislation. 96 00:08:26.220 --> 00:08:29.900 We are achieving more transparency in our operations. 97 00:08:29.900 --> 00:08:34.090 We have staffed up our Office of Immigration Statistics and gave it the 98 00:08:34.090 --> 00:08:38.010 mandate to integrate immigration data across the Department. 99 00:08:38.010 --> 00:08:42.360 Last year, and for the second year in a row, we reported our total number 100 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:49.320 of repatriations, returns and removals on a consolidated, Department-wide basis. 101 00:08:49.320 --> 00:08:54.540 The long-awaited entry/exit overstay report was published in January, 102 00:08:54.540 --> 00:08:59.590 providing a clearer picture of the number of individuals in this country who overstay 103 00:08:59.590 --> 00:09:04.640 their visitor visas. It reflects that about one percent of those who enter this country 104 00:09:04.640 --> 00:09:10.790 by air or sea on visitor visas or through the Visa Waiver Program overstay. 105 00:09:10.790 --> 00:09:17.470 We are working with outside, non-partisan experts on a project called BORDERSTAT, 106 00:09:17.470 --> 00:09:21.850 to develop a clear and comprehensive set of outcome metrics for measuring border 107 00:09:21.850 --> 00:09:25.870 security, apprehension rates, and inflow rates. 108 00:09:25.870 --> 00:09:32.180 Since 2013 we’ve spearheaded something called the “DHS Data Framework” initiative. 109 00:09:32.180 --> 00:09:36.530 For the protection of the homeland, we are improving the collection and comparison of 110 00:09:36.530 --> 00:09:42.190 travel, immigration and other information against classified intelligence. 111 00:09:42.190 --> 00:09:45.910 We will do this consistent with laws and policies that protect privacy 112 00:09:45.910 --> 00:09:49.340 and civil liberties. 113 00:09:49.340 --> 00:09:54.020 As we have proposed to Congress, I want to restructure the National Protection and 114 00:09:54.020 --> 00:09:58.990 Programs Directorate from a headquarters element to an operational component 115 00:09:58.990 --> 00:10:03.800 called the “Cyber and Infrastructure Protection” Agency. 116 00:10:03.800 --> 00:10:10.420 I am very pleased with the 2016 DHS budget adopted by Congress and signed by the President 117 00:10:10.420 --> 00:10:15.240 as part of the omnibus spending deal reached in December. I’m very pleased with that. 118 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:20.950 It funds all of our homeland security priorities, including, finally, the completion of the 119 00:10:20.950 --> 00:10:27.200 main building of the new DHS headquarters at St. Elizabeths campus in SE Washington. 120 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:37.970 I will never get to work there, but perhaps they will name a courtyard 121 00:10:37.970 --> 00:10:40.650 or conference room after me. 122 00:10:41.540 --> 00:10:46.890 The President’s budget request for 2017, released two days ago, funds our key 123 00:10:46.890 --> 00:10:51.540 priorities, to include aviation security, the Secret Service, recapitalization of 124 00:10:51.540 --> 00:10:56.750 the Coast Guard, and provides a huge increase in funding for cybersecurity. 125 00:10:56.750 --> 00:11:02.640 Finally, we will improve the levels of employee satisfaction across the Department. 126 00:11:02.640 --> 00:11:06.990 We’ve been on an aggressive campaign to improve morale over the last two years. 127 00:11:06.990 --> 00:11:13.170 It takes time to turn a 22-component workforce of 240,000 people in a 128 00:11:13.170 --> 00:11:14.550 different direction. 129 00:11:14.550 --> 00:11:18.810 Though the overall results last year were still disappointing, we see signs 130 00:11:18.810 --> 00:11:20.450 of improvement. 131 00:11:20.450 --> 00:11:24.480 Employee satisfaction improved in a number of components, including at 132 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:26.600 DHS headquarters. 133 00:11:26.600 --> 00:11:32.630 This year we will see an improvement in employee satisfaction across DHS. 134 00:11:32.630 --> 00:11:38.040 In 2016, counterterrorism will remain the cornerstone of the Department of 135 00:11:38.040 --> 00:11:43.740 Homeland Security’s mission. The events of 2015 reinforce this. 136 00:11:43.740 --> 00:11:48.260 As I have said many times, we are in a new phase in the global terrorist threat, 137 00:11:48.260 --> 00:11:51.620 requiring a whole new type of response. 138 00:11:51.620 --> 00:11:57.080 We have moved from a world of terrorist directed attacks to a world that includes 139 00:11:57.080 --> 00:12:02.620 the threat of terrorist inspired attacks – in which the terrorist may have never 140 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:07.690 come face to face with a single member of a terrorist organization, 141 00:12:07.690 --> 00:12:11.320 lives among us in the homeland, and self-radicalizes, 142 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:14.300 inspired by something on the internet. 143 00:12:14.300 --> 00:12:19.050 By their nature, terrorist-inspired attacks are harder to detect by our 144 00:12:19.050 --> 00:12:23.120 intelligence and law enforcement communities, could occur with little 145 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:29.400 or no notice, and in general makes for a more complex homeland security challenge. 146 00:12:29.400 --> 00:12:31.420 So, what are we doing about this? 147 00:12:31.420 --> 00:12:36.280 First, our government, along with our coalition partners, continues to take 148 00:12:36.280 --> 00:12:40.960 the fight militarily to terrorist organizations overseas. 149 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:45.540 ISIL is the terrorist organization most prominent on the world stage. 150 00:12:45.540 --> 00:12:51.130 Since September 2014, air strikes and special operations have in fact led to 151 00:12:51.130 --> 00:12:55.850 the death of a number of ISIL’s leaders and those focused on plotting external 152 00:12:55.850 --> 00:13:02.400 attacks in the West. At the same time, ISIL has lost about 40 percent of the 153 00:13:02.400 --> 00:13:05.720 populated areas it once controlled in Iraq, and thousands of square miles 154 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:11.100 of territory it once controlled in Syria. 155 00:13:11.100 --> 00:13:15.200 On the law enforcement side, the FBI continues to do an excellent 156 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:20.150 job of detecting, investigating, preventing, and prosecuting terrorist plots 157 00:13:20.150 --> 00:13:22.370 here in the homeland. 158 00:13:22.370 --> 00:13:27.190 As for the Department of Homeland Security, following the attacks in Ottawa, Canada 159 00:13:27.190 --> 00:13:32.040 in 2014, and in reaction to terrorist groups’ public calls for attacks on 160 00:13:32.040 --> 00:13:37.490 government installations in the western world, I directed our Federal Protective 161 00:13:37.490 --> 00:13:42.040 Service to enhance its presence and security at various U.S. government 162 00:13:42.040 --> 00:13:44.220 buildings around the country. 163 00:13:44.220 --> 00:13:48.540 Given the prospect of the terrorist- inspired attack in the homeland, 164 00:13:48.540 --> 00:13:53.340 we have intensified our work with state and local law enforcement. 165 00:13:53.340 --> 00:13:58.150 Almost every day, DHS and the FBI share intelligence and information 166 00:13:58.150 --> 00:14:02.650 with Joint Terrorism Task Forces, fusion centers, local police chiefs 167 00:14:02.650 --> 00:14:03.840 and sheriffs. 168 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:08.930 In FY 2015 we provided over $2 billion in homeland security assistance to state 169 00:14:08.930 --> 00:14:13.670 and local governments around the country, for things such as active shooter training 170 00:14:13.670 --> 00:14:18.130 exercises, overtime for cops and firefighters, salaries for emergency 171 00:14:18.130 --> 00:14:24.430 managers, emergency vehicles, and communications and surveillance equipment. 172 00:14:24.430 --> 00:14:27.500 We helped to fund an active shooter training exercise that took place in 173 00:14:27.500 --> 00:14:32.720 the New York City subways last November and a series of these exercises 174 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:34.840 just last weekend in Miami, Florida. 175 00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:40.634 As I said at a graduation ceremony for 1,200 new cops in New York City in 176 00:14:40.634 --> 00:14:45.620 December, given the current threat environment, it is the cop on the 177 00:14:45.620 --> 00:14:51.020 beat who may be the first to detect the next terrorist attack in the United States. 178 00:14:52.360 --> 00:14:56.170 We are enhancing information sharing with organizations that represent 179 00:14:56.170 --> 00:15:01.260 businesses, college and professional sports, faith-based organizations, 180 00:15:01.260 --> 00:15:02.800 and critical infrastructure. 181 00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:06.130 We are enhancing measures to detect and prevent travel to this country 182 00:15:06.130 --> 00:15:09.330 by foreign terrorist fighters. 183 00:15:09.330 --> 00:15:13.010 We are strengthening our Visa Waiver Program, which permits travelers from 184 00:15:13.010 --> 00:15:16.580 38 different countries to come here without a visa. 185 00:15:16.580 --> 00:15:21.990 In 2014, we began to collect more personal information in the Electronic 186 00:15:21.990 --> 00:15:27.130 System for Travel Authorization, also known as the "ESTA" system, 187 00:15:27.130 --> 00:15:30.180 that travelers from Visa Waiver countries are required to use. 188 00:15:32.303 --> 00:15:35.282 As a result of these enhancements, over 3,000 additional travelers were 189 00:15:35.282 --> 00:15:38.200 denied travel here in FY 2015. 190 00:15:39.060 --> 00:15:43.280 In August 2015, we introduced further security enhancements to the 191 00:15:43.280 --> 00:15:44.810 Visa Waiver Program. 192 00:15:44.810 --> 00:15:48.830 Through the passage in December of the Visa Waiver Program Improvement 193 00:15:48.830 --> 00:15:53.180 and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, 194 00:15:53.180 --> 00:15:58.110 Congress has codified into law several of these security enhancements, and 195 00:15:58.110 --> 00:16:03.210 placed new restrictions on eligibility for travel to the U.S. without a visa. 196 00:16:03.210 --> 00:16:08.550 We began to enforce these new restrictions on January 21. Waivers from these 197 00:16:08.550 --> 00:16:11.150 restrictions will only be granted on a 198 00:16:11.150 --> 00:16:16.720 case-by-case basis, when it is in the law enforcement or national security interests 199 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:22.910 of the United States to do so. Those denied entry under the Visa Waiver Program as a 200 00:16:22.910 --> 00:16:27.400 result of this new law may still apply for a visa to travel to the U.S. 201 00:16:27.400 --> 00:16:32.785 We are expanding the Department’s use of social media for various purposes. 202 00:16:32.785 --> 00:16:38.370 Today social media is used for over 33 different operational and investigative 203 00:16:38.370 --> 00:16:40.250 purposes within DHS. 204 00:16:40.710 --> 00:16:46.030 Beginning in 2014 we launched four pilot programs that involved consulting 205 00:16:46.030 --> 00:16:50.580 the social media of applicants for certain immigration benefits. 206 00:16:50.580 --> 00:16:57.210 USCIS now also reviews the social media of Syrian refugee applicants referred 207 00:16:57.210 --> 00:17:01.530 for enhanced vetting. Based upon the recent recommendation of a Social 208 00:17:01.530 --> 00:17:07.290 Media Task Force within DHS, I have determined that we must expand 209 00:17:07.290 --> 00:17:12.550 the use of social media even further, consistent with law. 210 00:17:12.550 --> 00:17:18.080 CBP is deploying our Customs personnel at various airports abroad, to pre-clear 211 00:17:18.080 --> 00:17:22.430 air travelers before they get on flights to the United States. 212 00:17:22.430 --> 00:17:27.870 At present, we have this pre-clearance capability at 15 airports overseas. 213 00:17:27.870 --> 00:17:33.480 And, last year, through pre-clearance, we denied boarding to over 10,700 214 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:37.550 travelers (or 29 per day) seeking to enter the United States. 215 00:17:38.270 --> 00:17:41.900 As I said here last year, we want to build more of these. 216 00:17:41.900 --> 00:17:46.550 In May 2015, I announced 10 additional airports in nine countries that 217 00:17:46.550 --> 00:17:48.830 we’ve prioritized for preclearance. 218 00:17:49.830 --> 00:17:54.610 For years Congress and others have urged us to develop a system of 219 00:17:54.610 --> 00:17:59.870 biometric exit – that is, to take the fingerprints or other biometric data 220 00:17:59.870 --> 00:18:01.830 of those who leave the country. 221 00:18:01.830 --> 00:18:07.900 CBP has begun testing technologies that can be deployed for this nationwide. 222 00:18:07.900 --> 00:18:12.090 With the passage of the omnibus bill, Congress authorized $1 billion in fee 223 00:18:12.090 --> 00:18:16.970 increases over a period of ten years to pay for the implementation of 224 00:18:16.970 --> 00:18:18.630 biometric exit. 225 00:18:19.630 --> 00:18:26.520 I have directed CBP begin implementing the system, starting at airports, in 2018. 226 00:18:27.130 --> 00:18:31.020 Last month I announced the schedule for the final two phases of 227 00:18:31.020 --> 00:18:36.530 implementation of the REAL ID law, which goes into effect two and then 228 00:18:36.530 --> 00:18:42.470 four years from now. At present 23 states are compliant with this law, 27 have 229 00:18:42.470 --> 00:18:51.210 extensions, and 6 states or territories are out of compliance. 230 00:18:51.210 --> 00:18:54.970 Now that the final timetable for implementation of this law is in place, 231 00:18:54.970 --> 00:18:59.030 we will urge all states, for the good of their residents, to start issuing 232 00:18:59.030 --> 00:19:04.500 REAL ID-complaint drivers’ licenses as soon as possible. 233 00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:09.330 In the current threat environment, there is a role for the public too. 234 00:19:09.330 --> 00:19:13.780 “If You See Something, Say Something™” must be more than a slogan. 235 00:19:13.780 --> 00:19:18.000 We continue to stress this. DHS has now established partnerships 236 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:23.350 with the NFL, Major League Baseball and NASCAR, to raise public awareness 237 00:19:23.350 --> 00:19:27.900 at sporting events. An informed and vigilant public contributes to 238 00:19:27.900 --> 00:19:29.270 national security. 239 00:19:30.270 --> 00:19:35.250 In December we reformed “NTAS,” the National Terrorism Advisory System. 240 00:19:35.250 --> 00:19:40.400 In 2011, we replaced the color-coded alerts with NTAS. But, the problem 241 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:43.390 with NTAS was we never used it. 242 00:19:43.410 --> 00:19:48.100 It consisted of just two types of Alerts: “Elevated” and “Imminent,” 243 00:19:48.100 --> 00:19:53.190 and depended on the presence of a known specific and credible threat. 244 00:19:53.220 --> 00:19:58.000 This does not work in the current environment, which includes the 245 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:02.550 threat of homegrown, self-radicalized, terrorist-inspired attacks. 246 00:20:03.020 --> 00:20:06.730 So, in December we added a new form of advisory – 247 00:20:06.730 --> 00:20:10.420 the NTAS “Bulletin” – to the existing Alerts. 248 00:20:10.420 --> 00:20:13.560 The Bulletin we issued in December advises the public of the current 249 00:20:13.560 --> 00:20:17.670 threat environment, and how the public can help. 250 00:20:17.670 --> 00:20:21.180 Finally, given the nature of the evolving terrorist threat, 251 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:25.730 building bridges to diverse communities has become a homeland 252 00:20:25.730 --> 00:20:27.860 security imperative. 253 00:20:27.860 --> 00:20:32.230 Well informed families and communities are the best defense against 254 00:20:32.230 --> 00:20:34.520 terrorist ideologies. 255 00:20:34.520 --> 00:20:38.910 Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are targeting Muslim communities 256 00:20:38.910 --> 00:20:41.650 in this country. We must respond. 257 00:20:41.650 --> 00:20:47.550 In my view, this is as important as any of our other homeland security missions. 258 00:20:47.550 --> 00:20:53.120 In 2015 we took these efforts to new levels. We created the DHS Office 259 00:20:53.120 --> 00:20:57.170 for Community Partnerships, headed by George Selim. 260 00:20:57.170 --> 00:21:00.560 George and this office are now the central hub of the Department’s 261 00:21:00.560 --> 00:21:05.150 efforts to counter violent extremism in this country, and the lead for a 262 00:21:05.150 --> 00:21:13.460 new interagency CVE Task Force that includes DHS, DOJ, the FBI, NCTC 263 00:21:13.460 --> 00:21:16.370 and other agencies. 264 00:21:16.370 --> 00:21:21.120 We are taking aggressive steps to improve aviation and airport security. 265 00:21:21.120 --> 00:21:25.140 The traveling public should be aware that, because of this and increased 266 00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:29.630 traveler volume, overall wait times have increased somewhat at airports, 267 00:21:29.630 --> 00:21:34.310 but we believe this is necessary for the public’s own safety. 268 00:21:34.310 --> 00:21:38.860 Since 2014 we have enhanced security at overseas last-point-of-departure 269 00:21:38.860 --> 00:21:40.570 airports, and a number of foreign 270 00:21:40.570 --> 00:21:43.460 governments have replicated these enhancements. 271 00:21:43.460 --> 00:21:46.680 As many of you know, in May of last year a certain classified 272 00:21:46.680 --> 00:21:51.820 DHS Inspector General’s test of TSA screening at eight airports, 273 00:21:51.820 --> 00:21:56.380 reflected a dismal fail rate and was leaked to the press. 274 00:21:56.380 --> 00:22:03.350 I directed a 10-point plan to fix the problems identified by the IG. 275 00:22:03.350 --> 00:22:07.170 Under the new leadership of Admiral Pete Neffenger over the last six months, 276 00:22:07.170 --> 00:22:10.800 TSA has aggressively implemented this plan. 277 00:22:10.800 --> 00:22:16.320 This has included “back to basics” retraining of the entire TSO force, 278 00:22:16.320 --> 00:22:20.430 increased use of random explosive trace detectors, testing and 279 00:22:20.430 --> 00:22:24.950 re-evaluating the screening equipment that was the subject of the IG’s test, 280 00:22:24.950 --> 00:22:29.320 a rewrite of the standard operating procedures manual, increased manual 281 00:22:29.320 --> 00:22:32.580 screening, and less managed inclusion. 282 00:22:32.580 --> 00:22:36.450 These measures were implemented on or ahead of schedule. 283 00:22:36.450 --> 00:22:41.610 We are also focused on airport security. In April of last year TSA issued 284 00:22:41.610 --> 00:22:46.200 guidelines to domestic airports to reduce access to secure areas, 285 00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:50.360 to require that all airport and airline personnel pass through TSA 286 00:22:50.360 --> 00:22:52.620 screening if they board a flight, 287 00:22:52.620 --> 00:22:56.080 to conduct more frequent screening of airport and airline personnel, 288 00:22:56.080 --> 00:22:59.680 and to conduct continuous criminal background checks of airport 289 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:02.250 and airline personnel. 290 00:23:02.250 --> 00:23:07.370 Since then employee access points have been reduced, and random screening 291 00:23:07.370 --> 00:23:12.010 of personnel within secure areas has increased four-fold. 292 00:23:12.010 --> 00:23:17.060 We are continuing these efforts in 2016. Two days ago TSA issued guidelines to 293 00:23:17.060 --> 00:23:20.680 further enhance the screening of aviation workers in the 294 00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:23.470 secure area of airports. 295 00:23:23.470 --> 00:23:27.600 While counterterrorism remains a cornerstone of our Department’s mission, 296 00:23:27.600 --> 00:23:31.720 I have concluded that cybersecurity must be another. 297 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:37.130 Making tangible improvements to our Nation’s cybersecurity is a top priority 298 00:23:37.130 --> 00:23:41.070 for me and President Obama before we leave office. 299 00:23:41.070 --> 00:23:46.580 Two days ago the President announced his “Cybersecurity National Action Plan,” 300 00:23:46.580 --> 00:23:51.070 which is the culmination of seven years of effort by his Administration. 301 00:23:51.070 --> 00:23:53.770 The Plan includes a call for the creation of a 302 00:23:53.770 --> 00:23:58.660 Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, additional investments in technology, 303 00:23:58.660 --> 00:24:03.640 federal cybersecurity, cyber education, new cyber talent in the federal 304 00:24:03.640 --> 00:24:07.640 workforce, and improved cyber incident response. 305 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:12.950 DHS has a role in almost every aspect of this plan. 306 00:24:12.950 --> 00:24:17.580 As reflected in the President’s 2017 budget request, we want to expand 307 00:24:17.580 --> 00:24:21.930 our cyber response teams from 10 to 48. 308 00:24:21.930 --> 00:24:25.820 We are doubling the number of cybersecurity advisors to in effect 309 00:24:25.820 --> 00:24:28.950 make “house calls,” to assist private sector organizations 310 00:24:28.950 --> 00:24:34.970 with in-person, customized cybersecurity assessments and best practices. 311 00:24:34.970 --> 00:24:39.900 Building on DHS’s Stop.Think.Connect campaign, we will help promote public 312 00:24:39.900 --> 00:24:43.770 awareness on multi-factor authentication. 313 00:24:43.770 --> 00:24:46.840 We will collaborate with Underwriters Laboratory and others to develop a 314 00:24:46.840 --> 00:24:52.580 Cybersecurity Assurance Program to test and certify networked devices 315 00:24:52.580 --> 00:24:56.100 within the “Internet of Things” -- such as your home alarm system, 316 00:24:56.100 --> 00:24:59.270 your refrigerator, or even your pacemaker. 317 00:24:59.270 --> 00:25:03.670 Last year we greatly expanded the capability of DHS’s National 318 00:25:03.670 --> 00:25:08.930 Cybersecurity Communications Integration Center, or “NCCIC.” 319 00:25:08.930 --> 00:25:12.540 The NCCIC increased its distribution of information, the number of 320 00:25:12.540 --> 00:25:17.260 vulnerability assessments conducted, and the number of incident responses. 321 00:25:17.260 --> 00:25:21.350 At the NCCIC, last year we built a system to automate the receipt 322 00:25:21.350 --> 00:25:26.280 and distribution of cyber threat indicators in near real-time speed. 323 00:25:26.280 --> 00:25:29.750 We built this in a way that also includes privacy protections. 324 00:25:29.750 --> 00:25:32.830 We did this ahead of schedule. 325 00:25:32.830 --> 00:25:36.680 I have issued an aggressive timetable for improving federal civilian 326 00:25:36.680 --> 00:25:40.790 cybersecurity, principally through two DHS programs: 327 00:25:40.790 --> 00:25:45.190 The first is called EINSTEIN. EINSTEIN 1 and 2 have the ability 328 00:25:45.190 --> 00:25:51.100 to detect and monitor cybersecurity threats in our federal civilian systems, 329 00:25:51.100 --> 00:25:55.220 and are now in place across all federal civilian departments and agencies. 330 00:25:55.980 --> 00:26:01.365 EINSTEIN 3A is the newest iteration of the system, and has the ability 331 00:26:01.365 --> 00:26:06.344 to actually block potential cyber attacks on our federal systems. 332 00:26:06.344 --> 00:26:12.270 Thus far E3A has actually blocked 700,000 cyber threats, and we are 333 00:26:12.270 --> 00:26:15.270 rapidly expanding this capability. 334 00:26:15.270 --> 00:26:19.940 About a year ago, E3A covered only about 20 percent of our federal 335 00:26:19.940 --> 00:26:24.420 civilian networks. In the wake of the OPM attack, in May of last year 336 00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:28.570 I directed our cybersecurity team to make at least some aspects of 337 00:26:28.570 --> 00:26:33.980 E3A available to all federal departments and agencies by the end of last year. 338 00:26:34.180 --> 00:26:36.780 They met that deadline. 339 00:26:36.780 --> 00:26:40.090 Now that the system is available to everyone, 50 percent are actually 340 00:26:40.090 --> 00:26:45.310 on line, including OPM, and we are working to get all federal departments 341 00:26:45.310 --> 00:26:48.900 and agencies on board by the end of this year. 342 00:26:48.900 --> 00:26:52.824 The second program, called Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation, 343 00:26:52.824 --> 00:26:57.970 helps agencies detect and prioritize vulnerabilities in their networks. 344 00:26:57.970 --> 00:27:03.700 In 2015, we provided CDM sensors to 97 percent of the federal civilian 345 00:27:03.700 --> 00:27:07.840 government. Next year, DHS will provide the second phase of CDM 346 00:27:07.840 --> 00:27:11.920 to 100 percent of the federal civilian government. 347 00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:15.790 We have worked with OMB and DNI to identify the government’s 348 00:27:15.790 --> 00:27:19.100 high value systems, and we are working aggressively with the 349 00:27:19.100 --> 00:27:22.470 owners of these systems to increase their security. 350 00:27:22.470 --> 00:27:28.645 In September, DHS awarded a grant to the University of Texas San Antonio 351 00:27:28.645 --> 00:27:32.720 to work with industry to identify a common set of best practices 352 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:36.660 for the development of Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations, 353 00:27:36.660 --> 00:27:38.850 or “ISAOs.” 354 00:27:38.850 --> 00:27:45.340 Finally, I thank Congress for passing the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. 355 00:27:45.340 --> 00:27:50.330 This new law is a huge assist to DHS and our cybersecurity mission. 356 00:27:50.330 --> 00:27:54.230 We are in the process of implementing this new law now. 357 00:27:54.230 --> 00:27:57.530 Turning to immigration and border security: 358 00:27:57.530 --> 00:28:03.510 As I explain it to both Democrats and Republicans, immigration policy 359 00:28:03.510 --> 00:28:09.070 must be two sides of the same coin. The resources we have to enforce 360 00:28:09.070 --> 00:28:13.930 immigration laws are finite, and they must be used wisely. 361 00:28:13.930 --> 00:28:16.650 This is true of every aspect of law enforcement. 362 00:28:16.650 --> 00:28:19.780 It’s referred to as “prosecutorial discretion.” 363 00:28:19.780 --> 00:28:23.560 With the immigration enforcement resources we have, ICE is focused 364 00:28:23.560 --> 00:28:27.430 more sharply on public safety and border security. 365 00:28:27.430 --> 00:28:31.330 Those who are convicted of serious crimes or who are apprehended 366 00:28:31.330 --> 00:28:35.110 at the border are top priorities for removal. 367 00:28:35.110 --> 00:28:39.830 And we will enforce the law in accordance with these priorities. 368 00:28:39.830 --> 00:28:45.010 Accordingly, over the last several years deportations by ICE have 369 00:28:45.010 --> 00:28:48.800 gone down, but an increasing percentage of those deported 370 00:28:48.800 --> 00:28:50.860 are convicted criminals. 371 00:28:50.860 --> 00:28:58.050 And, an increased percentage of those in immigration detention, around 85 percent, are in the 372 00:28:58.050 --> 00:29:00.580 top priority for removal. 373 00:29:00.580 --> 00:29:04.300 We will continue to focus our resources on the most significant 374 00:29:04.300 --> 00:29:08.810 threats to public safety and border security. 375 00:29:08.810 --> 00:29:12.150 In furtherance of our public safety efforts, in 2014 376 00:29:12.150 --> 00:29:15.918 we did away with the controversial Secure Communities program and 377 00:29:15.918 --> 00:29:19.310 replaced it with the new Priority Enforcement Program, 378 00:29:19.310 --> 00:29:22.860 or “PEP.” PEP fixes the political and legal controversies, 379 00:29:22.860 --> 00:29:27.240 in my judgment, associated with Secure Communities and enables us to 380 00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:32.110 take directly into custody from local law enforcement the most dangerous, 381 00:29:32.110 --> 00:29:34.710 removable criminals. 382 00:29:34.710 --> 00:29:41.210 Since PEP was created, cities and counties that previously refused to work with Secure Communities 383 00:29:41.210 --> 00:29:44.510 are coming back to the table. 384 00:29:44.510 --> 00:29:48.450 Of the 25 largest counties that refused to work with ICE before, 385 00:29:48.450 --> 00:29:52.160 16 are now participating in PEP. 386 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:55.260 In 2016, we want to get more to participate. 387 00:29:55.260 --> 00:29:58.690 And, because we are asking ICE immigration enforcement officers 388 00:29:58.690 --> 00:30:01.755 to focus on convicted criminals 389 00:30:01.755 --> 00:30:05.395 and do a job that’s more in line with law enforcement, 390 00:30:05.395 --> 00:30:09.430 last year we reformed their pay scale accordingly. 391 00:30:09.430 --> 00:30:12.510 Now these immigration officers are paid on the same scale 392 00:30:12.510 --> 00:30:15.370 as the rest of federal law enforcement. 393 00:30:15.370 --> 00:30:18.460 We have also prioritized the removal of those apprehended 394 00:30:18.460 --> 00:30:19.770 at the border. 395 00:30:19.770 --> 00:30:23.750 We cannot allow our borders to be open to illegal migration. 396 00:30:23.750 --> 00:30:29.220 Over the last 15 years, our Nation – across multiple administrations -- 397 00:30:29.220 --> 00:30:33.980 has invested a lot in border security, and this investment has yielded 398 00:30:33.980 --> 00:30:35.750 positive results. 399 00:30:35.750 --> 00:30:38.910 Apprehensions – which are an indicator of total attempts 400 00:30:38.910 --> 00:30:43.920 to cross the border illegally – are a fraction of what they used to be. 401 00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:49.260 In FY 2014, overall apprehensions increased, as we saw a spike 402 00:30:49.260 --> 00:30:52.043 in the number of families and unaccompanied children from 403 00:30:52.043 --> 00:30:56.250 Central America during the spring and summer of 2014. 404 00:30:56.250 --> 00:31:00.360 That year the overall number of apprehensions was 479,000. 405 00:31:00.360 --> 00:31:03.864 Across the government, we responded aggressively to this surge and the 406 00:31:03.864 --> 00:31:07.510 numbers fell sharply within a short period of time. 407 00:31:07.510 --> 00:31:11.600 In FY 2015, the number of those apprehended on the southwest border 408 00:31:11.600 --> 00:31:16.700 was 331,000 – with the exception of one year, this was the 409 00:31:16.700 --> 00:31:20.600 lowest number since 1972. 410 00:31:20.600 --> 00:31:25.220 From July to December 2015 the numbers of migrants 411 00:31:25.220 --> 00:31:28.010 from Central America began to climb again. 412 00:31:28.010 --> 00:31:31.080 In January I announced a series of focused enforcement actions 413 00:31:31.080 --> 00:31:35.860 to take into custody and remove those who had been apprehended 414 00:31:35.860 --> 00:31:38.370 at the border in 2014 or later 415 00:31:38.370 --> 00:31:41.560 and then ordered removed by an immigration court. 416 00:31:41.560 --> 00:31:45.650 I know this made a lot of people I respect very unhappy. 417 00:31:45.650 --> 00:31:49.460 But, as I said, we must respect the law in accordance with our 418 00:31:49.460 --> 00:31:52.490 priorities and enforce it. 419 00:31:52.490 --> 00:31:56.660 In January overall apprehensions on the southwest border dropped 420 00:31:56.660 --> 00:32:00.020 36 percent from the month before. 421 00:32:00.020 --> 00:32:03.040 At the same time, the number of unaccompanied children apprehended 422 00:32:03.040 --> 00:32:09.180 dropped 54 percent, and the number of those in families dropped 65 percent. 423 00:32:09.180 --> 00:32:14.400 So far in February, the numbers have remained at this decreased level. 424 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:18.220 This six-week decline is encouraging, but it does not mean we can dial 425 00:32:18.220 --> 00:32:22.850 back our efforts. We will continue to enforce the law consistent with 426 00:32:22.850 --> 00:32:26.400 our priorities for enforcement, which includes those apprehended 427 00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:30.780 at the border in 2014 or later. 428 00:32:30.780 --> 00:32:33.130 Then there is the other side of the coin. 429 00:32:33.130 --> 00:32:35.790 The new enforcement policy the President and I announced in 430 00:32:35.790 --> 00:32:41.240 November 2014 makes clear that our limited resources will not be 431 00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:44.980 focused on the removal of those who have committed no serious crimes, 432 00:32:44.980 --> 00:32:48.670 have been in this country for years, and have families here. 433 00:32:48.670 --> 00:32:52.384 Under our new policy, these people are not priorities for removal, 434 00:32:52.384 --> 00:32:54.300 nor should they be. 435 00:32:54.300 --> 00:32:58.230 In fact, the President and I want to offer, to those who have 436 00:32:58.230 --> 00:33:00.560 lived here for at least five years, 437 00:33:00.560 --> 00:33:03.760 are parents of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, 438 00:33:03.760 --> 00:33:07.450 and who have committed no serious crimes, the opportunity 439 00:33:07.450 --> 00:33:11.110 to request deferred action on a case-by-case basis, 440 00:33:11.110 --> 00:33:15.500 to come out of the shadows, get on the books, and be held accountable. 441 00:33:15.500 --> 00:33:18.960 We are pleased that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of 442 00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:22.480 Texas v. United States, which involves the new deferred 443 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:26.310 action policies we announced in November 2014. 444 00:33:26.310 --> 00:33:30.100 Our immigration enforcement priorities, the ending of Secure Communities, 445 00:33:30.100 --> 00:33:33.700 and the new deferred action policy now in the courts are among 446 00:33:33.700 --> 00:33:38.800 10 executive actions the President and I announced in November 2014 to 447 00:33:38.800 --> 00:33:42.010 fix our broken immigration system. 448 00:33:42.010 --> 00:33:46.540 We also issued a proposed rule to expand eligibility for “provisional” 449 00:33:46.540 --> 00:33:50.850 extreme hardship waivers of the 3- and 10-year bars to all persons 450 00:33:50.850 --> 00:33:56.160 who statutorily qualify for a waiver. The comment period is closed, 451 00:33:56.160 --> 00:34:00.460 and we are now preparing to issue the final rule on provisional waivers. 452 00:34:00.460 --> 00:34:04.460 We published new guidance for public comment on the “extreme hardship” 453 00:34:04.460 --> 00:34:08.230 requirement. The comment period is closed and we plan to issue final 454 00:34:08.230 --> 00:34:12.010 guidance on extreme hardship very soon. 455 00:34:12.010 --> 00:34:15.930 We are about to publish a final rule to strengthen the program that provides 456 00:34:15.930 --> 00:34:19.490 Optional Practical Training for students in STEM fields 457 00:34:19.490 --> 00:34:22.700 studying at U.S. universities. 458 00:34:22.700 --> 00:34:26.860 We finalized a new rule that allows spouses of high-skilled H-1B workers 459 00:34:26.860 --> 00:34:30.260 who are here in the United States under H-4 visas to apply for 460 00:34:30.260 --> 00:34:32.410 work authorization. 461 00:34:32.410 --> 00:34:36.180 We are working with the Department of Labor and other agencies to ensure, 462 00:34:36.180 --> 00:34:40.610 for the protection of workers, the consistent enforcement of federal 463 00:34:40.610 --> 00:34:44.950 labor, employment and immigration laws. 464 00:34:44.950 --> 00:34:48.410 We are promoting and increasing access to citizenship through the new 465 00:34:48.410 --> 00:34:54.580 White House Task Force on New Americans. The week of September 14-21 we celebrated 466 00:34:54.580 --> 00:34:59.000 the “Stand Stronger Commit to Citizenship Campaign.” 467 00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:04.800 In that one week, USCIS naturalized 40,000 people. 468 00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:10.160 We now permit credit cards as a payment option for naturalization fees. 469 00:35:10.160 --> 00:35:15.360 Our overall policy is to focus our immigration resources more effectively 470 00:35:15.360 --> 00:35:20.280 on threats to public safety and border security, and, within our existing legal 471 00:35:20.280 --> 00:35:26.430 authority, do as much as we can to fix the broken immigration system. 472 00:35:26.430 --> 00:35:30.430 We’re disappointed that Congress has not been our partner in this effort, 473 00:35:30.430 --> 00:35:34.500 by passing comprehensive immigration reform legislation. 474 00:35:34.500 --> 00:35:39.200 Finally, we recognize that more border security and deportations 475 00:35:39.200 --> 00:35:41.980 may deter illegal migration, 476 00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:47.910 but they do nothing to overcome the “push factors” that prompt desperate 477 00:35:47.910 --> 00:35:50.050 people to flee Central America in the first place. 478 00:35:50.060 --> 00:35:54.780 We are preparing to offer vulnerable individuals fleeing the violence 479 00:35:54.780 --> 00:36:00.150 in Central America a safe and legal alternate path to a better life. 480 00:36:00.150 --> 00:36:04.380 We are expanding our Refugee Admissions Program to help vulnerable men, women 481 00:36:04.401 --> 00:36:08.031 and children in Central America who qualify as refugees. 482 00:36:08.500 --> 00:36:11.650 We are partnering with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees 483 00:36:11.650 --> 00:36:16.900 and non-governmental organizations in the region to do this as soon 484 00:36:16.900 --> 00:36:18.850 as possible. 485 00:36:18.850 --> 00:36:22.780 This approach builds on our recently established Central American Minors 486 00:36:22.780 --> 00:36:26.720 program, which is now providing an in-country refugee processing 487 00:36:26.720 --> 00:36:30.000 option for certain children with lawfully present parents in the 488 00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:32.430 United States. 489 00:36:32.430 --> 00:36:36.010 We are doing our part to address the Syrian refugee crisis. 490 00:36:36.010 --> 00:36:40.030 USCIS, in conjunction with the Department of State, is working hard 491 00:36:40.030 --> 00:36:45.130 to meet our commitment to admit at least 10,000 Syrian refugees by the 492 00:36:45.130 --> 00:36:47.100 end of this fiscal year. 493 00:36:47.100 --> 00:36:50.750 We will do this carefully, screening refugees in a multi-layered 494 00:36:50.750 --> 00:36:55.060 and intense screening process involving multiple law enforcement, 495 00:36:55.060 --> 00:37:00.320 national security, and intelligence agencies across the Federal Government. 496 00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:04.330 Over the last year, Director Joe Clancy of the Secret Service 497 00:37:04.330 --> 00:37:09.750 has done a tremendous job reforming his agency, including hiring a 498 00:37:09.750 --> 00:37:14.840 chief operating officer from outside the Secret Service, 499 00:37:14.840 --> 00:37:17.450 altering the structure and management of the agency, 500 00:37:17.450 --> 00:37:21.110 ramping up efforts to hire new members of its workforce, 501 00:37:21.110 --> 00:37:23.760 and expanding training opportunities. 502 00:37:23.760 --> 00:37:29.390 In 2016 we will continue to work on areas that still need improvement. 503 00:37:29.390 --> 00:37:33.330 With the help of Congress, in 2016 we will continue to 504 00:37:33.330 --> 00:37:35.660 rebuild the Coast Guard fleet. 505 00:37:35.660 --> 00:37:40.300 This year Congress provided funding for a ninth National Security Cutter, 506 00:37:40.300 --> 00:37:43.650 design funding for the Offshore Patrol Cutter, and funding to 507 00:37:43.650 --> 00:37:48.060 continue production of our Fast Response Cutter. 508 00:37:48.060 --> 00:37:51.810 As reflected in the President’s 2017 Budget Request, we will also 509 00:37:51.810 --> 00:37:57.050 seek $150 million for the design of a new heavy icebreaker, 510 00:37:57.050 --> 00:38:01.020 in recognition of the expanding commercial activity in the Arctic. 511 00:38:01.020 --> 00:38:05.680 Since 2012, our Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers 512 00:38:05.680 --> 00:38:08.180 (FLETC) has trained more than a quarter million federal, 513 00:38:08.180 --> 00:38:11.700 state and local officers and agents. At the same time, 514 00:38:11.700 --> 00:38:15.080 FLETC continually updates its curriculum to address the biggest 515 00:38:15.080 --> 00:38:19.080 challenges facing law enforcement, to include training for active 516 00:38:19.080 --> 00:38:24.710 shooter situations, in cyber forensics, and in human trafficking. 517 00:38:24.710 --> 00:38:29.440 In 2016 FEMA will continue to do its extraordinary job of supporting 518 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:34.240 the American people and communities to prepare for, respond to, and 519 00:38:34.240 --> 00:38:37.010 recover from various disasters. 520 00:38:37.010 --> 00:38:40.820 FEMA will continue to focus on efforts to enhance resilience 521 00:38:40.820 --> 00:38:44.880 and mitigation measures before disaster strikes, to prevent 522 00:38:44.880 --> 00:38:47.400 loss and save lives. 523 00:38:47.400 --> 00:38:50.590 We continue to promote lawful trade and travel. 524 00:38:50.590 --> 00:38:54.160 We will continue to pursue the President’s U.S.-Mexico 525 00:38:54.160 --> 00:38:58.360 High Level Economic Dialogue and his Beyond the Border Initiative 526 00:38:58.360 --> 00:38:59.600 with Canada. 527 00:38:59.600 --> 00:39:02.400 We are implementing the “Single Window,” which, by 528 00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:06.500 December 2016, will enable the private sector to use just one 529 00:39:06.500 --> 00:39:10.800 portal to transmit information to 47 government agencies about 530 00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:15.500 exports and imports, thereby eliminating over 200 different 531 00:39:15.500 --> 00:39:19.560 forms and streamlining the trade process. 532 00:39:19.560 --> 00:39:23.750 Last week the Secretary of Commerce and I joined the President of Mexico 533 00:39:23.750 --> 00:39:30.120 to open a new six-lane bridge near El Paso that will replace a 78-year-old 534 00:39:30.120 --> 00:39:31.650 two-lane one. 535 00:39:31.650 --> 00:39:36.500 Next week I will join the Mexican Secretary of Finance 536 00:39:36.500 --> 00:39:40.080 to inaugurate a pre-inspection pilot in Laredo, Texas. 537 00:39:40.080 --> 00:39:49.650 In conclusion, according to Time Magazine, I have “probably the 538 00:39:49.650 --> 00:39:53.500 hardest job in America.” That’s not true. 539 00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:56.230 The President has the hardest job in America. 540 00:39:56.230 --> 00:39:59.920 But I may rank in the top ten. I have a lot of challenges, 541 00:39:59.920 --> 00:40:04.140 a lot of problems and a lot of headaches. 542 00:40:04.140 --> 00:40:07.480 There is also far too much partisanship in Washington, 543 00:40:07.480 --> 00:40:10.660 and, especially during an election year, politics has become 544 00:40:10.660 --> 00:40:14.680 a blood-sport in this town. Too often it is more important to 545 00:40:14.680 --> 00:40:19.750 score political points than achieve smart, sound government policy 546 00:40:19.750 --> 00:40:22.380 on behalf of the American people. 547 00:40:22.380 --> 00:40:26.750 Through it all, I still love public service, and I am dedicated 548 00:40:26.750 --> 00:40:30.510 to serving the American people, protecting our homeland, 549 00:40:30.510 --> 00:40:32.820 and serving our President. 550 00:40:32.820 --> 00:40:37.530 I find inspiration in the amazing stories of our workforce that 551 00:40:37.530 --> 00:40:40.850 I told you about at the beginning of this speech. 552 00:40:40.850 --> 00:40:45.330 I also find inspiration and strength in the weekly batch of letters 553 00:40:45.330 --> 00:40:49.350 I receive from the American people we serve, particularly from 554 00:40:49.350 --> 00:40:52.066 the school kids. 555 00:40:52.066 --> 00:41:00.010 Here’s one from a young man named Brett Shepard, handwritten in pencil: 556 00:41:00.010 --> 00:41:07.230 “To Jeh Johnson… I just wanted to say I think you’re doing a good job... 557 00:41:07.230 --> 00:41:11.210 I ran for class president in my government class. 558 00:41:11.210 --> 00:41:15.895 I ended up becoming the Secretary of Homeland Security 559 00:41:15.895 --> 00:41:19.790 which honestly I would rather be ... [president is] not all it’s 560 00:41:19.790 --> 00:41:22.966 cracked up to be.” 561 00:41:22.966 --> 00:41:27.410 Like Brett, at this moment in the life of our Nation, 562 00:41:27.410 --> 00:41:31.620 there’s nothing I’d rather be than Secretary of Homeland Security. 563 00:41:31.620 --> 00:41:37.210 It is and always will be the highlight of my professional life. 564 00:41:37.210 --> 00:41:41.856 In the time left to me in office, I pledge all my energy to continue 565 00:41:41.856 --> 00:41:45.990 to protect the homeland and leave the Department of Homeland Security 566 00:41:45.990 --> 00:41:48.766 a better place than I found it. 567 00:41:48.766 --> 00:41:51.430 Thank you very much.