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There is an epidemic of gun violence in our nation, and this subcommittee has a key role to play in the urgently needed response, as we oversee the federal law enforcement agencies tasked with overseeing gun dealers, investigating gun crimes, and running our background check system, among other things.
That is why I am pleased to welcome our two witnesses today, Thomas Brandon, the Deputy Director and Head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, otherwise known as the ATF, and Christine Halvorsen, the Acting Assistant Director for Criminal Justice Information Services, or CJIS at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. CJIS, among other things, operates the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, more commonly known as NICS.
The Capitol Police is an essential agency of the Legislative Branch. Chief, your team is charged with keeping Congress - it’s Members, employees, visitors, and facilities both here and within our districts safe and protected from harm’s way. The men and women of the Capitol Police put their lives on the line each day to ensure Congress is able to operate efficiently. You do your jobs so that we can do ours in a safe, secure but open environment. Thank you Chief and all the officers and civilians of the Capitol Police that work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of the Capitol complex.
FEMA has a demanding job. Congress has given FEMA very broad and flexible authority and a difficult mission. We ask FEMA to help people and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from some of the worst days they will ever face. FEMA employees do this frequently, and with long periods away from home and families. And we fully recognize that no matter how many times FEMA does amazing things, it is usually the things that don’t go well that get reported in the media and to members of Congress.
While this subcommittee is very supportive of FEMA, its employees, and its mission, that does not abrogate our responsibility for vigorous oversight. During this hearing, and as we work with you going forward, we intend to ask tough questions. This is not to make things more difficult, but to ensure we are fully informed as part of our responsibility to see that FEMA carries out its mission in a fast, efficient, and effective manner.
I have an abiding interest in your work and what you do. We must do everything that we can to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, and mismanagement.
And we must do all we can to assure that all of the USDA programs over which this subcommittee has oversight are operated with the best possible efficiencies – in order to create the best possible outcome for those who use the agency.
I was particularly pleased to see your annual plan for fiscal year 2019 focuses on many of the concerns of this Subcommittee. From enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, to food safety threats, to oversight of disaster assistance programs, we rely on you to conduct audits and investigations to ensure the programs we fund are run efficiently and that issues are addressed in a timely manner.
In fiscal year 2019, Treasury’s budget request stated its intent to use available funds to support investigations and other activities to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
The recent decision to redirect these funds towards border fencing recklessly undermines the ability of Treasury and Homeland Security to address known threats against our financial system—and the nation.