Chairman Garbarino Delivers Opening Statement in Annual Worldwide Threats Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) delivered the following opening statement in the Committee's annual Worldwide Threats hearing, featuring testimony from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Joseph Kent, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) National Security Branch Operations Director Michael Glasheen.

Watch Chairman Garbarino ' s opening statement here.

As prepared for delivery:

Good morning. Welcome to the Committee on Homeland Security's annual hearing on worldwide threats. Our witnesses today are Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Operations Director Michael Glasheen.

I appreciate your willingness to testify and address the threats Americans face every day at home and abroad. I want to recognize that this is an annual hearing and one the Committee expects to hold in September 2026, surrounding the 25^th anniversary of the September 11^th terrorist attacks.

This year, we made numerous accommodations considering the record-long Democrat shutdown and your busy schedules, but we expect 2026 to include the DHS Secretary, the NCTC Director, and, as in the past, the Director of the FBI.

The Department of Homeland Security and this Committee were created following the attacks on September 11th and bestowed with the responsibility to secure the homeland from threats and keep Americans safe.

The work your agencies do each day furthers that mission and this Committee will always be a strong partner in those efforts. I want to commend all three of you - the border is secure, the flow of drugs is slowing, and violent criminals are being taken off the streets. America is once again a symbol of global strength.

However, as I am sure you will all agree, it is not time to take a break, it is time for action. We cannot succeed in our collective homeland security mission without working together, collaborating, and striving for better. The threats we face are persistent and ever-changing.

The days of strictly kinetic strikes are over. The battlefield is not the same as it was on the Western Front in 1914, nor the Pacific theater in 1941, and not even the Middle East in the 2000s.

In 2025, we fight our adversaries in cyberspace, we counter radicalization on the internet and in chatrooms, we resist Communist China propaganda, we prepare for newfound biological threats, and we combat the flow of transnational criminals across our borders.

This is why this hearing is so important. Congress must hear from the Executive. Oversight is not unfair. And asking questions is not unwarranted. We must ensure the people's representatives are informed.

In less than one year, the Trump Administration has delivered historic results in securing our borders and dismantling transnational criminal networks.

The commitment to restoring and maintaining a state of law and order has resulted in illegal border crossings falling to their lowest levels in decades. Compared to last year, nationwide border encounters have plummeted nearly 80 percent. This is a testament to the Administration's enforcement of the law and deterrence of further uncontrolled illegal migration.

More and more, both nation state and rogue actors are turning to cyber space to conduct nefarious operations against the United States and its interests. Just a few weeks ago, we saw the first mainly-autonomous artificial intelligence conducted cyber-attack.

The AI threat is no longer something out of a far-away science-fiction movie. Technology improves every day, and so does our adversaries' understanding of how to use it. We must be prepared. We must work together with our state and local partners, as well as the private sector to share information to better identify and mitigate attacks.

We must remain vigilant in the face of threats posed by Russia, China, and Iran. And we must harden our critical infrastructure.

The United States is entering an unprecedented period of hosting major international events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, and nationwide celebrations marking the nation's 250th anniversary.

These mass gatherings will test the nation's ability to secure large crowds, safeguard foreign delegations, and maintain operational continuity amid evolving threats from nation-state adversaries, foreign terrorist groups, transnational criminal organizations, and lone actors. The Trump Administration is employing a whole-of-government approach to ensure these events are safe and secure.

However, host cities and local law enforcement shoulder significant burdens in planning and resourcing. Persistent challenges include coordination shortfalls, intelligence-sharing gaps, and jurisdictional limitations - particularly at ancillary venues such as athlete housing, training facilities, hotels, and fan zones.

All of this is on the backdrop of the upcoming 25^th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11^th that took the lives of thousands across New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania. It's why I sought this Chairmanship and what guides me every day in this work.

We all share the same goal - keeping Americans safe regardless of the threat. I look forward to the witnesses' testimony today and hope we can work together to ensure we achieve this common goal.

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