Thank you Chairman Collins. I wish to add my welcome to Mr. Baker, Ms. Myers, and their families and friends.

You are both here because you wish to continue your careers in public service by serving as Assistant Secretaries in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These positions demand individuals who have demonstrated extensive executive level leadership and the ability to manage a sizable budget and diverse workforce. Mr. Baker, if confirmed, you will be the first DHS Assistant Secretary for Policy, and you will help define the role of the Office of Policy.

Ms. Myers, you have been nominated to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency that is currently facing significant financial and human resource management challenges.

While every nomination considered by the Senate is important, I believe that today's hearing will be watched carefully by the American people, who are looking to this Committee to make sure we ask the appropriate, and sometimes tough, questions. The people of Hawaii, like all Americans, want to make sure that those leading DHS have the necessary experience and qualifications.

The creation of DHS in 2003 was the largest reorganization of the federal government since the Department of Defense was established in 1947. The merging of 22 legacy agencies into a single agency has created management challenges that DHS will face for years to come. Because of these significant challenges, DHS needs strong leaders. A qualified candidate must possess extensive experience managing people and budgets in addition to having experience in immigration or law enforcement or intelligence.

I am especially concerned about the current state of ICE, which is the second largest federal law enforcement agency with a $4 billion budget and over 15,000 employees in over 400 offices around the world.

ICE has extraordinary reach, extraordinary responsibilities for our national security, and extraordinary problems.

Financial difficulties have resulted in hiring freezes and reductions in training, bonuses, and travel. ICE's financial crisis has resulted in DHS reprogramming $500 million in FY 04 and FY 05 funds and requesting an additional $267 million in the April 2005 emergency supplemental. Despite assurances that ICE's financial problems have been resolved, DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner testified in July 2005 that ICE cannot properly account for millions of dollars every month due to its deficient financial management system. This financial crisis has had an adverse impact on the readiness and morale of the ICE workforce.

ICE needs strong, experienced leadership to repair these management problems.

Mr. Baker, the Administration has submitted legislation to the Congress that this Committee is now considering which would create the position of an Undersecretary for Policy. According to Secretary Chertoff's transmittal letter to the Congress on his proposal, dated July 13, 2005, the new Office of Policy "will lead a unified, mission-focused policy approach" and will include a number of existing units, such as the Office of International Affairs, the Special Assistant to the Secretary for Private Sector Coordination, the Border and Transportation Security Policy and Planning Office, elements of the Border and Transportation Security Office of International Enforcement, the Homeland Security Advisory Committee, and the Office of Immigration Statistics. In addition, the Secretary is proposing to add a strategic policy planning office and a refugee policy coordinator.

This is an enormous range of new responsibilities and will require someone with extensive management experience and vision.

I would argue that the key focus of this office should be on strategic planning. Given the nature of the Department's enormous size and breadth of responsibilities, someone is needed who can provide focus and direction to the mission of preventing and responding to terrorist attacks and natural disasters.

Mr. Baker, you are being nominated for the position of Assistant Secretary with the expectation of moving into the Undersecretary position should the Congress pass the reform proposal. One of the issues this Committee will have to address is whether you will need to be reconfirmed at a later date for that higher position should you be confirmed for the Assistant Secretary position.

One of the lessons learned from the Hurricane Katrina response is that the senior officials of an agency should have demonstrated leadership skills. The positions of Assistant Secretary for ICE and Assistant Secretary for Policy are no exception.

I would like to draw the attention of my colleagues to one measure of leadership skills: the standards the Office of Personnel Management has developed for the government's career Senior Executive Service (SES).

To qualify for an SES position, a candidate must possess the following five executive qualifications:

• Leading Change;
• Leading People;
• being Results Driven;
• having Business Acumen; and
• Building Coalitions/Communications.

SES candidates demonstrate these qualifications through experience in key executive skills such as leading others to rapidly adjust organizational behavior and work methods; supervising and managing a diverse workforce; developing strategic human capital management plans; establishing performance standards and plans; managing the budgetary process; overseeing the allocation of financial resources; and developing and maintaining positive working relationships with internal groups and external groups such as Congress, the Office of Management and Budget, and the White House.

These qualifications and experiences help ensure that the federal government's senior executives have the ability to establish a clear vision for the organization and to drive others to succeed. While political appointees are not required to meet these qualifications, I believe it would be difficult for an agency head to be successful without them.

I look forward to this opportunity to hear from Mr. Baker and Ms. Myers. Thank you Madam Chairman.