00:00Thank you very much. Secretary Noem, thank you. I mean, for those powerful examples, for your powerful example down in Texas, the leadership you've been willing to show out front across the board on tackling this critically important issue.
00:16So we are grateful to have you as Secretary of Homeland Security leading the charge on this critically important. So thank you.
00:23I want to thank Governor Yunkin, Governor Landry, for convening the second public meeting of the FEMA Review Council.
00:29Your leadership, both in this forum and across the wide range of issues we face, is vital to restoring America's prosperity and improving our capacity to promptly and competently respond to natural disasters.
00:44Support to our domestic partners is an absolutely critical role for DOD and the defense of the homeland, as stated in our interim natural defense strategy.
00:54That's not the way it was. Our commander, Chief President Trump, has made it very clear that in conjunction with Homeland Security, in partnership with them,
01:04whether it's FEMA, Border Patrol, ICE, DHS, you name it, Homeland Security is a central tenet for DOD, and we're trying to operationalize that and live that out every day.
01:16Having this meeting in New Orleans, and this being the 20th anniversary, as Secretary Noem mentioned, of Hurricane Katrina,
01:23it's a powerful reminder of the impact that disasters have on local communities, and frankly for us, how DOD can support the state's response.
01:33And across DOD, my team works closely with federal, state, and local partners to plan, prepare, and exercise for responding to natural disasters.
01:42I've seen the images and gotten the reports of the Texas National Guard in Texas of, you know, the Coast Guard Search and Rescue.
01:50We're monitoring it closely. Where there is disaster, where there is need, the Defense Department is poised and ready to be a part of that.
01:58This time last month, DOD assembled a whole-of-government team in San Antonio to exercise and analyze response strategies for the 2025 hurricane season.
02:09And I've also approved annual actions that ensure General Guillo, who's the commander of U.S. NorthCom,
02:16is able to rapidly surge support during the greatest hour of need.
02:19In parallel, it's important that Secretary Noem and her team, as well as other parts of the federal government,
02:26with her leadership, continue to work with state and local governments to enhance and increase their capabilities to respond to natural disasters, as is being done.
02:35And state and local governments continue to ensure that emergency management teams and first responders have the resources that they need,
02:41including personnel, training, and equipment.
02:43But what we know at DOD is, in times of crisis, there are certain capabilities, certain things that DOD,
02:52whether it's National Guard or the federal side, can do that other state and locals just cannot.
02:58And so we look forward to being a part of that team that helps review what FEMA does and how it does it.
03:05And we look forward to everyone's feedback and participating in these discussions.
