WASHINGTON, D.C.(DRGNews)- South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem answered questions from members of the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Friday during her confirmation hearing to become President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security.

South Dakota Senator and Senate Majority Leader John Thune gave some introductory remarks to the committee. The Senate’s #1 Republican praised Noem’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and said she has the skill set to correct the national security issues at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Thune said the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border presents concerns ranging from “terrorist entries to cross-border criminal activity like drug trafficking.”

In her opening statement, Noem said “securing our homeland is a serious, sacred trust that must be relentlessly pursued and can never be taken for granted.”

Noem said threats to national security have evolved and the work done by DHS needs to keep up.

Should she be confirmed, Noem would oversee U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services. She would also be responsible for securing airline transportation, protecting dignitaries, responding to natural disasters, among other things.