U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., asked President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Homeland Security how he would go about improving security along the U.S. borders and how he might improve morale among U.S. Border Patrol personnel.  

Retired four-star Marine Corps General John Kelly assured Enzi he would not isolate himself in a Washington, D.C., office, but would go out in the field and interact with those in charge of the day-to-day security of our borders.

“You have to get out and about. You have to kick the tires figuratively speaking,” Kelly said. “Encourage people to speak truth to power from the bottom up. Certainly anytime a whistleblower calls in and makes an accusation or makes a comment, it’s very definitely worth listening. That’s how I do business.”   

The exchange came on Tuesday at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing held to consider Kelly’s nomination.