Press Releases
Thompson Statement on Homeland Security Implications of Trump’s Actions in the Middle East
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the homeland security implications of President Trump's reckless actions targeting Iran in the Middle East: "President Trump's reckless actions in the Middle East have made us less secure and risk serious consequences for the security of the homeland by escalating an already volatile situation. We have to be vigilant. I am concerned that a day later we … Continue Reading
December 19, 2019
Senate Passes Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Increase Security Resources for Faith-Based Institutions & Nonprofit Organizations
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI), today applauded the Senate passage of legislation (H.R. 2476) authorizing $75 million annually for FYs 2020-2024 for the Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which provides grants to nonprofits and faith-based organizations to help secure their facilities against a potential terrorist … Continue Reading
December 19, 2019
Government Facial Recognition Report Confirms Unreliability and Racial Bias
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) report on facial recognition technology: "In recent years, the Department of Homeland Security has significantly increased its use of facial recognition technology on Americans and visitors alike, despite serious privacy and civil liberties concerns. This report not only confirms these concerns, but … Continue Reading
December 12, 2019
Pentagon Inspector General to Review $400 Million Border Wall Contract After Thompson Request
(WASHINGTON) - Today, the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General sent a letter to Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, announcing the initiation of an audit of the $400 million border wall construction contract the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded to Fisher Sand and Gravel Co. Thompson requested the review last week. Chairman Thompson issued the following statement regarding the audit: "I am pleased that the Pentagon … Continue Reading
December 11, 2019
Oversight and Homeland Security Committees Release Staff Report Finding Coast Guard Leadership Failed to Address Harassment, Bullying, and Retaliation
(WASHINGTON)-Today, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released a joint staff report finding that the Coast Guard mishandled complaints of harassment and bullying and failed to hold those in leadership accountable for their actions. The investigation was initiated 18 months ago by then-Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings and then-Ranking Member Thompson, in consultation … Continue Reading
December 05, 2019
Thompson Statement on New Evidence in Death of Child While in CBP Custody
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on an investigative news report on the death of Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez, a child in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody on May 20. "Today's report calls into serious question the steps U.S. Customs and Border Protection claims to have taken to care for a child in its custody. Not only did CBP hold Carlos longer than the legal limit and … Continue Reading
November 27, 2019
Thompson Statement on DHS Watchdog Child Separation Report
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report out today on the technology and planning failures impacting family separation. Before the "zero-tolerance" policy was implemented in 2018, both CBP and ICE knew that their IT systems were completely inadequate to track separated families. They also knew they needed a plan … Continue Reading
November 21, 2019
Thompson & Richmond Statement on Jeanette Manfra Departing CISA
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, & Innovation, released the following statement on news that Jeanette Manfra is leaving the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): "Jeanette Manfra led CISA's Cybersecurity Division at a pivotal time. In early 2017, Ms. Manfra took … Continue Reading
November 20, 2019
Thompson Issues Subpoena to DHS for Documents on the Deaths of Children, Separation of Families, and Metering at the Border
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, issued a subpoena to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf for records regarding U.S. Customs and Border Protection's handling of children and families at the border. Chairman Thompson originally requested these documents on January 4th. Despite repeated requests, the Committee has still not received the documents. The Committee authorized the issuance of the subpoena today. "The … Continue Reading
November 13, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on Appointment of Ken Cuccinelli as Acting DHS Deputy Secretary
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news President Trump has installed Ken Cuccinelli as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Homeland Security Secretary: "It seems that President Trump just couldn't fight the urge to play to his base by elevating Ken Cuccinelli to another senior leadership position at DHS that he is wholly unqualified for. Mr. Cuccinelli is nothing more … Continue Reading
November 13, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on Appointment of Chad Wolf as Acting DHS Secretary
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on Chad Wolf being installed by President Trump as Acting Homeland Security Secretary, the fifth person to hold this position since 2017: "The President installing an Acting Homeland Security Secretary who lacks the necessary experience exemplifies the dysfunction that has plagued DHS since the first days of the Trump Administration. There are people in … Continue Reading
November 01, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on Trump’s 5th DHS Secretary
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news President Trump appointed Chad Wolf as Acting Homeland Security Secretary, the fifth person in this role since 2017: "The President appointing as Acting Homeland Secretary someone without the necessary experience just points to the dysfunction that has plagued DHS since the first days of the Trump Administration. There are plenty of people in … Continue Reading
October 30, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on Convoluted White House Scheme to Install Cuccinelli as Acting DHS Secretary
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news reports that President Trump is still searching for a loophole to install Ken Cuccinelli as Acting Homeland Security Secretary: "Reports that President Trump is desperately combing through federal law to find a loophole to make an end-run around the Constitution are disappointing but not surprising. If the White House cannot find anyone qualified and … Continue Reading
October 24, 2019
Chairman Thompson Subpoenas DHS Acting Secretary McAleenan and NCTC Acting Director Travers
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, issued subpoenas to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan and Acting National Counterterrorism Center Director Russell Travers for an October 30th public hearing on terrorist threats facing the country. Since July, the Committee has attempted to secure the participation of the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and the Acting Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, … Continue Reading
October 23, 2019
Chairman Cummings’ Aviation Security Bill Approved by Homeland Security Committee
(WASHINGTON) - Today, the House Committee on Homeland Security approved legislation authored by the late Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, to help secure our skies and improve the Transportation Security Administration's security operations. Congressman Cummings introduced H.R. 3469, the "Covert Testing and Risk Mitigation Improvement Act" in June to improve the effectiveness and integrity of the covert tests TSA conducts of airport … Continue Reading
October 22, 2019
Chairman Thompson Underscores Counterterrorism Priorities After Returning from Mideast
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement after returning from Speaker Pelosi's Congressional Delegation to the Middle East: "I am pleased to have accompanied my colleagues and Speaker Pelosi on her bipartisan delegation to the Middle East. Meeting with key allies in the region is critical to our counterterrorism mission. While we are currently seeing the dire consequences of President Trump's … Continue Reading
October 18, 2019
Bicameral Legislation Introduced Blocking Trump’s Doral Corruption
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-21), Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (MS-2), and Representative Steve Cohen (TN-9) introduced the Trump's Heist Undermines the G-7 (THUG) Act, following the announcement that President Trump's Miami resort will be the site of the next Group of Seven (G-7) summit. A companion bill is being introduced in the Senate by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). The G-7 is a group of the seven largest advanced … Continue Reading
October 11, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on McAleenan’s Departure From DHS
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news that Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan has left the Trump Administration: "Today's ouster of the Acting Secretary further highlights that President Trump continues to decimate the leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. This will only add to the chaos for a Department where there are chronically too many leadership … Continue Reading
September 26, 2019
Groundbreaking Domestic Terrorism Legislation Passes House
(WASHINGTON) - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act (H.R. 3106), bipartisan legislation sponsored by Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, to foster greater transparency into the federal government's handling of domestic terrorism and to increase research on the issue. This is the first bill the House of Representatives has passed that gives needed attention to domestic terrorism. The … Continue Reading
September 26, 2019
Chairman Thompson on Whistleblower Complaint: We Must Do More to Secure Our Elections
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on state of nation's election security after the whistleblower complaint against the President was released today: "The declassified whistleblower report is clear. The President again, just he did in 2016, sought out assistance from a foreign power to help in his reelection. This is election interference, plain and simple. The President has continually and … Continue Reading