Press Releases
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
September 20, 2019
Thompson Statement on DHS Strategy for Combating Terrorism and Targeted Violence
(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's Strategy for Combating Terrorism and Targeted Violence: "This strategy could be a much-welcomed step in the right direction, and I applaud the Department for laying out a serious plan. However, I still have many questions that the Department needs to answer - including how it plans to fund and staff this effort. If we … Continue Reading
September 18, 2019
Thompson: New National Security Advisor Must Bring Back Cyber Coordinator Position
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news that President Trump has named Robert O'Brien as National Security Advisor: "Mr. O'Brien, President Trump's fourth National Security Advisor, is named when threats facing the nation have evolved and our adversaries are exploiting cyberspace in new ways to advance their economic ambitions, assert influence, and undermine U.S. power. His first act as … Continue Reading
September 11, 2019
Thompson Statement Marking 18 Years Since the September 11 Terror Attacks
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the eighteenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks: "Eighteen years ago, our country was forever changed in the face of terror and hate. Today we remember those that were lost in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. They and their loved ones are on our minds and in our hearts. We also recognize the bravery of the … Continue Reading
September 10, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on FBI & DHS Refusal to Testify
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement after the heads of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and National Counterterrorism Center all refused to appear before the Committee to submit testimony and answer questions for a hearing today on terrorism and threats to the homeland. "When the country is facing repeated domestic terrorism attacks, the American people have … Continue Reading
September 05, 2019
Thompson & Rogers Joint Statement After 8chan Deposition
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Ranking Member of the Committee, released the below joint statement after the Committee deposed Jim Watkins, owner of the social media website 8chan. The deposition was in response to the Committee's subpoena of Watkins in August. "We want to thank Mr. Watkins for his cooperation today. He provided vast and helpful information to the Committee about the … Continue Reading
September 04, 2019
Thompson Statement on Trauma of Children Caused by Trump Administration Family Separation
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on two reports by the Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) on the mental health of migrant children: "These reports validate what we have long known, the Trump Administration's cruel and chaotic immigration policies are taking a damning toll on children and their mental health. The Trump Administration has yet … Continue Reading
September 03, 2019
Thompson Statement on Trump Taking Billions from Military to Pay for Wall
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news the Trump Administration is siphoning billions from military construction projects to pay for his wasteful wall: "On a day that military assets are positioning to protect this country against a national disaster, President Trump continues to show disregard for the American people and the rule of law. President Trump will go to any length to get what he … Continue Reading
August 27, 2019
Thompson: Reckless for Trump Administration to Divert Funding from TSA and FEMA to Pay for ICE Indefinite Detention of Families and Children
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news that the Trump administration is diverting $271 million from FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard to pay for a massive increase in ICE detention beds: "Once again this Administration is flouting the law and Congressional intent to fund its extremist indefinite detention immigration policies. This is reckless and the Administration is playing with fire - all … Continue Reading