Press Releases
Chairman Thompson Announces Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairs
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement announcing the Committee's subcommittee chairs and Vice chair of the full Committee for the 116th Congress: "Our country must tackle a vast array of homeland security issues - from securing our borders to shielding our networks and infrastructure; from protecting our skies and seas to countering extremism and terrorism in all its forms. I'm confident that … Continue Reading
January 25, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on the Trump Shutdown’s Homeland Security Impact
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on the Trump Shutdown and its continued negative impact on our frontline homeland security personnel who are charged with keeping the nation safe and secure. Yesterday, Chairman Thompson hosted a Congressional Panel discussion featuring former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on the effects of the Trump Shutdown on the Department of Homeland Security. … Continue Reading
January 25, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on President Trump Ending His Shutdown
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on President Trump's decision to sign a three-week continuing resolution to fund the federal government and end his shutdown: "Finally, President Trump has come to his senses and has agreed to end his ridiculous shutdown. The fact that he allowed our frontline workers at the Department of Homeland Security to be unpaid for over a month still defies … Continue Reading
January 23, 2019
Chairman Thompson Announces Homeland Security Committee Democratic Members
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement announcing the 18 Democratic Members of the Committee for the 116th Congress: “I’m thrilled to welcome - and welcome back - so many fine Members of Congress to our Committee. This diverse panel represents the many different communities of the country, bringing a crucial variety of viewpoints to the issues of homeland security that affect each and every … Continue Reading
January 19, 2019
Chairman Thompson on President Trump’s Border and Shutdown Speech
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on President Trump’s Saturday afternoon speech today: “The President’s speech today was just the latest publicity stunt out of many to come from the White House. He did not move the needle one inch. The President must realize Congress is a coequal branch of government and Democrats will not allow him to dictate the terms of any negotiation while he continues … Continue Reading
January 19, 2019
House Chairmen Condemn Shocking Secret Memo on Trump Administration’s Inhumane Child Separation Policy
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, the Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement in response to a draft December 2017 memorandum released yesterday by Senator Jeff Merkley, which was created by senior officials at the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice outlining the Trump … Continue Reading
January 17, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on HHS OIG Report on Family Separation
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on family separations at the southern border: “The OIG report released today shows that the Trump Administration, with its unique blend of incompetence, cruelty, and disregard for basic decency, misled the American public on one of its most heinous policies to date. … Continue Reading
January 16, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on Speaker Pelosi’s Call to Delay State of the Union Address
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on Speaker Pelosi's call to delay the State of the Union address: "I wholeheartedly support Speaker Pelosi's call to delay the State of the Union address until the government re-opens. The Secret Service is the lead federal agency in charge of facilitating security for the yearly State of the Union address, but because of the Trump shutdown, the agency is … Continue Reading
January 14, 2019
Chairman Thompson: Trump Shutdown to Blame for Airport Lines
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news reports of airport delays and terminal closures across the country: "Delays at airports across the country today because of TSA staffing issues are a direct result of the Trump Shutdown. Because of President Trump's childish refusal to reopen the government unless he gets his way, over 50,000 TSA Transportation Security Officers are forced to work … Continue Reading
January 10, 2019
Chairman Thompson on First Missed Paycheck Tomorrow for DHS and Other Federal Employees
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Trump shutdown and 800,000 federal employees who will be missing their first paycheck tomorrow: “Tomorrow, nearly a million federal employees will miss their first paycheck of the year because the President has decided to throw a temper tantrum and hold the federal government hostage over his ridiculous demand for an ineffective, wasteful border wall. … Continue Reading
January 10, 2019
RE-RELEASE GAO REPORT FROM AUGUST: Trump’s Wall Set to Waste Billions, Provide No Measurable Benefit
(WASHINGTON) - Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security has re-released a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from this summer on President Trump’s completely unnecessary and wasteful border wall. In the report entitled, “Southwest Border Security: CBP Is Evaluating Designs and Locations for Border Barriers but Is Proceeding Without Key Information,” the GAO found that CBP selected locations for new construction before assessing which … Continue Reading
January 10, 2019
Reports Trump Wants to Raid Disaster Recovery Funds 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 reports that President Trump would like to use disaster recovery and emergency relief funds to pay for his border wall: "I call on the President and Homeland Security Secretary to immediately disavow news reports that President Trump plans to raid disaster recovery funds to pay for his absurd border wall. Any suggestion that he use these funds to … Continue Reading
January 08, 2019
Chairman Thompson: Sowing Fear, Trump Lies Directly to American People
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on President Trump’s primetime address on border security and immigration: “As predicted, the President’s address tonight was nothing more than the fearmongering and lies we have come to expect from him. Besides what the President’s own terrible policies have created, there is simply NO emergency at the border. A wall is not the solution to the crime and … Continue Reading
January 08, 2019
House Passes Extension of Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Program
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the House passing H.R. 251, the “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program Extension Act.” This bipartisan legislation is a two-year extension of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, or CFATS program. Under CFATS, DHS works with the owners and operators of our nation’s highest risk chemical facilities to ensure those facilities have … Continue Reading
January 08, 2019
Ten Questions for DHS on the Trump Shutdown
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following list of unanswered questions regarding the functioning of the Department of Homeland Security as a result of a lapse in appropriations. The Administration has failed to be forthcoming about the security implications of the President's shutdown on DHS, the largest federal department subject to the shutdown. During the shutdown, is TSA continuing its vital work to … Continue Reading
January 04, 2019
Chairman Thompson Lauds Election Security Inclusion in H.R. 1
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, lauded the inclusion of election security in H.R. 1, the For the People Act, introduced today by the new House Democratic Majority to establish electoral reforms, strengthen our democracy, and combat corruption. The election security provisions in H.R. 1 were originally part of the Election Security Act (H.R. 5011), authored by Congressman Thompson last year after he served as co-Chair of … Continue Reading
January 03, 2019
Chairman Thompson Statement on Bill to Fund DHS
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Continuing Resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security: “Since the government shutdown on December 21, roughly 2.5 million holiday travelers each day have passed through airport security checkpoints staffed by Transportation Security officers who aren’t getting paid. Almost half of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency … Continue Reading
January 02, 2019
Thompson Statement on John Kelly Departing the Trump Administration
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member and incoming Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on former Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly’s departure today from the Trump Administration: “It is truly sad that John Kelly, who served the country admirably in the military, has had his reputation and service tarnished by serving President Trump both at DHS and the White House. Over the past two years, General Kelly seemed … Continue Reading
December 27, 2018
Top House Democrats Call for Preservation of Records Related to Child Deaths in CBP Custody and Announce Plans for Oversight Hearings in 116th Congress
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Chairman-Elect of the … Continue Reading
December 26, 2018
Thompson Statement on Another Death of a Child in Our Government’s Care
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the death of Felipe Alonzo-Gomez. This is the second death this month of a child in the federal government’s care at the border: “While the Department of Homeland Security is scrambling to adhere to the Trump Administration’s unilateral, radical changes to our immigration system, another young child has died while in our government's care. It's … Continue Reading