Press Releases
Thompson, Clarke Release Statement on CISA Cyber Incident Reporting Proposed Rule
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), released the below statement on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) releasing its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA), legislation authored by Reps. Clarke and Thompson. “We commend CISA for its work in issuing the NPRM for the Cyber Incident Reporting for … Continue Reading
March 22, 2024
Ranking Member Thompson Statement on Passage of Government Funding Legislation
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement after the House passed the minibus government funding package: “The bipartisan spending package the House passed today, while far from perfect, is a major advancement in funding the Department of Homeland Security. Crucially, it covers the budget shortfalls that CBP and ICE were previously facing and excludes the poison pill policy riders that Republicans … Continue Reading
March 11, 2024
Thompson Statement on the Administration’s Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security
Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on the President's Fiscal Year 2025 Budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): “I commend the Biden-Harris Administration for prioritizing investments in the DHS workforce, Federal cybersecurity, and disaster resilience while upholding a commitment to humane border enforcement. However, I remain concerned about the Administration’s reliance on emergency … Continue Reading
February 14, 2024
Ranking Member Thompson: ICE Reducing Operations, Releasing Detainees a Direct Result of Republicans’ Political Games and Governing Failures
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on news reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will soon be forced to reduce operations and release significant numbers of detainees because of Republicans refusing to fund the nation’s border security operations - or even consider bipartisan border security legislation: “Republicans have been playing with fire for months, by refusing to fund … Continue Reading
February 13, 2024
Ranking Member Thompson Statement on Republicans’ Sham Impeachment
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on extreme MAGA Republicans impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in the House of Representatives after their first attempt failed last week: “After Extreme MAGA Republicans’ first impeachment vote turned into an epic fail on the House floor last week, the tainted vote tonight was an absolute travesty. Extreme MAGA Republicans, at the … Continue Reading
February 06, 2024
Ranking Member Thompson Statement on Republicans’ Sham Impeachment Failing in the House
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on extreme MAGA Republicans in the House of Representatives failing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: “I am glad that tonight a few honorable Republicans stood up for the Constitution and against the extremists running their party. This sham impeachment vote failed because it had no foundation in the Constitution. It failed because … Continue Reading
February 06, 2024
Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson Floor Statement in Opposition to the Republicans’ Sham Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas (H.Res. 863)
(WASHINGTON) - What is happening here today is a travesty. It is an affront to the United States Constitution, it will do nothing to solve challenges at our border, and it is a baseless attack on a dedicated public servant. Republican Members of Congress - sworn to support and defend the Constitution - are rejecting the Framers’ intent and over two centuries of precedent in favor of a politically motivated sham impeachment. Republicans have failed at making a constitutionally viable case for … Continue Reading
January 31, 2024
Ranking Member Thompson Statement on Republicans Shutting Down Debate of their Sham Impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement after Committee Chairman Mark Green and Committee Republicans shut down debate during the markup of their sham impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas. This prevented Democrats from offering any more amendments. “Committee Republicans abruptly shut down debate of their sham impeachment articles in the dark of night. They were either uncomfortable … Continue Reading
January 29, 2024
Democrats Release Report on the Extreme MAGA Republican Sham Impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released a staff report to rebut the extreme MAGA Republican sham impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. After holding only two impeachment hearings and hearing from only two impeachment scholars, Committee Republicans plan to mark up articles of impeachment against the Secretary tomorrow. The staff report Democrats released today, entitled Republican Abuse of … Continue Reading
January 28, 2024
Ranking Member Thompson Releases Statement on Republicans’ Sham Articles of Impeachment
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on Committee Chairman Mark Green releasing sham articles of impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas: “What is glaringly missing from these articles is any real charge or even a shred of evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors - the Constitutional standard for impeachment. That should come as no surprise because Republicans’ so-called … Continue Reading
January 19, 2024
Ranking Members Thompson and Carter Issue Statement on FEMA Reforming its Disaster Assistance Program to Help Impacted Communities
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, issued the following statement on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announcing the overhaul of its Disaster Assistance program to ensure that more disaster survivors receive financial assistance faster by expanding … Continue Reading
January 10, 2024
ICYMI: Extreme MAGA Republican Impeachment Hearing “Falls Flat” as GOP Members Admit No Evidence of High Crimes or Misdemeanors
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement after the Republicans held their so-called first official impeachment hearing of Secretary Mayorkas: “Today’s hearing has confirmed what we already knew: this so-called impeachment is nothing more than a thinly veiled political stunt. Committee Republicans have failed to make a case for impeachment, failed to understand the Constitution, and failed to do … Continue Reading
December 01, 2023
Ranking Member Thompson: Extreme MAGA Republican Effort to Impeach DHS Secretary Fully Exposed as Political Stunt
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on the extreme MAGA Republican effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas: “Tonight, the extreme MAGA Republican effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas was fully exposed as the political stunt that it is. “As early as this morning, the Homeland Security Committee Chairman said he did not want to create a 'false hope' that his … Continue Reading
November 30, 2023
Ranking Member Thompson Issues Statement Following Repeated Extreme MAGA Republican Slander of CISA
Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement after Republicans again made misleading statements about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) efforts to build resilience to mis- and disinformation at a hearing of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government today: “The spirit of our democracy relies on a well-informed and … Continue Reading
October 30, 2023
Ranking Member Thompson Statement on President Biden’s Executive Order on AI
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on President Biden signing a landmark Executive Order on artificial intelligence (AI): “Rapid advances in AI technology create novel risks and opportunities for our homeland security. I applaud President Biden’s leadership in issuing this new executive order that seeks to harness the great potential in AI for detecting cyberattacks, illicit drugs, and other … Continue Reading
September 29, 2023
Ranking Members Thompson and Raskin Issue Statement Following Ninth and Final Voluntary Transcribed Interview with Border Patrol Sector Leadership
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Committee on Oversight and Accountability Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, and Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson, issued the following statement after the Committees’ voluntary transcribed interview with U.S. Border Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent of the Yuma Sector: “Committee Republicans have now completed a six-month process of interviewing the leadership of all nine southwest Border Patrol sectors while forcing them … Continue Reading
September 26, 2023
Ranking Members Thompson and Raskin Issue Statement Following Eighth Voluntary Transcribed Interview with Border Patrol Sector Chief
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Committee on Oversight and Accountability Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, and Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson, issued the following statement after the Committees’ voluntary transcribed interview with U.S. Border Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez, Chief Patrol Agent of the Rio Grande Valley Sector: “Today is the eighth time Committee Republicans have forced a Border Patrol Sector Chief away from their duty station to confirm what we already know: … Continue Reading
September 11, 2023
Ranking Member Thompson Marks 22 Years Since the September 11 Attacks
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement commemorating the twenty-second anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks: “Twenty-two years ago, we tragically lost 3,000 of our fellow Americans in the deadliest terror attack in our history - profoundly altering our way of life in our Nation. Today, we pledge to Never Forget and remember the lives lost, including the brave first responders who … Continue Reading
September 08, 2023
Thompson, Payne Release Statement on DHS’s First ‘Report on Homeland Security for Children’
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), released the below statement on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) releasing its first Report on Homeland Security for Children, which was mandated in the Homeland Security for Children Act (P.L. 117-130). This law, authored by Rep. Payne, Jr., ensures DHS is taking the needs of children into account when implementing its strategies, policies, … Continue Reading
September 06, 2023
Ranking Members Thompson and Carter Mark Start of National Preparedness Month
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, mark the start of National Preparedness Month. Both will serve as National Preparedness Month Congressional Co-Chairs this year. “Climate change is increasing extreme weather events across the Nation. Recent examples include the Maui wildfires - the worst wildfires in over 100 years - … Continue Reading