Press Releases
Thompson Statement on Unanimous Ruling Against Trump Administration Muslim Ban
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously refused to lift the nationwide halt on President Trump’s Muslim ban Executive Order: “The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimous decision to deny the Trump Administration's request to reinstate its unconstitutional Muslim ban is a victory for equal protection under the law and our fundamental American … Continue Reading
February 08, 2017
Congress Must Protect Electoral Systems & Preserve Election Assistance Commission
(WASHINGTON) - Yesterday, the Committee on House Administration voted on party lines to eliminate the independent Election Assistance Commission. The EAC was created to help states upgrade voting technology and promote critical election-related information sharing. Having up-to-date voting machine technology is critical to ensure they are protected from any potential hacking, tampering, or fraud. This inexplicable move willfully ignores the present-day threats to election … Continue Reading
January 31, 2017
Homeland Security Committee Ranking Members Announced
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, announced the Committee’s new Democratic members and subcommittee Ranking Members for the 115th Congress. Ranking Member Thompson also announced the appointment of Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) to be Vice Ranking Member of the full Committee. The full list of Committee membership can be seen here. Subcommittee Ranking Members: Rep. Filemon Vela (D-TX) - Border & Maritime … Continue Reading
January 29, 2017
Top House Judiciary, Foreign Affairs & Homeland Security Democrats Call for Meeting with Homeland Security Secretary; Raise Concerns Over Immigration Executive Order
(WASHINGTON) House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), and House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly to raise concerns about President Donald Trump’s recent immigration executive order and … Continue Reading
January 28, 2017
Thompson Statement on the Effects of Trump's Executive Order
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the effects of President Trump’s Executive Order on refugees and immigration: “Barring vetted, approved refugees, visa holders, and even U.S. green card holders from boarding planes to this country or detaining them upon arrival simply because they hold passports from Muslim-majority countries does nothing to enhance homeland security. This shameful … Continue Reading
January 27, 2017
Trump Ends His First Week How He Began His Campaign: Sowing Fear and Embracing Stereotypes
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Executive Order on refugee vetting: “In his first week in office, President Trump has used the power of the Presidency to unilaterally issue directives based on the fear mongering, stereotyping, and bigotry that Americans first heard when he descended the escalator at Trump Tower in June 2015. Since taking office, the President has devoted more … Continue Reading
January 25, 2017
Thompson: Executive Order Amounts to Mere Political Theater
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on President Trump’s Executive Order on the “border wall”: “The signing of today’s Executive Order on the “border wall” is nothing more than political theater that will do little to better secure America’s borders. The Department of Homeland Security already has the authority to build border fence where there is operational need. Wasting billions on a … Continue Reading
January 20, 2017
Statement on DHS Secretary Confirmation
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Senate confirmation of General John F. Kelly to be Secretary of Homeland Security: "I congratulate General Kelly on his confirmation and look forward to working with him to help keep the country safe and secure. His solid background and history of service should be commended and helped ensure this critical national security position was quickly … Continue Reading
January 18, 2017
Secret Service Racial Bias Case Finally Resolved
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news from the Department of Homeland Security on the settlement of the decades-old racial bias case brought by agents against the U.S. Secret Service: "I am pleased that after years of delay, this racial discrimination case has been resolved. The evidence was clear: for years many black Secret Service agents were denied promotions for no explicable … Continue Reading
January 06, 2017
DHS to Designate Election Systems as Critical Infrastructure Subsector
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news from Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson that he has designated election infrastructure as a critical infrastructure subsector: “In recent days, confidence in our electoral processes has taken hits not only from Russian government hackers and Wikileaks, but also, regrettably, from the President-elect. Today, the Department of Homeland … Continue Reading
January 06, 2017
Thompson Statement on Intelligence Community Report
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the report released by the Intelligence Community on Russian interference in the presidential election (“Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections”). “The report out today presents direct evidence that the Russian government, on orders from President Putin, carried out a cyber campaign to interfere with the 2016 Presidential … Continue Reading
January 06, 2017
Thompson: Taxpayers Will Pay for Border Wall Broken Campaign Promise
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news reports that President-elect Trump and the Republican Majority in Congress intend to have the American taxpayer pay for his border “wall”: “It was always a campaign fantasy that Mexico would pay for a wall along our nation’s southwest border. Before even taking the oath of office, President-elect Trump is already signaling he will break a … Continue Reading
December 13, 2016
Thompson, Smith, Cummings, Conyers, Engel, Hoyer, Schiff Joint Statement Calling for a Comprehensive Investigation of Russian Interference in the 2016 Election
(WASHINGTON) - Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) released the following joint statement … Continue Reading
December 07, 2016
Thompson Statement on Kelly Nomination to Run DHS
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement following reports that General John F. Kelly will be nominated to be the next Homeland Security Secretary: "General Kelly's depth of experience in managing large, complex organizations will be necessary for running a department with the size and complexity of DHS. Although I am troubled by his alarmist statements in the past on the security of … Continue Reading
December 01, 2016
Report: Oversight of Private Detention Centers Must Improve
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news that the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) released a report on the Department of Homeland Security's use of private detention facilities. The report indicates that DHS's use of private for-profit detention will continue, however, this should come with improved and expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) oversight. Five … Continue Reading
November 18, 2016
Thompson: National Security Selections Deeply Troubling
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the President-elect's selections for key national security positions - Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor, and Rep. Mike Pompeo as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency: "Today's announcement by the President-elect of selections for key national security and law enforcement positions … Continue Reading
November 17, 2016
Republicans Cave to Trump In Push For Another CR
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news that Republican lawmakers will push through another short term continuing resolution to fund the government through March 2017: "I am dismayed that Republican lawmakers have reneged on their plan to continue negotiating full year funding legislation for FY2017 in order to push another short term continuing resolution at the President-elect's … Continue Reading
November 17, 2016
Audit of Secret Service Reimbursements to Presidential Campaigns to Begin
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, announced that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will commence a review of U.S. Secret Service reimbursements to Presidential campaigns for transportation, lodging and other travel-related expenses in connection with providing protection to presidential candidates. Congressman Thompson requested this audit last month and believes it is imperative that we know whether or not … Continue Reading
November 15, 2016
Thompson: Bannon’s Ideology Threatens Communities
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on homeland security implication of President-elect Trump's hiring of Stephen Bannon as White House Chief Strategist and Senior Counselor: "From a homeland security standpoint, the President-elect is off to a very troubling start. After running a divisive campaign, President-elect Trump chose Steve Bannon, a person who has made a career of espousing … Continue Reading
November 15, 2016
Need-to-Know Required for Access to Nation’s Top Secrets
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news reports that President-elect Trump may request top secret security clearances for his children: "The President-elect's request of top secret security clearances for his children must be reconsidered. His children are not employed by the federal government, have zero experience in the national security field or the intelligence community, and … Continue Reading