Press Releases
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
October 28, 2016
Audit Needed of Taxpayer Funds Reimbursed to Trump Campaign
(WASHINGTON) - Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, requested an audit from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) of taxpayer funds expended to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Campaign. During an election season, certain Federal government entities are required to provide services to presidential campaigns, such as the U.S. Secret Service's candidate protection. The American taxpayer - not the campaign - assumes the … Continue Reading
October 14, 2016
Top House Dems Call for FBI Action on Trump Campaign’s Advance Knowledge of Ongoing Russian Cyber Hacking to Affect Election
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Reps. Elijah E. Cummings, John Conyers, Jr., Eliot L. Engel, and Bennie G. Thompson, the Ranking Members of the House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, and Homeland Security, issued the following statement in response to evidence that the Trump campaign apparently knew months beforehand about the hacking of emails from the account of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta: “Troubling … Continue Reading
October 05, 2016
Government Must Promote Diversity in the Homeland Security Workforce
(WASHINGTON) - Today, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum that provides guidance to promote diversity and inclusion in the national security workforce. More than three million people makeup the workforce that is responsible for protecting the country and advancing our interests abroad, through diplomacy, development, defense, intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security. This summer a report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence found that while the … Continue Reading
October 04, 2016
Implementation of 2015 Cybersecurity Act on the Right Track
October 4, 2016 (WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Review of the Department of Homeland Security's Implementation of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. The Act requires the IG to assess agency national security information technology systems that provide access to personally identifiable information (PII). "As we … Continue Reading
September 20, 2016
Fed Survey Shows DHS Improving Morale
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the results of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) conducted by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to measure worker morale and engagement. The results of the survey indicate that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) experienced a 3 point increase in employee engagement over last year as well as an increase in survey … Continue Reading
September 12, 2016
DHS CBRNE Reorg. Request Not Ready for Action
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report he requested on the Department of Homeland Security's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Program consolidation proposal: "The GAO's review of the Department of Homeland Security's proposal to consolidate certain activities related chemical, biological, radiological, … Continue Reading
September 11, 2016
Thompson Statement on the 15th Anniversary of September 11
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks: "Today marks the 15th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. On that day, our nation saw terrible death and destruction fueled by terror and hate. Since then we have come together as a nation to protect and rebuild our homeland. Even though we continue to make great … Continue Reading
August 19, 2016
New Zika Cases Show Congress Must Provide Funding Now
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the new cases of Zika in Miami Beach and the lack of funding from Congress: "The new Zika cases in Miami Beach - outside the one square mile initially identified as the Zika zone - confirm once again that Congress must do its job and approve the President's request for much-needed funding to protect Americans from the threat posed by the Zika … Continue Reading