Press Releases
Reps. Watson Coleman, Rice Applaud TSA Announcing Gender-Neutral Checkpoint Screening
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Chairwoman of the Committee on Homeland Security’s Transportation & Maritime Security Subcommittee, and Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY), sponsor of H.R. 4249, the Screening With Dignity Act, applauded an announcement from the Department Homeland Security (DHS) - on International Transgender Day of Visibility - that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will be implementing a number of screening measures that are … Continue Reading
March 28, 2022
Chairs Thompson, DeFazio Applaud President Biden’s Budget to Increase Pay and Collective Bargaining for TSA’s Frontline Workforce
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, applauded President Biden’s FY2023 Budget Request including funding for long overdue pay increases and expanded collective bargaining for TSA’s predominantly frontline workforce. The increase in funding would come from TSA’s collection of security fees – which … Continue Reading
March 24, 2022
Thompson, Katko Mourn the Death of Former TSA Administrator Kip Hawley
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement on the recent passing of former Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator Edmund “Kip” Hawley: “Kip Hawley played an integral role in the stand-up of TSA in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Our homeland … Continue Reading
March 10, 2022
Thompson, Katko, Clarke, Garbarino Laud Cyber Incident Reporting Passage
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, & Innovation Subcommittee, and Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Ranking Member of the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, & Innovation Subcommittee, released the below joint statement on cyber incident reporting … Continue Reading
March 09, 2022
Chairman Thompson Applauds Increase in Counterterrorism Grant Funding to Protect Houses of Worship and Nonprofits in Omnibus
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on the bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 including a dramatic increase in funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps secure nonprofits and houses of worship against terrorism. In recent years, there has been a surge in threats against nonprofits, most recently including the January 15 … Continue Reading
February 24, 2022
Thompson, Torres, Clarke Release Statement on Russian Invasion of Ukraine
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Vice Chairman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, & Innovation, released the following statement on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a brazen assault on democracy, not just in Ukraine, but democracies around the globe. This unprovoked … Continue Reading
February 07, 2022
Chairman Thompson Statement on Updated DHS Public Bulletin on the Terrorism Threat
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Majorkas issuing a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) bulletin on the current terrorism threat: "Today’s action by the Department of Homeland Security aligns with what the Committee was told about the current threat picture at our hearing last week on the dynamic terrorism landscape. It is not lost … Continue Reading
February 03, 2022
Thompson Statement on Biden Administration’s New Cyber Safety Review Board
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s launch of the new Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), a Board comprised of representatives from the Federal government (including DOD, DOJ, CISA, NSA, FBI), security firms, software suppliers, and other private sector organizations, to investigate “significant cyber incidents”: “We are pleased to see … Continue Reading
February 03, 2022
Chairman Thompson Statement on Counterterrorism Operation in Syria
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement in response to news that the ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi was killed during a U.S. counterterrorism operation in Syria. “I commend President Biden for taking decisive action last night to help keep the world safe and our homeland secure. I also thank the tireless effort from our military and intelligence community. “In … Continue Reading
February 01, 2022
Chairman Thompson Statement on Recent Bomb Threats Against HBCUs
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on news that at least a dozen Historically Black Colleges and Universities reported bomb threats for a second day in a row. “The spate of bomb threats against Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in recent days is incredibly disturbing and disheartening. It is not lost on me that these threats are targeting African American … Continue Reading
January 16, 2022
Chairman Thompson Statement on Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement after a hostage situation yesterday at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas: “I commend law enforcement at all levels for coming together in a coordinated fashion to ensure the safe release of members of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. While we are thankful that worshippers at the Congregation Beth Israel … Continue Reading
January 14, 2022
Chairman Thompson Statement on Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack Arrests
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on news that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), at the request of US authorities, arrested members of the REvil ransomware gang and shut down their operations – including those responsible for the Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, and Kaseya ransomware attacks: “As President Biden has repeatedly emphasized in meetings with both allies and … Continue Reading
December 20, 2021
Chairman Thompson Statement on Additional Allegations Against Border Patrol in Lawsuit from Haitian Migrants
(WASHINGTON) - Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement on additional allegations made against U.S. Border Patrol in Del Rio, Texas in a lawsuit filed by Haitian migrants. "The allegations in this lawsuit - including new claims that Border Patrol agents used horse reins as whips on Haitian migrants - are appalling. It is also troubling that these allegations run counter to what senior CBP officials have told … Continue Reading
December 16, 2021
Thompson, Warren Release New Watchdog Report on Disaster Recovery Barriers, Lack of Equitable Outcomes
(WASHINGTON) – Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) released a report they requested from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the lack of equitable outcomes in disaster recovery programming across the Federal Government. In its report, entitled “Disaster Recovery: Additional Actions Needed to Identify and Address Potential Recovery Barriers” (GAO-22-104039), GAO found that … Continue Reading
December 15, 2021
Chairman Thompson Releases Statement on Government Use of Force Report
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report he requested on the use of less-lethal force by several Departments, including the Department of Homeland Security, during the 2020 civil demonstrations in Washington D.C. and Portland, Oregon. In the report, entitled “Law Enforcement: Federal Agencies Should Improve Reporting and Review of … Continue Reading
December 13, 2021
Thompson Statement on Reports of CBP Surveillance of Journalists
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement regarding news reports that the Counter Network Division at U.S. Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center investigated journalists, Members of Congress, and their staff using government databases, including data on travel records as well as personal and financial information: “If true, this abuse of government surveillance powers … Continue Reading
December 07, 2021
Chairs Thompson, Clarke Statement on Cyber Incident Report Language Excluded from NDAA
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, & Innovation, released the following statement after the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022 Conference Report was finalized without cybersecurity incident response language. Cybersecurity incident response legislation was included in the House NDAA … Continue Reading
December 06, 2021
Homeland Security and Oversight Committees Release Update on Georgia ICE Facility Investigation, Inquire on DHS Action to Protect Migrants
(WASHINGTON) – Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Chairwoman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Border Security, Facilitation, & Operations Subcommittee, and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Chairman of the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee, sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding health and safety standards … Continue Reading
December 02, 2021
Chairs Thompson, Barragán Release Statement on Court-ordered Reimplementation of ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, & Operations, released the below statement following the announcement from the Department of Homeland Security that the U.S. and Mexico reached an agreement on the court-ordered reimplementation of the Trump Administration’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ … Continue Reading
November 24, 2021
Chairs Thompson and Watson Coleman Announce Increased TSA Enforcement of Mask Mandate
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Chairwoman of the Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee, announced that after pressing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the agency has stepped up enforcement of Federal mandate for travelers to wear masks in transportation settings. In a letter to the Committee, TSA Administrator David Pekoske wrote that as of November … Continue Reading