Bennie Thompson

The Trump administration's response to the coronavirus has been an abject failure, and the American people have suffered the consequences.

That refusal is yet another example of the Trump administration shirking its responsibility to answer to Congress and the American people on its bungled response to COVID-19.

We need real leadership at the Federal level if our country is to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent more lives from being lost needlessly.

The President's gross incompetence and incoherent plan to respond to the pandemic has cost lives.

The Trump administration's response to the coronavirus has been an abject failure.

The Trump administration shirking its responsibility to answer to Congress and the American people.

That self-imposed guidance is intended to undermine Congressional oversight of the administration.

The Trump administration's failure to respond to the pandemic has harmed their communities and our Nation.

I fully support both efforts.

The time has come for that to stop.

I commend all of you for doing that. That is why I think this is such an important hearing we are having today.

The Domestic Terrorism Documentation and Analysis of Threats in America Act, and which has been referred to the Senate, also makes sense.

This bipartisan piece of legislation was voted out of this committee in October 2019 and awaits action from our colleagues in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

We need to follow the threat. We shouldn't be swayed by political winds.

It is imperative that Department of Homeland Security and other Federal agencies immediately devote resources toward understanding and confronting these emerging threats.

The committee is convening today to examine 3 critical, related, and deeply troubling issues: The terrible deaths of young children in the custody of Customs and Border Protection (CBP); CBP's failure to consistently implement the revised…

It is clear that this administration will do everything it can to avoid oversight.

Obtaining and distributing critical supplies and medical equipment has proven to be among the most important and challenging factors in responding to COVID-19.

The absence of leadership from the White House has resulted in the lack of a clear, coordinated Federal procurement strategy.

ICE and its contractors must do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the interest of saving lives and protecting our country.

I also hope that as the tragic public health crisis continues that ICE will use its discretion and maximize the use of alternatives to detention program.

The Government Accountability Project also represents subject-matter experts who are employed by DHS to advise on detention health issues but whose input seems to have been ignored.

Quite frankly today's hearing topic is outside our committee's jurisdiction.

ICE should be here to update us on what further measures they're taking to address COVID-19 and what additional improvements can be made in the future.

I find it disappointing that the Majority did not invite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to update us on the preventative measures they've taken to address COVID-19.