Bennie Thompson

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought illness and death to communities across our country, with more than 135,000 Americans losing their lives to coronavirus.

This situation cannot continue.

Today I urge each one of ICE's detention contractors to be more aggressive in their response to COVID-19.

The public deserves to know this information.

I hope today to get a clear commitment from each company to be more transparent about their practices.

This situation cannot continue. ICE and its contractors must do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not create health disparities in this country. Instead, the pandemic is further exposing these disparities.

Unfortunately, President Trump's response to the worsening pandemic has been a failure by any reasonable measure.

We have not had conversations with those northern tier States.

It would seem to me, Mr. Chairman, that there would be a coordinated effort to get a National platform.

We are going through a painstaking phase in an introduction to our economy once again.

It seems to me that we would have learned observing what New York State went through.

The President has shirked his administration's responsibility to prepare and respond to the pandemic.

The President's comments come as no surprise. His administration's response to the coronavirus has been an abject failure.

The American people are counting on us.

This is also an important time to note that DHS has been without a permanent Secretary for well over a year now.

We must do everything we can to prevent future attacks in the United States--especially on military bases.

We must continue to make every effort to ensure that all aviation workers are kept safe from this virus.

As Chairman of this committee, I have advocated tirelessly on behalf of TSA's front-line work force and demanded that they be issued appropriate protective equipment like gloves and masks to do their important work.

I find this news alarming, given that there is an absence of evidence that such health screenings are effective.

Given this reality, the Federal Government must establish the right health, safety, and security standards to protect airport workers and restore public confidence in travel.

I am committed to working with TSA and aviation stakeholders to ensure that the sector ultimately succeeds.

Any proposed temperature check protocols must be designed to guard against the potential discrimination of travelers.

Let me be clear. Whatever we do in bringing the work force back, it should be with the advice and guidance of the medical experts.

Therefore, it is critical that DHS have a plan in place to protect the health of its employees before re-opening facilities or resuming operations.