Bennie Thompson

I am glad to see the agreement on the role for DHS in this great challenge that we have.

I must express my deep concern also about the aloof--bordering on belligerent--posture taken by the Trump administration with respect to our NATO allies.

What seems to be lost on President Trump... is that there can be no retribution without attribution.

It is disheartening to see President Trump be dismissive about investigating this very significant cyber attack.

I support an independent, 9/11-style commission to investigate the Russian cyber campaign.

One of the things that we are grappling with is some of the things that we are dealing with go to the basic threat of our democracy.

That is why I support an independent 9/11-style commission to investigate the Russian cyber campaign.

Even before the election Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed hackers to penetrate the e-mail accounts of high-ranking…

Cybersecurity is at the forefront of American politics in a way that in my 24 years here in Congress I have never seen before.

Also, the President's 'Muslim Ban' would suspend refugee processing, causing America to turn its back on the most vulnerable.

The President, through his proposed 'Muslim Ban,' looks to prohibit individuals from six majority Muslim nations from receiving visas to travel to the United States.

The President has suspended premium processing of H-1B visas, which offers a shorter wait time for foreign workers in a range of industries.

The President wants to shift our Nation's immigration system from family reunification and admitting skilled workers and protecting refugees to a merit-based approach.

Too often, this subcommittee convenes to discuss failures in IT modernization at the Department of Homeland Security.

Today's Justice Department indictment of two Russian-government agents in the Kremlin's cyber division is a watershed moment in our efforts to counter state-directed cyber hacking campaigns.

Even before the election, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed hackers to penetrate the email accounts of high-ranking Democratic party officials.

The Russian cyber campaign sought to strike at the heart of our democracy.

Cybersecurity is at the forefront of American politics in a way that, in my 24 years in Congress, I have never seen.

Words matter as well as actions--we need diplomacy and a strong homeland security plan bolstered by a military that can come to the fore if peaceful efforts to resolve disputes fail.

The climate that the Nation is in at this moment poses the greatest threat to Homeland Security than at any other time since the days following September 11, 2001.

I want to offer my condolences to the family of Srinivas Kuchibhotla and my prayers for a speedy recovery for Alok Madasani who were brutally shot in Kansas City Kansas, and senselessly gunned down by an angry racist.

The United States cannot make more enemies than we are making friends--we cannot afford to turn our friends into enemies or absent allies when we need them to fight terrorist threats.

I have said it several times and I will continue, we need an independent commission to fully investigate Russia's interference with the election and any potential Trump campaign ties to Putin and his policies.

This careless Executive Order and President Trump's inflammatory rhetoric used throughout his campaign and during his presidency provides propaganda for terrorist networks and alienates our allies within the United States and abroad.

However, just a little over a month into the Trump administration, the President, through his ill-conceived and hasty U.S. counterterrorism policies seeks to weaken counterterrorism defenses built over the 16 years since 9/11.