Bennie Thompson

Throughout our history, the United States has been a haven for refugees fleeing persecution and those who would play on our fears should not derail that proud legacy.

However, I would warn us against overstating fears and creating a level of suspicion on an already vulnerable population.

We must move beyond the perceived fears of the unknown and focus on credible threat information and allow the security vetting systems we have in place to work.

Time and time again, I have urged this committee not to have a narrow view of violent extremism which ignores violent extremist activities of domestic groups.

The idea that they would be met with suspicion and hate upon arrival in the United States is an affront to the values we uphold and promote.

Given the noted upsurge in domestic, non-Islamic activity and the risk such ideologically-based violence may present to this Nation, we write to request that you hold a hearing on the threats posed by domestic terrorists when the House…

Although Hurricane Katrina triggered many reforms to improve the ability to leverage defense support of civil authorities during emergencies.

One of the most important lessons that emerged after Hurricane Katrina was the failure to coordinate Federal, State, and local assets.

I would like to thank Ms. McSally and Mr. Payne, Jr. for holding this important hearing.

Mr. Chairman, by no means am I saying that this bulletin would have changed the outcome of the situation, but I do think that this illustrates that we need to continue looking into information sharing with State and local police and also…

We need to continue looking into information sharing with the State and local police and also listening to the boots on the ground on how to recognize and prevent acts of home-grown violent extremism.

I encourage this committee to continue serious discussions on how to counter violent extremist messages while protecting Constitutional rights.

If we are going to authorize S&T this year, we should establish policies and guidance for defining R&D across the Department, and having clear processes and procedures for overseeing R&D, that would provide more oversight of R&D…

Without objective measurement tools, it is impossible for Congress to assess what should be changed or what should be kept.

Many of my concerns about the Science and Technology Directorate stem from our work in the committee a few years ago during my Chairmanship, when we all worked together over a period of 2 years to pass a comprehensive, bipartisan Science…

After this incident, TSA asked the Aviation Security Advisory Committee to reevaluate airport employee screening protocols.

While I understand the need for vendors and airline employees to access various areas of the airport to do their jobs, I also understand the need to maintain security.

I am disappointed that, after expending months of resources to investigate these cases, the Inspector General produced an incomplete review.

This committee works well when we can work in a bipartisan manner to achieve the shared goals of advancing the Department of Homeland Security.

I would like to hear from the Deputy Secretary Mayorkas on how, through his leadership, substantial improvements can be achieved at the Department.

I think this subcommittee can be a great leader in this issue, and we can get in front of this movement.

Over the past 5 years, democracy and progress have been marching forward in Africa and the Middle East.

Reclaiming my time, I accept the gentleman's reinterpretation of the statement, and we will go forward. Let me just say that, yesterday, on a 7-year sunset on an Intelligence bill, the House resoundingly voted for this very same amendment…

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I will read for the Record the statement my chairman made in Rules. Mr. McCaul said: There is an amendment that has a 7-year sunset provision, and I will be honest, I will not oppose that. I think 7 years is ample…

I appreciate, as I said, the maker of this amendment. Let me be clear, I offered the very same amendment in markup. It failed on a party-line vote, and this is democracy; but a little thing that concerns me is that, when we went to the…