Bennie Thompson

Serious threats demand action from serious people. Not politically-motivated attacks, not inflammatory language that divides us.

Our asylum laws are the laws of the land. If you don't like them, you are in the right forum to change them.

Republicans are directing politically-motivated attacks at these administration witnesses, and they are doing so to distract from Republicans' own failures at governing.

Cabinet secretaries shouldn't be impeached over policy differences. That is not what the Constitution says.

To be sure, Republicans have failed at running the House of Representatives.

My Democratic colleagues and I plan to ask you about these issues, and we stand ready and willing, as always, to work with you to address these challenges on behalf of the American people.

They revere their Presidential candidate, who admires dictators and despots, calling them 'capable', 'competent', and 'smart.'

They talk tough about strengthening our cyber defenses but then vote to slash funding for the agency charged with that important mission.

They ousted their own Speaker, paralyzing the House and bringing the legislative process to a standstill for weeks as they fought amongst themselves.

Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have a different agenda today, and we need to be clear about what their agenda really means from the outset of this hearing.

In fact, the Biden administration and Secretary Mayorkas are going after the cartels and have implemented enhanced counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling efforts.

More likely, my Republican colleagues have convened this hearing to mislead the American public about what the administration is doing to combat human smuggling and trafficking at the border.

Unfortunately, based on their politically-charged rhetoric and baseless accusations about the Biden administration's border policies, I doubt my Republican colleagues intend to use this hearing to help find meaningful solutions.

Addressing human smuggling and trafficking is a critically important challenge.

At the start of last Congress, the SolarWinds Supply Chain compromise laid bare unacceptable gaps in our approach to securing Federal networks.

I still believe in America. I don't see us becoming a bully.

House Republicans have been AWOL. Because of their failure to elect a Speaker for the last 22 days.

The House has been AWOL.

I hope Republicans can overcome their chaos and dysfunction so that we can return to regular order.

President Biden and his administration have shown true leadership, not just words but action.

The United States condemns Hamas' actions and stand in total solidarity with Israel against terror.

The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress From the State of Mississippi, and Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security:

Since the beginning of 2022, the Department has created and implemented a strategy which establishes that ending forced labor is a moral, economic, and national security priority for DHS.

It is critical that we help ensure that American companies that do not engage in human rights violations can fairly compete in the global marketplace and are not unduly disadvantaged.

UFLPA was necessary to combat the horrific genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the People's Republic of China against the Uyghur population.