Bennie Thompson Does Not Let Up On Kristi Noem In Grilling About Due Process

Forbes Breaking News

At today's House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) questioned DHS Sec. Kristi Noem.

Transcript

00:00My commitment to be inside my five minutes, I will now yield to the ranking member for his five minutes.

00:08Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

00:11The Department of Homeland Security has been the top target on Donald Trump's revenge tour.

00:18And you, Madam Secretary, are the chief accomplice.

00:21The Trump administration is hell-bent on destroying the Department of Homeland Security,

00:27built through bipartisan collaboration over the past two decades and evading any accountability for its actions.

00:36Let's start with what the administration is doing to FEMA.

00:40Madam Secretary, you said that you want to get rid of FEMA.

00:45And the administration's plan is to shirk its disaster response obligation

00:50and leave state and local governments to fiend for themselves.

00:54Emergency managers across the country are sounding the alarm about the limited ability to respond

01:02when disasters strike, but their calls are falling on deaf ears from the White House.

01:10What is the administration's plan to respond to catastrophic disasters

01:15beyond shifting responsibilities to states and local communities

01:20who are already telling you they don't have the ability to respond?

01:25Well, Congressman, President Trump has been very clear that he believes that FEMA should be eliminated as it exists today.

01:32He believes there's dramatic reforms that need to happen to the agency

01:36in order for it to truly serve people in a time of crisis.

01:40He wants to empower states and local governments to respond to their people.

01:43The federal government would be there for resources, support, much like block grants,

01:49but that we need to empower those locally to respond to their people because they know what they need.

01:55So that is something that every state is at a different position today to respond,

02:00but he wants to give them the opportunity to build up the infrastructure to respond to their emergency.

02:04Thank you very much, Madam Secretary.

02:06Do you have this plan in writing?

02:08The White House is coming forward with the participation of the FEMA Review Council,

02:13which we have members from many states that are sitting on that will be making recommendations.

02:18So what you're doing now, there's nothing in writing as a guidepost.

02:26Well, sir, you certainly know that there are reform bills here in the House side

02:29and in the Senate side of how to address the failures of FEMA from the past.

02:33No, but you're the secretary.

02:34Those will be considered with the FEMA Review Council recommendations.

02:37Now, you're the secretary, and you say you're doing all these things,

02:43and I'm just asking you, do you have a written plan for what you're doing?

02:46There is no formalized final plan for how this goes forward because the input of Congress is critically important.

02:52As you know, there are statutory requirements of the agency.

02:55Well, I'm glad you recognize.

02:56And that needs to be balanced with the recommendations.

02:58I'm glad you recognize the statutory requirements.

03:04Washington State, Mississippi, and a couple of other states already have requests in to you

03:13or to the president for the last declaration,

03:17and it's taken an inordinate amount of time, more than normal.

03:22I just want to know, is that inordinate amount of time is based on some plan that you have knowledge of?

03:32But if it's not in writing, I understand.

03:36So you talked about the rule of law.

03:38So are you telling the committee that due process for anybody that's picked up in this country should not be followed?

03:53Congressman, we have utilized due process as it is laid out in the tools that Congress has given us.

03:59We have followed the tools and the processes to which Congress has given us

04:03to give due process to people appropriately as it is due.

04:06So your testimony to this committee, under oath, is that everybody that ICE has picked up in this country

04:14has been given every opportunity as it Section 5 under the Constitution provides?

04:21Correct.

04:22I believe everybody has gotten due process, and every person has been treated appropriately

04:27according to the civil or the criminal action to which they were encountering individuals

04:32and brought into our detainment.

04:35And then also removed from this country.

04:37So your answer is yes.

04:38The tools that you have given us as this body for due process have been implemented.

04:40No, I'm talking about the Constitution of the United States.

04:43I'm not talking about tools.

04:45The Constitution is clear.

04:47Correct.

04:47And?

04:48And your testimony, under oath to this committee,

04:51is that everybody that ICE has picked up and any other agency of DHS has conformed to those statutes.

04:58For example, Congressman, expedited removal is one of the tools that you have given us to utilize as due process.

05:06I just need a yes or no.

05:08Sir, that is the due process tool that you have given us to utilize that has been appropriately.

05:12So obviously.

05:12The gentleman's time has expired.

05:14I have a unanimous consent request, Chairman?

05:17I'm sorry?

05:17I have a unanimous consent request.

05:19I have a unanimous consent request.

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