California Democrats speak with reporters about an incident involving Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) at a Sec. Kristi Noem press briefing.
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00:00I want to thank Leader Jeffries and Senator Schiff, Joe Lofgren, the California delegation, and all of our colleagues.
00:09Senator Padilla is living the American dream.
00:14He's representing 40 million Californians.
00:18He is in his office building, the federal office building, where he offices.
00:25And it is a crime to lay your hands on a federal official.
00:31That's what happened today.
00:34Senator Padilla was speaking on behalf, as his job, 40 million Californians who have reasonable questions and disagreements with this administration.
00:46This administration that promised to lower the costs that people have on day one.
00:51But what are they doing instead?
00:52They're militarizing that federal building.
00:56And they're preventing people from asking Kristi Noem questions.
01:01And as Senator Schiff said, that is their job.
01:05That is our job.
01:05But he is speaking for all of us.
01:09He is speaking for Californians.
01:10When he is asking these important questions and conducting oversight, and the fact that Kristi Noem's security detail would detain him, take him to the ground, it's unconscionable.
01:24And it's un-American.
01:26And it's un-American.
01:27We need answers.
01:28We don't need reports.
01:30We need answers.
01:32From Senator Thune.
01:33From Speaker Johnson.
01:36We need answers to these questions.
01:38Because Donald Trump's administration is unhinged.
01:44Secretary Hegseth is lying across the street.
01:47Just as he was lying all week.
01:49And Kristi Noem has no answers to any of these questions.
01:54And we are demanding answers.
01:57And we are demanding accountability.
01:59And this caucus of Democrats will not stand until we get that.
02:04This despicable incident took place in my district today.
02:07But let me first say, House Democrats have been pushing back and fighting back against the unjust actions of ICE, who have deported a lot of children, including U.S. citizens.
02:17They wrongfully detained U.S. citizens.
02:19They have taken actions that violate the law.
02:22And now we have this, where they forcefully took down a U.S. senator because he dared to ask questions of Secretary Noem.
02:29Why is she afraid to answer questions?
02:31And we have a call to action.
02:33More and more Americans are now going to righteously exercise your right to protest.
02:39Go forth and righteously exercise your right to monitor actions of ICE.
02:44Go forth and righteously exercise your right to attend town halls and rallies.
02:48The way we hold this administration accountable is for the American people to rise up and peacefully exercise your rights to make your voices heard.
02:58All right.
03:00We have a senior member.
03:01Press, we need you.
03:02We need you.
03:04We need you to hold them accountable.
03:08Media, it's your country.
03:10We need you.
03:12So make sure you hold them accountable.
03:15Don't cover the distractions.
03:17Cover the actions that lead us towards authoritarianism.
03:21Please.
03:21Let me say, as the second most senior member of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem needs to come to our committee and answer questions.
03:35ICE needs to show their faces.
03:38No more masks like 1,800 bank robbers or Russian KGB agents in the streets.
03:44And stop terrorizing families.
03:46So what can you do at home?
03:48It's no King's Day this Saturday.
03:502,000 rallies across America.
03:53Americans need to show up.
03:54Because if we don't show up, democracy dies.
03:58We have votes that have been called.
04:01This is what racism looks like.
04:03Would you like to say a few words?