Democrats demand testimony from Noem over Padilla handcuffing
Noem's security forcibly removed Padilla after he interrupted her press conference on Thursday. He identified himself and tried to ask a question as he was pushed out of the room, onto the ground, and handcuffed.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), joined by the other Democrats on the panel, said Padilla's effort to question Noem was inspired by 'an abysmal record of responding to inquiries and document requests from Capitol Hill.'
'Senator Padilla was doing his job when he attempted to communicate their outrage to Secretary Noem and ask questions about the administration's brazen actions in the State,' he wrote, describing Padilla's removal as 'a mortifying display for the Department and for the country.'
Trump administration officials have said the security officers acted appropriately in removing someone they didn't recognize from the press conference.
But Padilla was escorted to the event by federal security and used his name and title when interjecting.
'Secretary Noem was present and aware of what was happening and at no point attempted to intervene. She later gave the excuse that no one in the room recognized the Senator, which we know is not true,' wrote Thompson, the top Democrat on the panel.
'If it was true that neither the Secretary nor anyone who works for her was able to identify one of the two Senators of a State in which her Department is executing widespread immigration raids, she should take responsibility and apologize for the fact their ignorance resulted in the Senator being treated as a criminal. Instead, the Secretary has been slandering the Senator, falsely suggesting that he never identified himself and that he lunged at her. Video footage of the incident demonstrates both accusations to be patently false.'
The letter was addressed to Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) who announced this week he plans to resign from Congress to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.
Thompson asked Green to 'summon the Secretary of Homeland Security to testify about the egregious treatment of Senator Alex Padilla.'
Neither Green nor Noem's office immediately responded to request for comment.
Noem did meet with Padilla shortly after the incident.
'I think everyone would agree that wasn't appropriate,' she said once the press conference began.
'When I leave here I'll find him and visit and find out really what his concerns were. I think everybody in America would agree that that wasn't appropriate, that if you wanted to have a civil discussion, especially as a leader, a public official, that you would reach out and try to have a conversation,' she said.
Padilla has said his treatment raises questions about what happens off camera.
'I will say this: If this is how this administration responds to a senator with a question, I can only imagine what they're doing to farm workers to cooks to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country,' he said in a press conference after meeting with Noem.
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Los Angeles Times
18 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Orange County congresswoman targeted by protests over Trump megabill, cuts to healthcare
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We need our Medicaid. We cannot afford this type of reckless cuts and behavior.' A security guard blocked the parking lot to Kim's office and at least a half-dozen Anaheim police officers watched the protest unfold. Several people who appeared to be Kim staffers watched the demonstration from outside the building before they dashed inside when protestors marched to the building, unsuccessfully sought to enter it and then began chanting 'Shame! Shame!' In a statement, Kim said that her door was always open to Californians in her district. 'I understand some of my constituents are concerned and know how important Medicaid services are for many in my community, which is why I voted to protect and strengthen Medicaid services for our most vulnerable citizens who truly need it,' Kim said. 'I have met with many of these local healthcare advocates in recent months.' Trump's proposal would dramatically overhaul the nation's tax code by making cuts approved during the president's first term permanent, a major benefit the the corporations and the nation's wealthy, while slashing funding for historic federal safety-net programs including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps provide food to low-income Americans. Roughly 15 million Californians, more than a third of the state, are on Medi-Cal, the state's version of Medicaid, with some of the highest percentages in rural counties that supported Trump in the November election. More than half of California children receive healthcare coverage through Medi-Cal. A version of the Republican bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives with Kim's support. The U.S. Senate narrowly approved an amended version of the bill on Tuesday. The defection of three GOP senators meant Vice President J.D. Vance had to cast the tie-breaking vote for it to pass in that chamber. The House and Senate will now work to reconcile their two different versions of the bill. This week was a district work week for members of Congress, but House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) ordered members back to Washington, D.C., for votes on the bill that could occur Wednesday or Thursday. Republicans hope to get the legislation to President Trump's desk for his signature by Friday, Independence Day, though there is some concern among its members about whether they will have enough votes to pass the bill because of potential defections and the united Democratic opposition. An analysis released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on Sunday estimated that the Senate version of the proposal would increase the national deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion from 2025 to 2034 and would result in 11.8 million Americans losing healthcare insurance in less than a decade. Trump praised the passage of the bill on social media and urged House Republicans to support the Senate plan. The proposal has caused a rift within the GOP, with and some House members have expressed reservations about the measure because of the amount it would add to the nation's deficit and its impact on their constituents. 'I've been clear from the start that I will not support a final reconciliation bill that makes harmful cuts to Medicaid, puts critical funding at risk, or threatens the stability of healthcare providers' in his congressional district, Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) wrote on the social media site X on Sunday. He represents more than a half million Central Valley residents who rely on Medicaid – the most of any congressional district in California, according to the UC Berkeley Labor Center. A spokesperson for Valadao on Tuesday didn't respond to a question about how the congressman planned to vote. Kim's Orange County district is more affluent than Valadao's, but roughly one in five of her constituents rely on Medicaid. 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New York Post
35 minutes ago
- New York Post
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The closest was Bill de Blasio, and Mayor Putz was the worst leader the city had in 50 years. Which brings us back to Cuomo. The November ballot essentially comes down to a four-person race. In addition to Mamdani on the Dem line, Cuomo and Eric Adams hold independent lines, and Curtis Sliwa is the GOP nominee. Cuomo I believe, is the only one with a realistic chance of defeating Mamdani. Yes, yes, I know that's a hard sell in the immediate aftermath of the thumping the former governor suffered last week. Mamdani beat him by 7 points on the straight vote counting, and the final margin grew to 12 points when the ranked-choice votes were tabulated. Full of regrets The difference reflected the cross-endorsement arrangements Mamdani made with like-minded lefties that enabled him to pick up much of their support when they were eliminated. But the key was the record turnout of 100,000 new voters from ages 18 to 30, who went overwhelmingly for the Queens lawmaker. 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My prediction is that Cuomo, after licking his wounds and sounding out key donors and supporters, will throw himself into the November race. At this point, foolish pride is the only thing he has left to lose.
The Hill
42 minutes ago
- The Hill
House Democrat slams Fetterman for ‘beach' remark
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) took a swing at fellow Pennsylvanian Sen. John Fetterman (D) over comments he made as the Senate was on its way to passing President Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' in which he said he had 'missed' a beach trip. 'I will do whatever it takes, stay up for 48 straight hours, 72 straight hours, do whatever it takes to block this bill from becoming law,' Boyle told The Bulwark's Sam Stein in an interview that came out Tuesday. 'And that should be the attitude, frankly, of every Democratic member of the House and Senate. If you are here, you're damn lucky, and you're privileged to be here. You should want to be here. If you don't want to be here, leave,' he added. Fetterman made it quite clear Monday morning that he was not feeling excited about going through a marathon series of votes on the 'big, beautiful bill,' saying that it was costing him beach time, as the bill was likely to pass anyway. 'Oh my God, I just want to go home. I've already … I've missed our entire trip to the beach,' Fetterman said to reporters. Senate Republicans passed Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' early Tuesday afternoon, making it a step closer to crossing the president's desk. The bill now makes its way to the House, where questions arise about whether the lower chamber can meet a self-imposed Republican July 4 deadline for passing it. 'Almost all of our Great Republicans in the United States Senate have passed our 'ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL.' It is no longer a 'House Bill' or a 'Senate Bill'. It is everyone's Bill,' Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday. The Hill has reached out to Fetterman's office for comment.
