Democrats peppered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with tough questions at a hearing for the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Breitbart reported. Noem discussed issues such as budget cuts, immigration, and REAL ID travel requirements.
The hearing occurred on Tuesday as Noem faced the panel of four Democrats and seven Republicans. She defended President Donald Trump's positions and her own actions on several key issues.
The wide-ranging topics included Noem defending recent budget cuts and the immigration crackdown currently underway. There was also news on the REAL ID front, which has hit some snags in implementation.
As Spectrum News reported, Noem was asked about reducing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's budget by $491 million. "Despite the growing cyber threats, your budget cuts nearly half a billion dollars—half a billion dollars from the main agency charged with protecting our federal network," Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) charged.
Noem explained that it was reshifting priorities rather than cutting something necessary. "So in CISA, instead of doing censorship, misinformation and disinformation, they are back to securing our critical infrastructure," Noem explained.
She said it was the same thing for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, explaining that Trump "wants to eliminate FEMA as it exists today and to have states have more control over their emergency management response." Democrats challenged Noem on the cuts, but they clearly thought immigration was a winning issue.
Underwood pressed Noem on whether the government was able to deport American citizens. Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) similarly took that line of questioning, referencing deported citizens who decided to take their American-born children with them.
"No, and we are not deporting U.S. citizens," Noem explained. "The specific cases that you're referencing with these children, it was the parents' choice to take their children, which is the policy of the Trump administration to keep families together," Noem said, destroying the narrative.
Noem also fielded questions about the REAL ID requirement that the Associated Press noted would go into effect Wednesday. All airplane travel, including domestic, requires a passport or a compliant identification card or driver's license.
This comes from a 2005 law that was a recommendation after the 9/11 Commission investigation. The thought is that state-issued identification documents must comply with uniform federal standards for national security purposes in travel and entering certain federal buildings.
During Tuesday's hearing, Noem announced that travelers without a REAL ID "may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step" at airports, but wouldn't be denied access to travel. "But people will be allowed to fly," Noem assured the public.
"We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible," she added. Although Noem said nearly 81% of Americans wishing to travel have the complaint IDs, many have worried about the problems it might cause for those who don't in the interim.
Noem handled herself like a pro during the onslaught of pointed questions. Officials in the Trump administration, including Noem, are doing a phenomenal job implementing and explaining his agenda.
