Statement From Representative Espaillat: "Noem's Removal Is Long Overdue"

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), released the following statement on the firing of Kristi Noem.

"Kristi Noem demonstrated from the very beginning that she was not up to the responsibility of leading the Department of Homeland Security. For more than a month, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has called for her removal, raising serious concerns about her leadership, the erosion of due process, and a pattern of abuses carried out under her watch.

"That it took President Trump more than a year to reach this conclusion is itself an indictment of the administration’s judgment and priorities. The American people and members of Congress were sounding the alarm long before the White House chose to act.

"The president’s reported plan to replace Secretary Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin also raises serious questions about the direction and seriousness of leadership at the Department of Homeland Security. The American people deserve steady, responsible leadership at an agency tasked with protecting our nation while upholding the Constitution and the rule of law.

"Still, today’s development is an important step forward. The removal of Secretary Noem is a direct result of sustained oversight, public accountability, and the voices of Americans across the country who refused to stay silent in the face of corruption, cruelty, and incompetence.

"This is a victory for those who worked tirelessly to expose these failures. But most of all, it is a victory for the American people, who made clear that enough was enough and that no public official is above accountability."

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov