Congressman Cohen Asks Why Congress has Surrendered its Constitutional Prerogatives and Fails to Stand Up to Trump
Tells Subcommittee hearing on Sanctuary Jurisdictions Secretary Noem has not responded to his inquiries
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today said Congress has surrendered its Constitutional rights under Article One, including the power of the purse, to the Trump Administration and abandoned its duty to be a check on the Executive Branch at a Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement hearing on sanctuary jurisdictions.
In his statement, he said in part:
“Our country is in danger right now and immigration is important but if we don’t have a country, immigration isn’t an issue. I’m astonished at how many people – particularly on the other side of the aisle – are surrendering their power to Trump and letting him do whatever in the hell he wants.”
Congressman Cohen noted that he sent Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a letter on February 14 seeking answers about who her department has deported and whether they were convicted of violent crimes, and that he has yet to receive an answer.
He continued: “She’s had time to pose in front of people in prison in El Salvador with her Rolex watch and using them as a prop but she doesn’t have time to answer a Congressional request to state who they have arrested and are they getting ‘the worst of the worst.’ I have to presume that her failure to answer is the fact that they’re not getting ‘the worst of the worst…’ “They might have had some ugly tattoos…, but they had a right to due process…
“Due process is important all the time and it’s most important when it’s in the worst circumstances, the most difficult circumstances. That’s when you need to stand up and abide by your oath…”
See Congressman Cohen’s entire statement here.
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