The House Democratic Caucus voted to keep Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) as the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee amid an incoming party flip in Washington.
Thompson, who is in his ninth term on the Homeland Security Committee, announced on social media that he had been retained as the panel’s ranking member. He was first selected to a position of leadership on the committee since its inception as a standing committee in 2005.
“It is an incredible honor to be selected by my colleagues to serve as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee,” Thompson wrote on X, tagging the committee’s official account. “I look forward to continuing our work to keep our nation secure – and fully intend to be a check on the incoming administration.”
It is an incredible honor to be selected by my colleagues to serve as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee. @HomelandDems
I look forward to continuing our work to keep our nation secure – and fully intend to be a check on the incoming administration.
— Bennie G. Thompson (@BennieGThompson) December 18, 2024
The latter sentence in Thompson’s post is the latest shot taken in what’s become a rivalry of sorts between the longtime Mississippi congressman and President-elect Donald Trump.
Last week, Trump threatened to jail Thompson and others over their work through the House Jan. 6 Select Committee, which investigated the 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and encouraged the Justice Department to convict Trump whose supporters were behind the attempted self-coup d’état after the Republican lost the 2020 presidential election – for various charges such as obstruction of an official proceeding.
While the Jan. 6 panel’s work is complete and Trump has so far avoided or rammed through charges to find his way back to the Oval Office, Thompson continues to make clear his plans to use leadership opportunities for what he deems accountability for Trump. On top of an administration switch, the House recently turned from blue to red as Republicans earned control of both chambers during the November elections.
As for the work done to date by Thompson as part of the Homeland Security Committee, the committee has made progress in areas such as bolstering resources for the TSA and the Coast Guard and strengthening cybersecurity, among other achievements.
The House Homeland Security Committee is tasked with focusing on legislation and oversight related to the security of the country to ensure citizens are protected from terrorist attacks. It was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
