WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined MS NOW's The Weeknight to discuss Republicans' continued refusal to rein in ICE and plot to suppress the votes of millions of Americans. Below are excerpts from the conversation:
On Trump and the GOP's Refusal to Hold ICE Accountable:
"At this moment, when history is watching us and how we are going to react to what we are seeing — this buildup of a secret paramilitary force that has killed two American citizens in cold blood.
"That has terrorized law-abiding immigrant and American citizen communities. That is shutting down small businesses. That is tear gassing people who are protesting, including a six-month old baby — and we've all seen little Liam in his bunny hat being used as bait, being sent to a detention center in Texas and now being put on expedited deportation.
"What are my colleagues saying? They're saying we're going to leave town and close down DHS, FEMA, the Coast Guard, TSA workers — rather than have a conversation about putting into place the exact same things we expect of law enforcement throughout this country."
On Democrats' Demands for Reining in ICE:
"We've had Speaker Johnson already say to us, 'I will not ever require them not to wear masks.'
"If they're worried about identifying, it can just be a number just so people have a way of putting together the excessive force they are experiencing with an actual person. And knowing what part of the federal government they represent.
"We had Stephen Miller this week say that it was a 'nonstarter' to have a warrant backed up by probable cause, as our Constitution requires, to search someone's home — a nonstarter.
"This is now Constitution by fiat of Donald Trump and Kristi Noem? That is not the way our country works.
"And the American people are demanding an answer from them. They are not okay with watching people get tear gassed, watching people be terrorized, and watching two Americans be shot to death
...
"They are firm in what they want us to do: End the chaos. Give them security in their neighborhoods. And do exactly what Donald Trump promised: go after 'the worst of the worst.' That's not Alex Pretti. That is not little Liam Ramos."
On Republicans' Voter Suppression Bill:
“Every single registered voter would have to go through all this red tape and hurdles and barriers in order to prove they’re a citizen.
...
"The American people are barely hanging on. They're working multiple jobs. They are trying to be home, help their kids with homework, maybe get to a game. But they're struggling to put food on the table, pay the electric bill and the heat bill, and make the rent payment. Never mind find affordable child care.
“They changed this bill this week to say this would go into effect immediately. So it could impact — if they were able to pass this through the Senate — primaries that we're having in a few weeks around the country for the midterms. And all of this is for what? For a nonexistent problem that they have drummed up.
“But the real kicker of this version of the SAVE Act was that every single state's voter files will go straight to DHS. No guardrails. Nothing saying it will be limited for this use of checking to make sure that every one registered is a citizen. This is handing over personal voter data, party registration information, home addresses to DHS. And Kristi Noem has certainly shown she can not be trusted with that information.
"It was part of what Pam Bondi demanded in order to have their ICE troops leave Minnesota. They weren't given it, and now they're coming around another way.
"I think this is all about voter suppression, and it is all about getting the private data of American citizens into the DHS surveillance machine."
To view the complete conversation, click HERE.
# # #