Press Releases

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) issued the following statement today after U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) was assaulted while attempting to ask Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem a question during a press conference in Los Angeles:

“This is another disgraceful episode in a long train of abuses from a thuggish administration that has repeatedly incited and encouraged violence. What happened to Senator Padilla today is horrifying. This incident must be investigated, and everyone involved held accountable.

“Kristi Noem went to Los Angeles to help this Administration inflame and escalate a problem they are causing. Now she has the audacity to condone violence against a United States Senator for daring to ask her a question in his state. Rather than apologizing and trying to resolve a problem she helped create, Noem is lying about what happened and making it worse.

“This is unacceptable behavior from a Cabinet official, and it should be clear to everyone that Kristi Noem does not have the credibility or integrity to continue serving.”