One of the Few House Democrats Who Voted With Republicans to Fund DHS Says 'I Failed'
"I hear the anger from many of my constituents, and I take responsibility for that," said Rep. Tom Suozzi.
One of the seven Democrats who voted with nearly all Republicans in the House of Representatives to pass a multibillion-dollar Department of Homeland Security funding bill last week expressed remorse after DHS killed another US citizen in Minnesota.
"I failed to view the DHS funding vote as a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE in Minneapolis," Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) said Monday, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has conducted President Donald Trump's mass deportation operations alongside Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
"I hear the anger from many of my constituents, and I take responsibility for that. I have long been critical of ICE's unlawful behavior, and I must do a better job demonstrating that," Suozzi continued.
"The senseless and tragic murder of Alex Pretti underscores what happens when untrained federal agents operate without accountability," the congressman added. "President Trump must immediately end 'Operation Metro Surge' and ICE's occupation of Minneapolis that has sown chaos, led to tragedy, and undermined experienced local law enforcement."
"IT'S WORKING: Keep the pressure on both Republicans and Democrats."
Since CBP fatally shot Pretti, a legal observer and nurse, on Saturday, pressure has mounted for the Senate to reject the funding bill—part of a larger package Congress is trying to pass to prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month.
Suozzi sent the "stunning" statement in an email to his campaign list, according to New York Times reporter Michael Gold, who shared a screenshot on social media, where the congressman's comments were met with mixed reactions.
Yuh-Line Niou, a former Democratic New York state legislator, said: "Too little too late. Voting with Republicans is his specialty, and this is something his constituents should not forget this election."
Suozzi represents New York's 3rd Congressional District on Long Island and does not have a primary challenger for the June election.
Noting that "Long Island was a major site for immigration backlash" under former President Joe Biden, "when asylum-seekers were overwhelming NYC area services," Vox editor Benjy Sarlin said Monday that "politics clearly shifting there."
Gun violence prevention activist Shannon Watts declared, "IT'S WORKING: Keep the pressure on both Republicans and Democrats."
The account Dear White Staffers, known for calling out bad behavior on Capitol Hill, urged, "Keep yelling at your representatives!"
Human Rights Campaign national press secretary Brandon Wolf predicted that "he'll have a chance to prove his contrition when the Senate sends the bill back and the House has to vote on it again."
As Bloomberg reporter Jonathan put it, "even the centrist Dems are gone on ICE," with senators who voted to end the fall shutdown "now refusing to fund DHS" while House Democrats who just voted for the department funding bill issue a range of statements, including some calling for the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The other six Democrats who voted for the DHS bill last Thursday are Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Don Davis (NC), Laura Gillen (NY), Jared Golden (Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.).
After Pretti's killing on Saturday, Davis shared his condolences on social media and said in part that "our immigration laws can and must be enforced with respect for life and dignity. A thorough, independent investigation into this fatal shooting is essential to uncover the full facts and to ensure accountability can be determined. The Trump administration must take immediate and decisive action to bring an end to this violence and disorder that have taken lives and undermined public trust."
Climate activist and former Democratic National Committee member RL Miller responded, "If only you were in a position to exercise some accountability over this rogue agency, say, for example, by voting on its budget."
Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein similarly called out Gillen and Gluesenkamp Perez; the former argued that Noem "must be impeached immediately" that while the latter said that she "needs to step down."
Klippenstein also took aim at Gonzalez, who on Saturday advocated for "an independent and thorough investigation into today’s murder of yet another US citizen," while also trying to justify his vote for a bill that would give billions of dollars to ICE and CBP.
"I continue to strongly oppose ICE's illegal operations in South Texas and around the country," Gonzalez said, framing his vote as one in favor of funding the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Coast Guard ahead of the winter storm that hit many states, including his, over the weekend. He doubled down on his position in a Monday video shared on social media.
Fellow Texan Cuellar, who is known for voting with Republicans and was infamously pardoned by Trump last month, and Golden, who is not seeking reelection this year, have both described Pretti's death "tragic" and urged independent investigations, without expressing any remorse about their votes last week.