1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

My wife and I are still waiting for your condemnation of the assault on U.S. Senator Alex Padilla at Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference. Multiple videos of the incident clearly show Sen. Padilla identifying himself. As a sitting U.S. Senator and ranking member of the Border Security and Immigration subcommittee, Padilla had every right to ask questions and seek information related to immigration enforcement actions occurring in his state. That Sen. Padilla was forcibly removed from the room, pushed to the floor and handcuffed is a deeply concerning violation of democratic principles and congressional oversight authority. If a Senator cannot safely attend a publicity event and ask questions, how can proper oversight occur? If a Senator can be subjected to such a blatant and public assault with impunity, what treatment can everyday citizens expect? My wife and I again urge you to condemn this authoritarian behavior in the strongest terms and take action to reassert Congress' critical role in government accountability and transparency. Allowing this alarming precedent to stand unchallenged further erodes our democratic institutions.