WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today welcomed the firing of Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The President’s ousting of Noem comes just days after Senator Welch grilled the outgoing DHS Secretary about her disastrous and corrupt tenure as the head of DHS and condemned her inhumane and incompetent leadership at a Judiciary Committee Hearing. 

Senator Welch released the following statement: 

“Kristi Noem should’ve been fired a long time ago—she wasn’t up to the job and had no business leading the Department of Homeland Security. Her disastrous leadership of DHS hurt communities across America, and she was directly responsible for making our country less safe. Noem’s tenure at DHS was atrocious, from her blatant corruption and abuse of taxpayer dollars to her incompetence responding to vital national security issues. 

“Noem’s politicization of disaster recovery funds and attempts to ‘eliminate’ FEMA put countless disaster-impacted communities—including in Vermont—in harm’s way. The hurt and loss caused by her inhumane mass deportation campaign will stay with families and communities forever. 

“Noem’s firing does not preclude a thorough investigation into her fiscal mismanagement of the agency. We need answers immediately about if and how taxpayer dollars were directed to her friends and political allies, including Corey Lewandowski. There is bipartisan consensus that her conduct and actions were appalling, and I am confident the Senate won’t let her off the hook just because President Trump fired her. 

“Even with Kristi Noem gone, we need real, legislative changes at DHS to ensure accountability as the president continues his mass deportation agenda. It’s time to have a reevaluation of the mass deportation policy. I won’t back down in the fight to clean up this agency and protect American communities from President Trump’s reckless agenda.” 

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Senator Welch has been outspoken in his opposition of Secretary Noem’s leadership of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Senator called for Noem’s resignation in July, citing her mishandling of FEMA and management of President Trump’s cruel and illegal mass deportation campaign. In January, Senator Welch led his colleagues in demanding that if Noem does not resign, she should be fired or impeached by Congress.   

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