CSPAN - Washington Journal Rep. Ami Bera D-CA
Aired: 2026-03-25
Duration: 03:59


=== Reforms and Homeland Security Funding (03:57) ===

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[00:00:51]  Back at our desk this morning, it's California Democrat Congressman Ami Berra, member of the Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees.
[00:00:57]  Before we get to foreign affairs, start with Homeland Security.
[00:01:00]  What are you hearing about a potential deal here to end the now 40-day-long partial government shutdown?
[00:01:07]  You hear a lot of things.
[00:01:08]  It sounds like the Senate got close to the deal, the president was warmed to it and then kind of killed it.
[00:01:13]  And things are going back and forth.
[00:01:15]  I think we've got to get the TSA agents paid.
[00:01:18]  We've got to get most of Homeland Security funded.
[00:01:21]  Again, we've got real issues with how ICE is conducting itself.
[00:01:25]  So if you could carve that piece off of it and negotiate some of the reforms in ICE, I think you'd get this done.
[00:01:31]  What would it take for you to support funding ICE again?
[00:01:33]  I mean, so we do need some customs and border protection, immigration enforcement.
[00:01:41]  But, you know, even in my hometown in San Francisco, you saw how ICE conducted themselves, grabbing a woman from Sacramento.
[00:01:49]  Like, use the warrants that you have and so forth, but conduct yourselves through due process, et cetera.
[00:01:55]  And again, I think we saw what happened in Minneapolis.
[00:02:00]  So I do think ICE has to rein itself in in terms of how they're doing these rights and conducting themselves.
[00:02:06]  Do you think Congress will or should stay in session here over these next two weeks, this recess that was supposed to happen, to get this thing solved?
[00:02:15]  I think we should get this then, yeah.
[00:02:17]  What's the path to doing that?
[00:02:19]  I mean, again, it sounded like the Senate was pretty close.
[00:02:21]  There's a bill that's over there.
[00:02:23]  If we've got our discharge petition, which funds everything outside of ICE, that's where I would start.
[00:02:29]  Bring up that vote and let's vote for it.
[00:02:31]  What are your thoughts on the new Secretary of Homeland Security, Mark Wayne Mullen?
[00:02:35]  Yeah, we came to Congress together, so I know Mark Wayne fairly well.
[00:02:38]  He is definitely heads and held above Christy Noam.
[00:02:42]  So I hope he sees how toxic Christy Noam was, makes the necessary reforms, comes up to Congress, works with us a lot of us, Noam in the House.
[00:02:52]  And again, I think there's a possibility to get some reforms.
[00:02:54]  What makes him heads and tails against Christy Noam?
[00:02:56]  And I would note that you co-sponsored articles of impeachment against Chrissy Noome.
[00:03:01]  I mean, Christy Noam was pretty low bar.
[00:03:03]  Just how she conducted themselves, the complete disdain for the American public as well as congressional oversight.
[00:03:11]  Again, I think Mark Wayne saw that example.
[00:03:14]  I think the president understood that Christy Noam was becoming toxic, and I think this is a chance to reset things.
[00:03:19]  Come to your Foreign Affairs Committee work.
[00:03:21]  What's your understanding right now of our objectives in this war against Iran?
[00:03:25]  The president has not articulated those objectives.
[00:03:27]  He's been all over the place.
[00:03:29]  I disagree with his decision to go to war.
[00:03:31]  I'm on the intelligence committee.
[00:03:32]  We had a chance to ask Tulsi Gabbard, ask the CIA director.
[00:03:36]  There was no imminent threat.
[00:03:38]  And thus far, there was no nuclear breakout.
[00:03:42]  They weren't days away?
[00:03:43]  They were not days away.
[00:03:44]  And if the president has data that suggests that, get on television, speak to the American people, come up to the Hill.
[00:03:50]  But as a member of Foreign Affairs and the Intelligence Committee, they failed to demonstrate that.
[00:03:55]  We take you live now to a news conference with New York City Mayor Zorhan Mamdani on F.