June 13, 2025

Fetterman Friday

Another in an ongoing series.

Dear Senator;

I am a resident of Pennsylvania and a constituent of yours and I'd like you to answer a question or two.

I'd like to ask you again about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, given that you voted to confirm her appointment to head of the Department of Homeland Security. 

Reuters reported:

Democratic U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was shoved, forced to the ground and handcuffed by security after attempting to ask a question at a press conference on Thursday held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about immigration raids.
 
"I am Senator Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary," Padilla said during the press conference in Los Angeles, where Noem was discussing protests in the city over President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
 
"Hands off," Padilla, 52, said to security agents before he was ushered out of the room.  
It was then that her security forced to the ground and handcuffed a sitting member of the United States Senate.

The AP reported:

Padilla interrupted the news conference after Noem delivered a particularly pointed line, saying federal authorities were not going away but planned to stay and increase operations to “liberate” the city from its “socialist” leadership.

“I’m Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary,” he shouted in a halting voice.

So the plan is to stay in LA after the protests in order to "liberate" the city from "socialism?" 

In your response on X, you said you were said to see what happened to your colleague and that he deserved better. You also said that:

We collectively must turn the temperature down and find a better way forward for our nation.

Would that include The Administration lying and blaming Sen. Padilla for his being handcuffed? How about Secretary Noem's statement about the plans to use the military to enforce The Administration's political agenda?

And regarding your "both sides" solution, what should the left be doing to turn down the temperature in light of all that? 

Any comment on your vote to confirm Kristi Noem as head of DHS? Do you now regret it or are you still fine with it? 

I'll await your answer, Senator. 

I'll be dropping a copy of this letter in the mail soon and, as always, I'll post verbatim whatever response I get.