Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, stated Monday that Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) could be placed on the no-fly list if they are deemed responsible for inciting last week’s siege on the U.S. Capitol.
“There’s no exemption for being put on the no-fly list,” Thompson said in an interview with SiriusXM’s The Joe Madison Show. “Even a member of Congress that commits a crime, you know, they expel from the body.”
“There are ethics charges that can be brought against those individuals,” the lawmaker added. “And people are looking at all this. What Hawley did and what Cruz did was horrible.”
Following his interview, Thompson was told on social media that he “should be ashamed” for making the suggestion regarding Cruz and Hawley.
“I am not ashamed. However, they should be,” he replied.
Cruz and Hawley have faced intense criticism from Democrats and establishment Republicans for objecting to Congress’s certification of the 2020 presidential election in favor of President-elect Joe Biden. Cruz and Hawley have been accused of inciting the riot which occurred during the certification process. Both have denounced the riots and called for a de-escalation in tensions.
Senate Democrats are floating censuring Cruz and Hawley over the U.S. Capitol protests.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said in a statement: “Because Congress has protections from the Department of Justice under separation of powers, specifically the Speech and Debate Clause, significant investigation will need to be done in the Senate. Because of massive potential conflict of interest, Senators Cruz, Hawley, and Johnson (at least) need to be off all relevant committees reviewing this matter until the investigation of their role is complete.”
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