‘Ma’m This My Time’: Black Congresswoman Channels Maxine Waters, Silences Kristi Noem with Fiery ‘Yes or No’ Takedown In Committee Showdown
A House Oversight Committee hearing about proposed budget cuts at the Department of Homeland Security took a slight detour after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, derisively nicknamed “ICE Barbie” for her Instagram-polished photo shoots with immigration and customs enforcement commando squads, was hit with a series of probing questions by a visibly frustrated Democratic congresswoman.
The Trump administration’s proposed budget would increase overall DHS funding, specifically at ICE and Customs and Border Patrol, but also calls for massive cuts at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration.
CISA would take the biggest hit, losing nearly $500 million, or roughly 20% of the agency’s current budget. According to the president’s “skinny budget,” the administration plans to eliminate “duplicative” programs and “so-called misinformation and propaganda as well as external engagement offices, such as international affairs.”
Still, lingering questions persist about the impact of the cuts, and Noem provided few answers, bedevilling many members of the committee, none more so than Illinois congresswoman Lauren Underwood, who wanted to know what the president’s “cyber plan” would look like in light of the massive cuts.
“It will be coming out shortly, and that is the president’s prerogative,” Noem said. “I have been advising him on what that will look like.”
Underwood wan’t having the secretary’s attempts at doublespeak, changing directions with a series of pointed questions and at one point channeling longtime California congresswoman Maxine Waters, famous for “reclaiming her time” on the House floor.
Watching Kristi Noem’s face as Democratic House Rep. Lauren Underwood absolutely torched her on the Constitution in the House Oversight Committee hearing was amazing.
Bravo, Lauren!!!!
— Art Candee
(@ArtCandee) May 6, 2025
At one point, she stopped Noem’s word salad by reminding the secretary, “Ma’am, this is my time.”
She sought direct yes or no answers, but Noem wasn’t interested. When Underwood asked if Noem believes the Constitution guarantees due process to everyone in America, the former South Dakota governor tried to pivot elsewhere.
“Yes or no,” Underwood thundered. Noem resisted, offering generalizations of a theme perhaps only she understood.
“I’ll take that as a no,” the congresswoman said.
Underwood said she was relieved when Noem confirmed she didn’t believe the Constitution gave her the authority to deport American citizens, but the congresswoman proceeded to challenge her when the secretary affirmed she swore an oath to uphold the Constitution.
She asked specifically how Noem rationalized the Trump administration’s ignorance of laws that give the power of the purse to Congress. Why then, Underwood probed, does the administration feel it has the authority to ignore appropriations law by canceling or withdrawing funding already approved?
As Noem struggled to respond, Underwood interjected.
“Article 2 does not give executive authority to withhold funds,” she said. “Period.”
Underwood wasn’t the only one frustrated with Noem.
House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee Chairman Mark Amodei said lawmakers deserve greater detail.
“When somebody goes, ‘Hey, you guys presided over cutting half a billion dollars in CISA to do other stuff. What was that based on?’ Clearly, we don’t want to be in the position, and won’t be in the position of, ‘Well, I don’t know. That’s what they said they needed,’” the Nevada Republican said at the close of the hearing. “We need some building blocks.”
Similar questions remain about the cuts to the Transportation Security Administration. Trump’s budget would reduce funding for screening operations by $247 million by cutting the number of transportation security officers.
“All we’re doing there in the reductions is reducing empty (full-time equivalents) that were never filled or don’t have TSOs in them now and asking for TSA officials to do work that they were intended to do, not to do unskilled technical work by monitoring exit lanes,” Noem said.
Lawmakers on both sides expressed opposition to cuts to the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.
“BRIC grants have provided many communities with the means to mitigate the next disaster before it strikes, potentially saving taxpayers even more money,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican, at Tuesday’s hearing.
Noem said the cuts were due to perceived failures by FEMA when responding to major disasters.
“President Trump has been very clear since the beginning that he believes that FEMA and its response in many, many circumstances has failed the American people, and that FEMA, as it exists today, should be eliminated in empowering states to respond to disasters with the federal government in support,” she said.
Amodei chided the secretary’s initial reaction, ” ‘OK, so a bunch of stuff got canceled.’ And so it’s like, ‘OK, why?’” he said.
“Going forward, we expect to receive routine briefings and reports from DHS on time and any changes and programs and policy,” Amodei concluded. “It is your absolute prerogative to make changes. Please tell us.”