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The pursuing is the transcript of the interrogation with Rep. Jim Himes, Democrat of Connecticut, that aired connected "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" connected March 29, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We spell present to the apical Democrat connected the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Jim Himes, who joins america from Greenwich, Connecticut. Good greeting to you.
REP. JIM HIMES: Good morning, Margaret.
So you conscionable heard the borderline czar, the White House typical here, marque his argument. Politically speaking, though. I mean, the shutdown was intended by Democrats to effort to constrain ICE and however it had been acting. But practically speaking, ICE is already funded. In fact, it's 1 of the fewer DHS entities wherever radical are getting paid due to the fact that they had truthful overmuch backing from the President's past bill, and present their portfolio is expanding due to the fact that they're successful American airports crossed the country. So what did Democrats get retired of this standoff?
REP. HIMES: Yeah, well, Margaret, the standoff is not done yet, right? The President is illegally paying, apparently, TSA agents. You had the Senate, arsenic you pointed out, with Mr. Honan- Homan, walk a bipartisan measure unanimously successful the United States Senate to say, look, let's money everybody else, and let's woody with this thorny contented astir ICE. And past you had the Republican House say, hellhole no, we're not doing that. And by the way, mock their ain Republican leaders successful the Senate. So look what- this happening is inactive precise overmuch unrecorded for 1 precise elemental reason. We tin speech astir House, Senate, changing law, for 1 precise elemental reason, which is that the immense bulk of Americans look astatine the mode ICE behaved with the execution of 2 American citizens, with the changeless knocking down of doors of American citizens without warrants, radical dressed similar they are, you know, airlifting into Fallujah to bash the morganatic enactment of going aft amerciable aliens successful this country, and they accidental that is not okay, and that's our position. Our presumption is precise simply, we privation ICE to enactment similar the constabulary unit that they are, and that combat is not won yet. And look, I'm atrocious it got tied up. I'm atrocious that the Republicans connected 1 broadside of the Capitol said this was a bully idea, and connected the different broadside of the Capitol. They called it a joke, but we're acceptable to negociate astir thing that is not a extremist demand. We conscionable privation ICE to enactment similar due constabulary officers.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So successful the meantime, the president's redirecting existing backing to wage TSA agents. You said helium was illegally paying them. You judge that helium is violating the instrumentality successful this mentation that the White House says they have?
REP. HIMES: Well, it's not that I judge it, it's that I cognize it, right? I mean, if there's 1 powerfulness that Congress has, it is the powerfulness of the purse. Now this president has, of course, consistently and universally said that helium successful information has that power--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --So they shouldn't beryllium paid?
REP. HIMES: --but immoderate American that went done 4th people civics- no, they should beryllium paid. This- they should person ne'er been held hostage. And we had a woody travel retired unanimously from the Senate, that if it had passed close now, they would beryllium getting paid, and we wouldn't beryllium talking astir the law powerfulness of the purse. But Mike Johnson, person of the House of Representatives, said hellhole nary to what his Republicans successful the Senate said yes to.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So determination were 3 Democrats, though, who got connected committee with Speaker Johnson the House mentation of this bill, adjacent without immoderate caller accountability measures successful it, Congresswoman Glusenkamp Perez says she did truthful due to the fact that she thinks it's incorrect not to wage radical for their work, and Democrats had acceptable unattainable goals. She says since the White House was agreeing to things similar assemblage cameras- doesn't she person a constituent present that determination is, arsenic she enactment it, 'ideological purity' that's getting successful the mode of moving people?
REP. HIMES: So this is not a question of ideological purity. And I hold with Marie connected 1 point, which is the radical shouldn't beryllium held hostage. And we tin travel backmost to that. But this is not utmost demands by immoderate agelong of the imagination. Again, we're asking that guys not formal similar Navy SEALs erstwhile they spell into Minneapolis. We're asking that they deterioration badges the mode each different constabulary serviceman does, that they person warrants erstwhile they interruption down doors.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And immoderate of those things person been agreed to--
REP. HIMES: This is not ideological purity. This is basal adherence to the law- yeah, well, okay, truthful it's each agreed to, let's walk the instrumentality which codifies it. Because you cognize what, we don't spot the president erstwhile helium says, okay, nary masks immoderate much than we spot him erstwhile helium says, oh, well, present I'm negotiating with the Iranians erstwhile he's not, right? So if this is truthful easy, fine, let's codify it into law. But they're not, you know- they're not consenting to bash that. Now, wherever Maria's right, and this is important, we person gotten excessively utilized to utilizing shutdowns arsenic a mechanics of getting what we privation legislatively. And what that implies is that radical similar TSA agents oregon folks that enactment successful the national authorities for the Department of Agriculture or- don't get paid erstwhile 1 enactment throws a tantrum, right? Now, successful this case, I hap to judge that the American people- you cognize are with the Democratic Party and saying you don't get to enactment similar ICE acted successful Minneapolis, but we bash request to get distant from legislating done shutdown that is not consonant with the large state that we are.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, and they conscionable privation their airports and basal authorities to work. But connected the constituent you raised, you said that the President's not truly negotiating with Iran is that due to the fact that you haven't been briefed arsenic a subordinate of Congress connected the diplomacy. Or you deliberation he's level retired lying?
REP. HIMES: I deliberation he's level retired lying past Sunday, erstwhile helium was told- and by the way, we're successful precisely the aforesaid presumption today, you know, lipid prices present $112 a barrel. And you cognize futures successful the banal marketplace down 2%. Last Sunday, helium realized, ohio my God, I've got a fiscal cataclysm connected Monday. So helium conscionable made it up that they're successful negotiations with the Iranians. Look underneath that statement, the Iranians person present realized that they person the reins. They are controlling the Strait of Hormuz. Gasoline prices are up much than $1 a gallon, and truthful the Iranians realize, beatified smokes, we've got a batch of leverage here.
MARGARET BRENNAN: In Islamabad today, determination are a fig of mediators who are successful interaction with the United States saying they're talking astir Iran. But neither the United States nor Iran are astatine that array astatine this infinitesimal successful time. But further on, the Iran point, I cognize you attraction astir what's happening successful Ukraine. Notably, President Zelensky of Ukraine has been successful the Gulf successful these past fewer days, and helium said yesterday that Russia is providing outer imagery to Iran, and that imagery consists of U.S. subject bases. He besides said Russia is giving signals quality and physics quality to Iran. Do you cognize of grounds that Russia is actively helping Iran successful its warfare against the United States?
REP. HIMES: Well, I person to beryllium a small cautious astir this Margaret, due to the fact that I bash reappraisal the intelligence, and I evidently can't talk astir things that are classified, but boy, I would definite not reason with President Zelensky connected that point. And I would inquire the American radical to deliberation astir what bash you deliberation Putin is doing close now? Over 4 years, we person been, rightly, successful my estimation, helping the Ukrainians nonstop a unspeakable toll connected the Russians. So what bash you deliberation is happening? Meanwhile, arsenic you know, we are letting the Iranians, truthful present the Iranians are getting billions of dollars merchantability their lipid to the Chinese truthful that they tin bargain drones from the Russians. We're letting the Russians merchantability lipid truthful that they tin get dollars to onslaught the Ukrainians and usage those dollars to attack- to assistance onslaught our troops. I mean, you conscionable couldn't marque this worldly up successful a Hollywood script.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Secretary Rubio was asked astir the grade of assistance Russia is giving to Iran, and helium minimized it. He says it's not making a quality connected the battlefield. I cognize the French, I cognize the British person said that Russia and Iran are helping each different connected drones here. When you heard Secretary Rubio's statement, what did you deliberation helium meant?
REP. HIMES: I deliberation it is precise overmuch successful Marco Rubio's involvement arsenic 1 of the main cheerleaders of this warfare that the American radical are present coming to recognize is simply a catastrophe, different quagmire for Marco Rubio to accidental things like, oh, they're not making a difference. Well, I don't hold with Marco Rubio connected that point. You know, the Russians person capabilities, things similar utilizing basal outer technology, which you tin bash commercially, by the way, to find our craft carriers. Our subject bases successful the region, Margaret, close present are supposedly uninhabitable. Why bash you deliberation that is?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Before I fto you go, Democrats person been making corruption a taxable successful their run against the President and to triumph backmost power of the house. Your chap Democrat, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been recovered blameworthy connected 25 morals charges related to stealing millions of dollars successful COVID alleviation money. Should she resign? Should she beryllium expelled?
REP. HIMES: You know, if she doesn't resign, determination volition beryllium a ballot successful the House, and you know, radical volition find reasons to enactment the congresswoman, conscionable arsenic Republicans recovered reasons to enactment George Santos--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Should she resign?
REP. HIMES: --at a clip erstwhile we're astatine war, erstwhile state prices are excessively high, that shouldn't happen. So I would anticipation that my workfellow mightiness debar that result by choosing to resign. But it is besides precise important that some parties beryllium accordant successful punishing ethical lapses wrong their ain teams.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, you anticipation she resigns. Thank you, congressman for each your insights today. We person to permission it there. We'll beryllium close back.
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