ICYMI: U.S. Senator Katie Britt Joins Jake Tapper, Discusses Bipartisan Support for the Laken Riley Act, Confirming President Trump’s Nominees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) recently joined CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper to discuss her bipartisan Laken Riley Act—which would require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting offenses so they cannot reoffend and commit further crimes—and the need to quickly confirm President Trump’s cabinet nominees.

“The Laken Riley Act is ultimately going to save lives. It is a commonsense piece of legislation, and it actually puts the talk that we have been having over the last four years into action,” said Senator Britt. “ . . . The American people entered a verdict on . . .  November 5^th saying we are ready for secure borders; we want our streets and communities to be safe and secure. [The Laken Riley Act] is the first step in doing this. This is a targeted piece of legislation that goes directly to the heart of the tragedy that occurred with Laken Riley  . . .  [Laken] should still be with us. If this piece of legislation had been enacted, she would. Americans are ready for commonsense solutions. They’re ready for us to stop talking and actually yield results.”

“At the end of the day if [an illegal alien] doesn’t commit a crime [after crossing the border illegally] the[y’re] not subject to the Laken Riley Act,” continued Senator Britt. “. . . Democrats have to wake up and realize that Americans are sick of excuses and they’re ready for action, and as long as you don’t commit a crime, this doesn’t apply to you . . . [but] if you do commit a crime, you should go to the front of the line when it comes to detention and removal.”

Last week, the Laken Riley Act received incredible bipartisan support in the Senate, advancing 84-9. This week, the legislation will undergo additional procedural votes.

A full video of Senator Britt’s segment is available HERE.

Senator Britt also discussed her priorities as a new member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, including the importance of swiftly confirming President Trump’s nominees, like Pam Bondi, who is nominated to serve as the Attorney General of the United States. Senator Britt reiterated her commitment to working with President Trump and his administration to implement his America First agenda, starting with expeditiously confirming his nominees. 

“What President Trump has done is, he has selected people who are willing to not move as business as usual, but yet are ready for action. They understand his vision for the nation. They understand the mandate that was given on November 5, and they understand the time for talk is gone and time for results and action is now,” continued Senator Britt.

Jake Tapper also asked Senator Britt about her efforts to ensure the Senate was briefed about the threat of radical Islamic terrorism to our homeland. He asked about the respective letters Senator Britt sent in April 2024 and June 2024 to Senate Leadership requesting an all-member briefing on the increasing threats to the homeland from radical Islamic terror groups, including ISIS-K. In the interview, she highlighted her disappointment in the lack of response from Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and stressed the importance of taking these terrorist threats seriously and reimplementing President Trump’s peace through strength doctrine.

“When you rewind to where [the attack in New Orleans] came from, in my opinion, this is a direct result of Biden’s failed policies across the world. When you look at the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, we know that created a vacuum. It created a vacuum that allowed ISIS-K to continue to flourish,” said Senator Britt. “ . . . Our request of Senator Schumer was: Make sure that we understand this so we can do everything that we need to. . . This is something we have to take seriously. We cannot allow these things to happen on American soil. Getting answers and understanding how we equipped our law enforcement, our FBI and others with the tools they need to combat this is critically important. We’re going to keep pushing.”

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