Hi John, 

This afternoon, I joined my fellow colleagues from the California delegation on the House steps to condemn the forcible removal and handcuffing of Senator Alex Padilla during a Department of Homeland Security press conference today in Los Angeles. 

I wanted to share with you my statement on this chilling incident: 

"What happened to Senator Padilla can happen to any American.

“Video footage clearly shows Senator Padilla identifying himself as a sitting United States Senator. He was then pushed into a hallway, forced to the ground, and handcuffed. An officer even blocked his aide from recording the incident.

“Let me be clear: this comes straight from Donald Trump. If we fail to speak out, we risk normalizing these gross abuses of power. Democracies don’t die overnight — they die when people stay silent in the face of escalating authoritarianism.

“I call on my Republican colleagues — especially those who serve alongside Senator Padilla — to condemn this unacceptable use of force. We should all be alarmed by an Administration using force to silence oversight and dissent.”

Thank you for staying informed and engaged. If you’d like real-time updates on my work, I encourage you to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky, and Threads.

Be Well,

Ami Bera, M.D.
Member of Congress