Moskowitz Reads from Noem’s Memoir During Committee Meeting

During a House Judiciary Committee meeting on Tuesday, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) shared a passage from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s memoir. In this excerpt, she narrates the story of shooting and killing her dog, Cricket, amidst a discussion about a bill aimed at deporting immigrants who mistreat animals.

Moskowitz corrected his colleagues who referred to Cricket simply as a dog, emphasizing, “Actually, it was a puppy. It was 14 months old. That puppy had a name. Say the name. Cricket. Okay? That puppy had a name.” Some laughter erupted in the room as he read on.

He recited lines from the book, stating, “It starts with, ‘I hated that dog…’ The dog was untrained after pheasant hunting and began attacking chickens. At that moment, I knew I had to put her down. So I grabbed my gun and took Cricket out to the gravel pit. It wasn’t a fun job, but it had to be done.” He chuckled as he continued, noting that after dealing with Cricket, he had to “do another unpleasant job” regarding the family goat, which he unfortunately couldn’t shoot in one attempt.

Moskowitz connected this narrative to HR 4638, a bill proposing amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act to ensure that any non-citizen found guilty of harming law enforcement animals should be barred from entering the U.S. and subject to deportation. This also includes individuals who admit to such acts, even without convictions.

He argued that the principle against harming animals should be universally applied. “I think the point of bringing this bill up is the pros and cons of the bill. Sure, you can debate them, but if we’re all against animal cruelty — which I believe we all are — let’s make sure it applies to everyone,” Moskowitz mentioned.

These comments followed Rep. Dan Goldman of New York pushing for an amendment to rename the bill to the Kristi Noem Dog Relief Act of 2025. Goldman emphasized, “We’re reinforcing the stance on deportations for those who assault dogs. I stand against anyone who does that. But how does it relate to a Secretary who has admitted to shooting a dog?”

Goldman pointed out that the bill is targeted at immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally, making it clear that citizens like Noem are exempt from deportation. “We get that this bill is focused on those accused of killing dogs, not those just convicted,” he explained.

“This name change captures the essence of the bill: we don’t want anyone, especially the Secretary of Homeland Security, to kill dogs,” he concluded.

The Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment on the matter.