The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee had an empty Democratic seat on Wednesday while Republicans scrutinized witnesses during a hearing titled “Exposing Fraud in America.” This led to accusations from GOP lawmakers suggesting that the Democrats were avoiding uncomfortable topics.
Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the committee’s ranking member, was the only Democrat at the hearing’s start. He asked some questions but left before Chairman Rand Paul (R-Ky.) began questioning witnesses Nick Shirley, James O’Keefe, and Dylan Hedler Gaudette. The podium designated for Democrats remained vacant throughout.
Criticism quickly arose regarding the lack of Democratic participation, especially in light of ongoing fraud investigations in states such as Minnesota and California. Although Peters was present initially, other Democratic members—including John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), and Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut)—missed the main portions of the hearing.
In a pointed moment, Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) remarked on the absence of Democrats in the room. When prompted by Paul, Moreno suggested Democrats should have a chance to question witnesses after Republicans finished. “If there were Democrats here, yes,” Paul noted, highlighting that the lack of attendance meant minimal interest from the opposite side of the aisle.
The absence didn’t go unnoticed, generating backlash online. Representative Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) called the no-show Democrats “cowards” in a social media post. Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner questioned Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) about the open seat and Blackburn accused Democrats of ignoring fraud issues affecting their communities.
She mentioned a previous bill that aimed to classify fraud against the federal government as a deportable crime. Florida political reporter Eric Daugherty pointed out that Democrats, despite being invited, completely skipped the meeting—labeling them the “party of fraud.”
During the hearing, Shirley and his colleague David Hock discussed troubling findings from their visits to multiple child care facilities in Minneapolis, predominantly run by Somali owners. Shirley elaborated on the gravity of the fraud, stating, “When we talk about fraud, we are talking about money stolen from hard-working, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens.” He added that fraud impacts everyone, particularly the most vulnerable who rely heavily on government services.
Shirley’s work led to recognition, including an invitation to the State of the Union address from Rep. Pete Stover (R-Minn.). He also highlighted the recent largest autism fraud bust in Minnesota, where the state’s biggest child care organization admitted to fraudulent activities.
James O’Keefe shared his experiences in Los Angeles, where he and fellow journalists documented interactions with petition circulators offering money or drugs in return for signatures on ballots. “They are campaigning in this building (Capitol) to protect freedom and democracy,” he stated, questioning the validity of those principles when violations occur openly without consequences.
