The Democratic lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee used a Thursday hearing to rail against actions from the Trump administration they felt show that the administration planned to act without oversight.

“Neither the president of the United States nor his senior advisers in the White House seem to appreciate the important role of oversight in our nation’s system of checks and balances,” said Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.), the subcommittee's ranking member.

Correa pointed to televised statements by Trump aide Stephen Miller over the weekend and emails sent during the transition telling agency inspectors general that their positions would be “held over” and not definitely kept.

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Over the weekend, Miller told "Face the Nation," “The media and the whole world will soon see as we begin to take further actions that the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned.”

“Such a statement ignores a constitutional authority that we as Congress have to hold the executive branch accountable,” said Correa.

Miller was addressing what he felt was judicial oversight, not Congress or inspectors general directly, in his statement.

The witnesses at Thursday’s hearing included the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, John Roth.

Roth said oversight by independent offices — including his own, the Government Accountability Office and the oversight subcommittee — had very real impacts in reducing waste or mismanagement at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Secret Service.

“I think the IG principle has proven itself over time. Across the IG community, it’s something like a 17 to 1 ratio: For every $1 spent on the IGs, we return $17. And that doesn’t include the national security benefits you get in oversight of TSA,” said Roth.

Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) complimented Roth on the job he’d done, “whatever your tenure may be.” Roth said he had received satisfactory assurances his job was not on the chopping block despite the email.

Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) referred to the president’s press conference earlier that day, where Trump had lashed out about leakers sending the press information, asking whether such talk would have an effect on whistleblowers.

Roth replied that he had just this week sent an email to all employees explaining the rights and responsibilities of the Whistleblower Protection Act.

“It’s never a ‘leak’ to come to the inspector general,” said Roth.