LEVER NEXT WEEK.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS
REPORTING THAT POLICE ARE R
ASKING SOME TROOPS TO REMAIN FOR
60 DAYS.
JOINING ME NOW DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSWOMAN ELEANOR HOLMES
NORTON.
GONG WOMAN,
CONGRESSWOMAN, THANKS FOR BEING
WITH US.
FIRST OF ALL, DO YOU THINK GIVEN
THE CONCERNS OF YOUR COLLEAGUES,
WE HEAR THIS FROM THE DEMOCRATIC
CAUTION THIS WEEK, ABOUT THE
MARCH 4th THREATS, WHAT THEY’RE
FACING IN THEIR HOME DISTRICTS
WHEN THEY TRAVEL, COMING TO THE
COMPLEX DESPITE THE HORRIBLE
FENCE AND ALL THAT THAT IS
AROUND THE CAPITOL RIGHT NOW
THAT NO ONE LIKES, THAT SOME
MORE SECURITY IS NEEDED?
SHOULD THE GUARD STAY OR IS IT
TIME TO TAKE IT ALL DOWN?
>> WELL, I’D CERTAINLY RATHER
HAVE THE GUARD AND THE FENCING.
AS LONG AS THE GUARD IS HERE
BASED ON CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE,
I OF COURSE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO
THAT.
BUT LOOK WHAT WE’VE JUST HAD.
MARCH 4th WE WERE TOLD --
INDEED, THE HOUSE ADJOURNED
BECAUSE OF THE THREATS OF ABOUT
MARCH 4th.
WE REALLY CAN’T KEEP BEING
AFRAID FROM OUR OWN CAPITOL OF
OUR OWN PEOPLE.
SOME OF THIS IS APPROACHING
BEING OVERDONE.
AS LONG AS IT’S BASED ON
CREDIBLE INTELLIGENCE AND
ESPECIALLY FENCING, THEN OF
COURSE THAT’S THE THING WE NEED
TO DO.
BUT WE HAVE GOT TO GET BACK TO
THE CAPITOL WE KNOW.
AND WE’RE NOT GOING DO THAT IF
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A MARCH 4th
WHERE THE HOUSE ADJOURNS AND
NOTHING HAPPENS.
>> IS IT -- THE FIRST ORDER OF
BUSINESS, THOUGH, SHOULD BE
PERHAPS DEALING WITH THE CHAIN
OF COMMAND REVEALED DRAMATICALLY
IN RECENT HEARINGS WHERE IT TOOK
FOUR HOURS AFTER THE GENERAL IN
CHARGE OF THE D.C. NATIONAL
GUARD COULD EVEN GET THE
AUTHORIZATION TO MOVE THE TROOPS
THAT HE HAD PRELIMINARY PUT ON
BUSES AT THE ARMORY.
HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN THERE IN 18
MINUTES WHEN HE FIRST ASKED FOR
IT AT 1:49 AND DIDN’T GET THE
APPROVAL UNTIL 5:08.
IF THEY’D BEEN MOVING BY 1:49
AND GOT THEREIN 18 MINUTES
LATER, A LOT OF THE DAMAGE WOULD
NOT HAVE BEEN DONE.
>> COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE.
I HAVE A BILL AND IT DOESN’T
TAKE MY STATEHOOD BILL, AND WE
GOT THE STATEHOOD PASSED FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN JUNE, ABOUT TO GET
IT PASSED AGAIN, IT DOESN’T TAKE
STATEHOOD TO GET CONTROL OF THE
NATIONAL GUARD.
THE CONFLAGRATION AT THE CAPITOL
WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MITIGATED
IF, IN FACT, THE DISTRICT HAD
HAD HAD CONTROL OVER THE
NATIONAL GUARD AND COULD HAVE
CALLED OUT ANY OF A DOZEN
NATIONAL POLICE WHO FINALLY DID
COME AS YOU SAY AFTER THREE
HOURS.
THIS REALLY HAD TO DO WITH
TRUMP, THEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
TO CALL OUT THE NATIONAL GUARD,
THE DISTRICT HAS TO GO TO THE
PRESIDENT.
THAT’S WHY I HAVE A BILL TO GIVE
THE MAYOR OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA THE RIGHT TO CALL OUT
THE NATIONAL GUARD JUST LIKE ANY
OTHER MAYOR CAN.
BUT THE MAYOR HELD BACK THE
NATIONAL GUARD BECAUSE IT WAS,
REMEMBER, THE -- SORRY, THE
PRESIDENT HELD BACK THE NATIONAL
GUARD BECAUSE, REMEMBER, IT WAS
THE PRESIDENT WHO ESSENTIALLY
INCITED THIS MOB TO THE CAPITOL,
AND HE WANTED THEM THERE.
THE RESULT IS WHAT WE SAW ON
JANUARY 6th AND WH WE’RE PAYING
FOR IN THE NATION’S CAPITOL.
>> I WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING
THAT HAS COME UP THIS WEEK
INCLUDING HERE YESTERDAY,
BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS HAD A
LEADERSHIP MEETING IN FLORIDA
MIDDAY THURSDAY ON MARCH 4th.
AND THE DECISION TO NOT HAVE THE
SESSION -- THE SESSION WOULD
ONLY HAVE BEEN AN HOUR OR SO
WITH MAYBE AN HOUR OF DEBATE AND
ONE VOTE ON THURSDAY MORNING.
THEY DID THAT.
YOU ALL DID THAT ON WEDNESDAY
NIGHT.
SO THERE WAS REALLY NO PRICE
PAID IN TERMS OF LEGISLATIVE
BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T
HAVE HAD A LONGER SESSION ON
THURSDAY.
AND THERE WERE CERTAINLY
CONCERNS AS YOU PROBABLY HEARD
FROM CAUCUS MEMBERS, FROM YOUR
COLLEAGUES, THAT THEY FELT UNDER
THREAT AND THERE WAS REAL
INTELLIGENCE, I’M TOLD.
>> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE
READING OF THE BILL?
>> I’M TALK ABOUT -- WELL, I’M
TALKING ABOUT THE VOTE ON THE
GEORGE FLOYD VOTE WEDNESDAY
NIGHT WHERE YOU HAD A LONGER
SESSION WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND DID
NOT HAVE A SESSION ON THURSDAY
AND, IN FACT, THERE WAS NO
BUSINESS TO BE DONE ON THURSDAY
AT THAT POINT.
>> YEAH.
THERE WAS NO BUSINESS TO BE DONE
AND WE HAVE GOT TO STO CALLING
OFF BUSINESS OR ELSE WHAT YOU’RE
GOING TO HAVE ARE PEOPLE MAKING
THREATS ALL THE TIME AND THE
CONGRESS NOT BEING ABLE TO GET
ITS WORK DONE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL IN
THE STLET AND THATTHREAT AND THA