JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT IT,
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN MAD
RELIGION DEAN,
MADELEINE DEAN.
CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME.
I WANT TO START WITH SECURITY AT
THE U.S. CAPITOL.
YOU ATTENDED ONE OF GENERAL
HONORES BRIEFINGS ON SECURITY
IMPROVEMENTS.
WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THAT
BRIEFING?
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.
I DID ATTEND THE 8:00 P.M.
BRIEFING.
ITS A BIPARTISAN BRIEFING.
THEY HAD DONE THREE THROUGHOUT
THE COURSE OF THE DAY.
AND GENERAL HONORE, ALONG WITH
AN ENTIRE SCHOOL OF GENERALS AND
EXPERTS, PRESENTED THEIR FIVE
WEEKS WORTH OF FINDINGS.
AND NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO
COMPLIMENT THEM ON THE WAY THEY
DUG IN AND TOOK WITH SUCH
SERIOUSNESS AND SOLEMNNESS THEIR
UNDERTAKING.
BUT ALSO TO NOTE THAT IT WAS A
FIVE-WEEK STUDY.
THERES MUCH MORE TO BE LEARNED.
THEY WERE VERY CLEAR IN A NUMBER
OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
NUMBER ONE.
WE NEED MORE PERSONNEL, CAPITOL
POLICE NEED MORE PEOPLE.
MEN AND WOMEN TO SERVE.
NUMBER TWO, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
NEEDS ENHANCEMENT.
WHETHER IT IS THE HARDENING OF
DOORS OR PORTALS.
THE FENCING.
WHAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE DONE
WITH FENCING.
WE NEED TO KEEP THE CAPITOL OPEN
AND WELCOME BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP
IT SAFE.
NUMBER THREE.
VERY CLEARLY, WE NEED TO INVEST
MUCH MORE IN INTELLIGENCE.
IN INTELLIGENCE FOLKS WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE
THE COMMUNICATIONS ARE CLEAR AND
ARE VERY WELL UNDERSTOOD.
AND A FOURTH THING THAT I
THOUGHT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
FINAL AUTHORITY HAS TO BE WITH
SOMEONE.
IT NEEDS TO BE NOT WITH A BOARD
WHERE YOU HAVE AS ONE OF THEM
THAT, A DEBATE SOCIETY WHEN A
CRISIS HITS.
IT NEEDS TO REST IN SOMEBODY WHO
CAN MAKE THE CALL, TO CALL IN
THE NATIONAL GUARD, TO CALL IN
THE EXTRA BODIES TO HELP.
SO THEY SAID WE NEED TO INVEST.
I THINK THEYRE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT.
WE NEED TO SECURE THE CAPITOL.
NOT JUST FOR MEMBERS AND STAFF
AND VISITORS.
>> CAN I ZERO IN ON THAT FOR A
MOMENT?
THATS THE ISSUE OF THE SECURITY
AROUND THE CAPITOL.
MANY OF THE COLLEAGUES WANT THE
FENCING THAT IS UP TO BE TAKEN
DOWN.
DO YOU SUPPORT THAT BASED ON
WHAT YOUVE LEARNED SINCE
JANUARY 6th?
DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLE TO
BOTH SECURE THE CAPITOL AND
ENSURE PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE
PEOPLES HOUSE?
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT WISH.
BUT I THINK WE DONT TAKE IT
DOWN UNTIL WE HAVE IT SECURED.
THEYVE TALKED ABOUT A DIFFERENT
TYPE OF FENCING.
CERTAINLY THE REMOVAL OF THE
FENCING AND THE RAZOR WIRE WILL
BE A WELCOME SUBTRACTION, ILL
SAY.
BUT NOT UNTIL WE HAVE ADEQUATE
SECURITY.
SO THEY HAVE ANOTHER INTERIM
TIME OF FENCING THAT THEY ARE
PLANNING.
AND THEN AN INFRASTRUCTURE, A
DEVICE THAT WOULD LITERALLY DROP
INTO THE GROUND.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE PREMATURE
TO TAKE IT DOWN UNLESS WE HAVE
THE OTHER INTERIM SECURITY IN
PLACE.
>> AS YOUVE PROBABLY SEEN THE
LIST OF SUSPECTS AND INDIVIDUALS
INVOLVED, ONE THAT WAS NOTABLE
WAS THE STATE DEPARTMENT AIDE,
AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SERVED DURING
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, WHO
ACTUALLY HAD TOP SECRET SECURITY
CLEARANCE.
HE WAS THERE ON THE CAPITOL
GROUNDS ON JANUARY 6th.
HE IS NOW CHARGED WITH ATTACKING
POLICE OFFICERS.
FEDERICO KLEIN, I BELIEVE HIS
NAME IS.
WERE YOU SURPRISED TO HEAR ABOUT
THAT?
>> NO.
I THINK I WAS SHOCKED BY ALL OF
IT.
I WAS THERE IN THE CAPITOL ON
JANUARY 6th.
IT IS STILL MIND-NUMBING THAT
THIS ALL TOOK PLACE.
JUST TODAY WITH THE PER I HAD
THE CHANCE TO MEET THE OFFICE
HERE SADLY WAS TASED BY
AMERICANS.
WAS UNCONSCIOUS.
SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK.
HE IS THE FATHER OF FOUR
DAUGHTERS.
SO WE HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET
WITH HIM.
HE WAS STUNNED BY THE HAND TO
HAND COMBAT.
AMERICANS AGAINST POLICE
OFFICERS.
SO THE WHOLE THING IS STUNNING.
THAT IS SOMEONE WHO WAS WITHIN
THE ADMINISTRATION WAS A PART OF
IT IS NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE
THIS PRESIDENT INCITED IT.
NO WONDER THAT SOMEONE WHO WAS