>>12936250
NANCY PELOSI Published 1 hour ago
Pelosi's office pushes back on House GOP questions about Capitol security ahead of riot
Lawmakers trying to 'deflect responsibility for the Capitol attack from Donald Trump,' Pelosi's office says
Brooke SingmanBy Brooke Singman | Fox News
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office fired back at House Republicans on Monday who demanded answers regarding security decisions leading up to and on the day of the Capitol riot last month, saying they are "clearly" trying to "deflect responsibility for the Capitol attack from Donald Trump."
House Administration Committee Ranking Member Rodney Davis, R-Ill., House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer, R-Ky., and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes, R-Calif., sent a letter to Pelosi, D-Calif., on Monday, saying that "many important questions" about her "responsibility for the security" of the Capitol on Jan. 6 "remain unanswered."
But Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, told Fox News that the speaker "has and will continue to take action to ensure accountability and enhance the security of the Capitol."
"Two of the four House Republican ranking members voted to overturn the results of a fair election, just hours after the Capitol was sacked by an insurrectionist, right-wing mob – a mob incited by Trump," Hammill said. "A full 65% of House Republicans joined them in voting to undermine our democracy. All four ranking members also voted against holding Donald Trump accountable for inciting the mob."
Hammill added: "Clearly, the security of our Capitol and democracy are not the priorities of these ranking members."
The Republicans, in their letter to Pelosi Monday morning, questioned: "When then-Chief Sund made a request for National Guard support on Jan. 4, why was that request denied? Did Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving get permission or instruction from your staff on Jan. 4 prior to denying Chief Sund’s request for the National Guard?"
Davis, Jordan, Comer and Nunes pointed to claims made by former Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund, that he, on Jan. 4, approached the sergeant-at-arms to request the assistance of the National Guard. Sund, in a letter to Pelosi last month, said Irving replied that he was concerned about "the optics" and didn’t feel the "intelligence supported it."
"As you are aware, the speaker of the House is not only the leader of the majority party, but also has enormous institutional responsibilities," they wrote. "The speaker is responsible for all operational decisions made within the House."
The House sergeant-at-arms and the Senate sergeant-at-arms, Michael Stenger, were removed from their positions and Chief Sund resigned after the riot.
"It is the job of the Capitol Police Board, on which these three individuals sat, to properly plan and prepare for security threats facing the U.S. Capitol," Hammill said. "It has been reported that the House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving has said that he did not present to House leadership any request for the National Guard before Jan. 6."
Hammill noted that the committees of jurisdiction were briefed "in advance of Jan. 6 about security preparedness."
"During a briefing of the Appropriations Committee Majority on Jan. 5 by the House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving and U.S. Capitol Police Chief Sund both Chief Sund and Mr. Irving provided assurances that the Capitol Complex had comprehensive security and there was no intelligence that groups would become violent at the Capitol during the certification of electoral votes," Hammill explained. "It is our understanding that ranking member Davis was also briefed, but took no action to address any security concerns that he might have had."
Davis' office, in response, told Fox News that "no one is alleging that Ranking Member Davis denied a request for the national guard ahead of January 6th because he would not have the authority to do so even if he had been made aware of the request, which he was not."
"Following the insurrection, the speaker immediately tasked Gen. Honoré with leading an immediate security review of the U.S. Capitol Complex and has called for a 9/11-style Commission to investigate, with legislation creating such a panel to be introduced in the coming days," Hammill said. "The USCP is also conducting an internal security review."
Pelosi, last month, appointed retired Gen. Russel Honoré to lead a security review of the events at the Capitol amid calls from members on both sides of the aisle, in both chambers of Congress, to conduct a review.
(cont…)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pelosi-response-house-gop-capitol-security