Two Years Later, Norton Reflects on January 6th Attack, Reiterates Call to Give D.C. Control Over D.C. National Guard
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released the following statement on the two-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and called for Congress to give the District of Columbia mayor control over the D.C. National Guard.
"Two years ago today, we witnessed an unprecedented mob assault on the U.S. Capitol as Congress was meeting to count the electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election. The attack was not only an attack on our democracy; it was also an attack on the District of Columbia, and particularly on the residential neighborhood surrounding the Capitol, where I live. The Capitol attack affected District residents and businesses for months, with fencing, road closures, and a massive police and military presence.
"On January 6th, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), funded by taxes paid by D.C. residents, voluntarily saved the lives of members of Congress and congressional staff, the Capitol and democracy itself, despite Congress continuing to deny those officers voting representation and full local self-government. But House Republicans thanked D.C. by voting against the D.C. statehood bill only a few months later.
"On this January 6th anniversary, Americans should remember that D.C., our capital, does not have full control over its public safety agencies. The attack highlighted the importance of my longstanding bill to give the D.C. mayor control over its own National Guard. The governors of states and territories control their National Guards, while the president controls the D.C. National Guard. Last Congress, the House passed my bill to give the D.C. mayor control over the D.C. National Guard as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but it was not included in the final enacted version of the NDAA.
"In addition, the January 6th attack anniversary also provides a reminder that the president can federalize the MPD. I have introduced the District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act, which would repeal this authority.
"Finally, we must come to grips with what happened two years ago to fully understand what happened, so that we can work to ensure that it can never happen again. In that vein, I introduced a bill that would have established a national commission to understand the insurrection and to provide a complete account of what happened on and leading up to January 6, including preparedness and response. Ultimately, a select committee was formed to investigate the attack, doing detailed factfinding work and presenting it to the public via a groundbreaking series of hearings in the last year. I hope that its work will help us to prevent future attacks on democracy and the District of Columbia."
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