Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” described the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill “like the Super Bowl of domestic terrorism.”
Discussing a newly released U.S. Senate bipartisan report on January 6, Klobuchar said, “We have outlined what is common knowledge in our report about President Trump’s speech, about encouraging them to march down from the mall and the like. One reason I believe we need a 9/11 type commission and investigation is we felt our jurisdiction and goal was clear. We wanted to get immediate recommendations to help with funding, to help with getting bills passed, and make changes in the police department and the like. But the whole side of it about the rise of white supremacy and what needs to be done. I believe this report is not a substitute for that, but something we needed to do immediately.”
She continued, “We must keep pushing them. It is not over yet, right? The need for this report will go on for many, many years. The public saw with horror through the eyes of the impeachment, hearing the videos and what happened. Individual committees, as Speaker Pelosi said, we will keep having hearings in the House and the Senate but not a replacement for one big report. I remember coming to the Senate and even years later implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendation. Not all is lost because Mitch McConnell is trying to block this right now.”
Mitchell said, “What would take to get the National Guard away from DOD authority and get more control to the Capitol Police on the front lines?”
Klobuchar added, “The National Guard would still be under the Department of Defense as they are across the country, but the idea would be to have more scenarios and ready trained contingency groups to come in and help. What our legislation would do would be to allow the new chief of police…to not have to go through the police board in making emergency calls and not getting answers, ridiculous situation. But the other part is training for Regional National Guard. There hadn’t been training and planning. The chief of staff to the head of the Army actually said in one of our many interviews we did for this report, said, you know, this is not like a pickup game, this situation, where they suddenly all come together and can do it, this was like the Super Bowl of domestic terrorism, and there should have been planning ahead.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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