US President Joe Biden will call out former President Donald Trump for 'singular responsibility' in provoking the rioters on the 6th of January last year in Capitol riots.

President Biden will call out former President Trump for 'singular responsibility' in Capitol Riots

Metal detectors screen lawmakers for weapons at the doors of the House chamber. Staff members are frightened to come to work. Anxious police officers worry about a future attack, even as they relive the one that took place. The citadel of democracy is almost inaccessible to the public it is supposed to welcome and serve.

The January&nbsp;6, 2021, assault has shaken the foundations of the Capitol, a symbol of American strength and unity, transforming how lawmakers view their surroundings and one another. A dark mood lingers, and the scars will be long in healing.

“I have colleagues, to be honest with you, I can’t stand looking at, and I don’t want to get into an elevator with them when we are going to roll-call votes,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., referring to Republicans he considers complicit in the attack a year ago and unapologetic about it today.

The Capitol has been the site of significant violence over the centuries. There was its torching by British troops in 1814, the bloody caning of Sen. Charles Sumner in 1856, a spray of gunfire from the House spectator’s gallery by Puerto Rican nationalists that wounded five representatives in 1954, the murder of two Capitol Police officers standing guard in 1998, and the killing of another at a traffic barricade last April.

But the attack of a year ago was uniquely shattering in that it was a brutal effort by marauding Americans to keep former President Donald Trump in office despite his election loss by interrupting one of the nation’s essential civic functions: the tallying of the electoral votes for president. Lawmakers who were on hand are still struggling to comprehend it.

“That’s the difference,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who had argued that Congress should shut down Thursday to spare staff workers the trauma of reliving a horrific day. “The last time the Capitol was breached and taken over was in 1814 by British forces. Here, we had our fellow Americans storming the Capitol.”

The events of last year have turned everyday spaces in the Capitol into testaments to what transpired. Here is a spot where they fought their way into the building; there is a window they broke or a wall they scaled.

A heavily-trafficked marble staircase on the Senate side of the building is no longer just a way to reach the second floor. It is now etched in memory as the stairway where Officer Eugene Goodman, acting alone, diverted a mob away from a set of back stairs, allowing Vice President Mike Pence and senators to escape unharmed to a secure location before the intruders breached the Senate chamber.

Senators cannot help but look at the presiding officer’s desk in their inner sanctum and remember that it was roughly commandeered by Trump supporters — one shirtless and wearing horns on his head — who rifled through the historic desks in a chamber considered sacred by its usual occupants.

“Have you ever had your house broken into or been a victim of a burglary, and when you walked back into the house, it felt differently, it felt violated?” asked Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. “I felt that way for the longest time — and I still do.”

In the House, the speaker’s lobby, a narrow, portrait-lined hallway off the floor where lawmakers could relax and kibitz with reporters, is now the place where the mob tried to break through glass and a hastily erected barricade before one of them, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed.

McGovern, chair of the House Rules Committee, who was presiding over the chamber just moments before, was standing near the entryway as the intruders approached the door, putting them within reach of lawmakers.

“If you want me to describe what hate looks like, I tell you it is what I saw in the eyes of those people smashing the windows to try to get to us,” said McGovern. “I still have a tough time coming to grips with the fact that it happened. All of us have to walk through the speaker’s lobby every day and relive that day.”

For others, the ever-present reminders of the attack are the officers who were charged with repelling it as best they could, sustaining serious injuries as they did so.

“I remember them with their faces cut, and I see and talk to them every day,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who as chair of the Rules Committee was a central figure in the counting of electoral ballots. “It is the faces of the officers that trigger that day for me. It is a constant reminder of what they did and what they are still up against.”

One of the joys of the Capitol before the assault and the ongoing pandemic was its status as a working landmark, a place where nationally recognized political figures hurried through hallways crowded with school groups and awestruck tourists craned their necks to peer up at the dome from the Rotunda.

But continuing health and security concerns have kept the building mostly closed off, even after the National Guard troops summoned to secure the Capitol in the wake of the riot were sent home and the 7-foot-high, razor-wire-topped fence that ominously encircled the complex was removed.

Much of the time, the once-vibrant Capitol seems eerily empty and footsteps echo loudly off the marble floors.

“It is sad,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House majority leader, who has spent countless hours in the Capitol over the last 40 years and said he hoped it could host visitors again at some point. “It is a stark change.”

In the ensuing 12 months, Democrats and Republicans have inhabited almost parallel universes when it comes to the assault.

Democrats, via a special House committee formed after the Senate rejected a bipartisan commission, continue to press for accountability for those who took part and those who instigated it, starting with Trump. Republicans have increasingly sought to play down or even deny the attack, characterizing it as little more than a routine protest.

It appears few Republicans will be on hand to commemorate the anniversary, with many senators scheduled to be at a funeral for a former colleague in Georgia. The only Republican lawmakers who have publicized an event are two far-right members of the House closely allied with Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, who have promised to “expose the truth” about Jan. 6 during a news conference on Capitol Hill.

Republicans say they see partisanship at work, calling the metal detectors outrageous and accusing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats of trying to win political advantage by demonizing their party. On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., one of the chief objectors to counting the electoral ballots a year ago, said in an op-ed for Fox News that the “day’s true legacy was the left’s attempt to use the Capitol unrest to foster a permanent climate of fear and oppression.”

Other Republicans have tried to deflect responsibility, faulting the Democratic speaker for the inadequate security preparations at the Capitol that allowed the breach to occur, or changing the subject altogether.

“I think we’ve gotten over it,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, said in a recent interview. “We’ve gotten back to normal and are doing the people’s business and having raucous debates over how we see things.”

But to Democrats, there will not be any getting over it until Republicans disavow Trump’s claim that the election was stolen and acknowledge that the Jan. 6 assault was a criminal attempt to overturn legitimate election results.

“When there are people in the Senate who refuse to tell their supporters the truth about Donald Trump’s big lie, I think it has made it harder to work together,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “They certainly know better, and it has created a real risk to democracy.”

But Hoyer still holds out hope.

“Ultimately, I believe democracy really works,” he said. “It doesn’t work overnight, and it doesn’t work perfectly. But ultimately, people get what they want over time.”

Metal detectors screen lawmakers for weapons at the doors of the House chamber. Staff members are frightened to come to work. Anxious police officers worry about a future attack, even as they relive the one that took place.

Metal detectors screen lawmakers for weapons at the doors of the House chamber. Staff members are frightened to come to work. Anxious police officers worry about a future attack, even as they relive the one that took place. The citadel of democracy is almost inaccessible to the public it is supposed to welcome and serve. The January 6, 2021, assault has shaken the foundations of the Capitol, a symbol of American strength and unity, transforming how lawmakers view their surroundings and one another. A dark mood lingers, and the scars will be long in healing. “I have colleagues, to be honest with you, I can’t stand looking at, and I don’t want to get into an elevator with them when we are going to roll-call votes,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., referring to Republicans he considers complicit in the attack a year ago and unapologetic about it today. The Capitol has been the site of significant violence over the centuries. There was its torching by British troops in 1814, the bloody caning of Sen. Charles Sumner in 1856, a spray of gunfire from the House spectator’s gallery by Puerto Rican nationalists that wounded five representatives in 1954, the murder of two Capitol Police officers standing guard in 1998, and the killing of another at a traffic barricade last April. But the attack of a year ago was uniquely shattering in that it was a brutal effort by marauding Americans to keep former President Donald Trump in office despite his election loss by interrupting one of the nation’s essential civic functions: the tallying of the electoral votes for president. Lawmakers who were on hand are still struggling to comprehend it. “That’s the difference,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who had argued that Congress should shut down Thursday to spare staff workers the trauma of reliving a horrific day. “The last time the Capitol was breached and taken over was in 1814 by British forces. Here, we had our fellow Americans storming the Capitol.” The events of last year have turned everyday spaces in the Capitol into testaments to what transpired. Here is a spot where they fought their way into the building; there is a window they broke or a wall they scaled. A heavily-trafficked marble staircase on the Senate side of the building is no longer just a way to reach the second floor. It is now etched in memory as the stairway where Officer Eugene Goodman, acting alone, diverted a mob away from a set of back stairs, allowing Vice President Mike Pence and senators to escape unharmed to a secure location before the intruders breached the Senate chamber. Senators cannot help but look at the presiding officer’s desk in their inner sanctum and remember that it was roughly commandeered by Trump supporters — one shirtless and wearing horns on his head — who rifled through the historic desks in a chamber considered sacred by its usual occupants. “Have you ever had your house broken into or been a victim of a burglary, and when you walked back into the house, it felt differently, it felt violated?” asked Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. “I felt that way for the longest time — and I still do.” In the House, the speaker’s lobby, a narrow, portrait-lined hallway off the floor where lawmakers could relax and kibitz with reporters, is now the place where the mob tried to break through glass and a hastily erected barricade before one of them, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed. McGovern, chair of the House Rules Committee, who was presiding over the chamber just moments before, was standing near the entryway as the intruders approached the door, putting them within reach of lawmakers. “If you want me to describe what hate looks like, I tell you it is what I saw in the eyes of those people smashing the windows to try to get to us,” said McGovern. “I still have a tough time coming to grips with the fact that it happened. All of us have to walk through the speaker’s lobby every day and relive that day.” For others, the ever-present reminders of the attack are the officers who were charged with repelling it as best they could, sustaining serious injuries as they did so. “I remember them with their faces cut, and I see and talk to them every day,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who as chair of the Rules Committee was a central figure in the counting of electoral ballots. “It is the faces of the officers that trigger that day for me. It is a constant reminder of what they did and what they are still up against.” One of the joys of the Capitol before the assault and the ongoing pandemic was its status as a working landmark, a place where nationally recognized political figures hurried through hallways crowded with school groups and awestruck tourists craned their necks to peer up at the dome from the Rotunda. But continuing health and security concerns have kept the building mostly closed off, even after the National Guard troops summoned to secure the Capitol in the wake of the riot were sent home and the 7-foot-high, razor-wire-topped fence that ominously encircled the complex was removed. Much of the time, the once-vibrant Capitol seems eerily empty and footsteps echo loudly off the marble floors. “It is sad,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House majority leader, who has spent countless hours in the Capitol over the last 40 years and said he hoped it could host visitors again at some point. “It is a stark change.” In the ensuing 12 months, Democrats and Republicans have inhabited almost parallel universes when it comes to the assault. Democrats, via a special House committee formed after the Senate rejected a bipartisan commission, continue to press for accountability for those who took part and those who instigated it, starting with Trump. Republicans have increasingly sought to play down or even deny the attack, characterizing it as little more than a routine protest. It appears few Republicans will be on hand to commemorate the anniversary, with many senators scheduled to be at a funeral for a former colleague in Georgia. The only Republican lawmakers who have publicized an event are two far-right members of the House closely allied with Trump, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, who have promised to “expose the truth” about Jan. 6 during a news conference on Capitol Hill. Republicans say they see partisanship at work, calling the metal detectors outrageous and accusing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats of trying to win political advantage by demonizing their party. On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., one of the chief objectors to counting the electoral ballots a year ago, said in an op-ed for Fox News that the “day’s true legacy was the left’s attempt to use the Capitol unrest to foster a permanent climate of fear and oppression.” Other Republicans have tried to deflect responsibility, faulting the Democratic speaker for the inadequate security preparations at the Capitol that allowed the breach to occur, or changing the subject altogether. “I think we’ve gotten over it,” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, said in a recent interview. “We’ve gotten back to normal and are doing the people’s business and having raucous debates over how we see things.” But to Democrats, there will not be any getting over it until Republicans disavow Trump’s claim that the election was stolen and acknowledge that the Jan. 6 assault was a criminal attempt to overturn legitimate election results. “When there are people in the Senate who refuse to tell their supporters the truth about Donald Trump’s big lie, I think it has made it harder to work together,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “They certainly know better, and it has created a real risk to democracy.” But Hoyer still holds out hope. “Ultimately, I believe democracy really works,” he said. “It doesn’t work overnight, and it doesn’t work perfectly. But ultimately, people get what they want over time.”

One year later, assault still casts a pall over the Capitol and its occupants

Hundreds of people are still awaiting trial for their alleged role in the Capitol riots of January 6th last year, while over 150 others have pleaded guilty.

United States: Hundreds await trial for their role in Capitol insurrection

Infrastructure funding has traditionally been a broadly bipartisan issue on Capitol Hill, but President Joe Biden’s sweeping infrastructure bill passed Friday night mostly along party lines.

Only 19 members of Congress broke with their parties on the bill, which passed 228-206 with Democrats largely supporting the legislation and Republicans mostly opposed.

So who were those 19 lawmakers — 13 Republicans and six Democrats — who bucked their parties? They can be broken down roughly into three camps: Republicans who consulted with negotiators on the bill; Republicans who maintain the party’s traditional view that funding infrastructure is more important than fighting a president of a different party; and members of the liberal group known as the Squad.

The Squad

Six Democrats who are part of the progressive group known as “The Squad” — Jamaal Bowman of New York, Cori Bush of Missouri, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — voted against Biden’s plan to spend $550 billion in new funds over 10 years to shore up roads, bridges and highways, improve internet access and modernize the nation’s power grid.

The Squad has grown from four to six members since 2019, when Ocasio-Cortez, the highest-profile progressive on Capitol Hill, entered Congress. Its members were among the leading supporters of the strategy to use the infrastructure bill as leverage for passing Biden’s broader agenda: a $1.85 trillion social safety net and climate change bill.

Ocasio-Cortez has argued that the provisions in Biden’s bill to fight climate change are needed to offset the impact on the environment from a surge in funding for construction projects.

Passing the infrastructure bill without the larger domestic policy package “makes our emissions &amp; climate crisis worse,” she wrote on Twitter in October. “It keeps us in the emissions red.”

Her position was shared by the nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus until centrist Democrats who had been holdouts on the broader bill pledged Friday night that they would vote for it no later than the week of Nov. 15, unless the Congressional Budget Office determines its costs are “inconsistent” with the $1.85 trillion estimate put forth by Biden’s staff.

While most progressives then agreed to vote for the bill, members of the Squad did not view the centrists’ assurances as good enough and chose to stick with their position of demanding both bills pass at the same time. Bush said that passing the infrastructure bill alone “jeopardized our leverage” on the broader bill — which includes monthly payments to families with children, universal prekindergarten, health care subsidies and a four-week paid family and medical leave program — and endangered progressives’ ability to “improve the livelihood of our health care workers, our children, our caregivers, our seniors, and the future of our environment.”

Still, Pressley cast her vote against the infrastructure bill after it had enough votes to pass.

That position infuriated some moderate Democrats. One of them, Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, equated the opposition of left-leaning fellow New Yorkers like Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman with far-right Republicans like Lee Zeldin of New York for voting against a bill that would funnel billions of dollars into the state for subways, sewers and broadband.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Suozzi, who is contemplating a run for governor, told reporters at a New York political conclave in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday. “These are two sides of the same coin: People so far out on the fringe instead of trying to get stuff done to help people and make people's lives better. That’s what people are sick and tired of.”

Republican ‘Problem Solvers’

Eight Republicans who voted in favor of the infrastructure bill — Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Andrew Garbarino of New York, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Tom Reed of New York, Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey and Fred Upton of Michigan — were part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who helped negotiate the infrastructure bill this summer, consulting with centrists in the Senate.

The group known as the Problem Solvers Caucus, including Fitzpatrick, the Republican co-chairman, had once hoped to deliver as many as 29 Republican House votes for the bill but saw members fall away once Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, and other top Republicans opposed it as they ramped up their campaign against Biden’s agenda.

Still, with improvements to highways, bridges, dams, public transit, rail, ports, airports, water quality and broadband coming to the districts, eight members of the group cast their votes in favor of the plan.

Garbarino, who represents part of Long Island, cited the benefits for New York — including $24.9 billion for highways, bridges and transit; $15 billion to replace lead service lines for drinking water; and $470 million for New York’s Kennedy, La Guardia, MacArthur and Republic airports — among his reasons for embracing the bill.

The vote “was about roads, bridges, and clean water,” he said. “It was about real people, and the tangible action Congress could take to better their lives by rebuilding and revitalizing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.”

The Republicans who voted in favor of the bill faced backlash from some hard-right members of their party. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted their office phone numbers on Twitter and accused them of handing over their “voting cards to Nancy Pelosi to pass Joe Biden’s communist takeover of America.”

Republican Traditionalists on Infrastructure

A final group of five House Republicans joined members of the Problem Solvers Caucus in bucking their party to support the bill. This group — Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Don Young of Alaska, Nicole Malliotakis of New York, David B. McKinley of West Virginia and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey — can be roughly defined as embracing the party’s traditionalist view of funding infrastructure.

Young, 88, is the Republican Party’s longest-serving member, having represented Alaska for 25 terms. He endorsed the bill in September, arguing the party has always supported funding roads and bridges and emphasizing that past infrastructure votes were “darn near” unanimous.

“We need infrastructure in this country now,” Young said. “This is the last opportunity we have to make sure those potholes are filled, those airports run right, that bridges are safe and our economy can continue to grow.”

Others, much newer to Congress, said they shared Young’s view on the issue.

Malliotakis, who is in her first term representing Staten Island, released a statement explaining her vote that listed various projects the funding could support in her community, including “completing the High-Occupancy Vehicles lane on the Staten Island Expressway,” fortifying coastal neighborhoods and expanding “our sewer systems to deal with the next Superstorm Sandy or Hurricane Ida.”

“Simply put, it’s this type of investment that will not only save city residents’ time and money, but also their properties and lives,” she said.

Infrastructure funding has traditionally been a broadly bipartisan issue on Capitol Hill, but President Joe Biden’s sweeping infrastructure bill passed Friday night mostly along party lines.

Infrastructure funding has traditionally been a broadly bipartisan issue on Capitol Hill, but President Joe Biden’s sweeping infrastructure bill passed Friday night mostly along party lines. Only 19 members of Congress broke with their parties on the bill, which passed 228-206 with Democrats largely supporting the legislation and Republicans mostly opposed. So who were those 19 lawmakers — 13 Republicans and six Democrats — who bucked their parties? They can be broken down roughly into three camps: Republicans who consulted with negotiators on the bill; Republicans who maintain the party’s traditional view that funding infrastructure is more important than fighting a president of a different party; and members of the liberal group known as the Squad. The Squad Six Democrats who are part of the progressive group known as “The Squad” — Jamaal Bowman of New York, Cori Bush of Missouri, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — voted against Biden’s plan to spend $550 billion in new funds over 10 years to shore up roads, bridges and highways, improve internet access and modernize the nation’s power grid. The Squad has grown from four to six members since 2019, when Ocasio-Cortez, the highest-profile progressive on Capitol Hill, entered Congress. Its members were among the leading supporters of the strategy to use the infrastructure bill as leverage for passing Biden’s broader agenda: a $1.85 trillion social safety net and climate change bill. Ocasio-Cortez has argued that the provisions in Biden’s bill to fight climate change are needed to offset the impact on the environment from a surge in funding for construction projects. Passing the infrastructure bill without the larger domestic policy package “makes our emissions & climate crisis worse,” she wrote on Twitter in October. “It keeps us in the emissions red.” Her position was shared by the nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus until centrist Democrats who had been holdouts on the broader bill pledged Friday night that they would vote for it no later than the week of Nov. 15, unless the Congressional Budget Office determines its costs are “inconsistent” with the $1.85 trillion estimate put forth by Biden’s staff. While most progressives then agreed to vote for the bill, members of the Squad did not view the centrists’ assurances as good enough and chose to stick with their position of demanding both bills pass at the same time. Bush said that passing the infrastructure bill alone “jeopardized our leverage” on the broader bill — which includes monthly payments to families with children, universal prekindergarten, health care subsidies and a four-week paid family and medical leave program — and endangered progressives’ ability to “improve the livelihood of our health care workers, our children, our caregivers, our seniors, and the future of our environment.” Still, Pressley cast her vote against the infrastructure bill after it had enough votes to pass. That position infuriated some moderate Democrats. One of them, Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, equated the opposition of left-leaning fellow New Yorkers like Ocasio-Cortez and Bowman with far-right Republicans like Lee Zeldin of New York for voting against a bill that would funnel billions of dollars into the state for subways, sewers and broadband. “That doesn’t make any sense,” Suozzi, who is contemplating a run for governor, told reporters at a New York political conclave in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday. “These are two sides of the same coin: People so far out on the fringe instead of trying to get stuff done to help people and make people's lives better. That’s what people are sick and tired of.” Republican ‘Problem Solvers’ Eight Republicans who voted in favor of the infrastructure bill — Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Andrew Garbarino of New York, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Tom Reed of New York, Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey and Fred Upton of Michigan — were part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who helped negotiate the infrastructure bill this summer, consulting with centrists in the Senate. The group known as the Problem Solvers Caucus, including Fitzpatrick, the Republican co-chairman, had once hoped to deliver as many as 29 Republican House votes for the bill but saw members fall away once Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, and other top Republicans opposed it as they ramped up their campaign against Biden’s agenda. Still, with improvements to highways, bridges, dams, public transit, rail, ports, airports, water quality and broadband coming to the districts, eight members of the group cast their votes in favor of the plan. Garbarino, who represents part of Long Island, cited the benefits for New York — including $24.9 billion for highways, bridges and transit; $15 billion to replace lead service lines for drinking water; and $470 million for New York’s Kennedy, La Guardia, MacArthur and Republic airports — among his reasons for embracing the bill. The vote “was about roads, bridges, and clean water,” he said. “It was about real people, and the tangible action Congress could take to better their lives by rebuilding and revitalizing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure.” The Republicans who voted in favor of the bill faced backlash from some hard-right members of their party. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted their office phone numbers on Twitter and accused them of handing over their “voting cards to Nancy Pelosi to pass Joe Biden’s communist takeover of America.” Republican Traditionalists on Infrastructure A final group of five House Republicans joined members of the Problem Solvers Caucus in bucking their party to support the bill. This group — Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Don Young of Alaska, Nicole Malliotakis of New York, David B. McKinley of West Virginia and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey — can be roughly defined as embracing the party’s traditionalist view of funding infrastructure. Young, 88, is the Republican Party’s longest-serving member, having represented Alaska for 25 terms. He endorsed the bill in September, arguing the party has always supported funding roads and bridges and emphasizing that past infrastructure votes were “darn near” unanimous. “We need infrastructure in this country now,” Young said. “This is the last opportunity we have to make sure those potholes are filled, those airports run right, that bridges are safe and our economy can continue to grow.” Others, much newer to Congress, said they shared Young’s view on the issue. Malliotakis, who is in her first term representing Staten Island, released a statement explaining her vote that listed various projects the funding could support in her community, including “completing the High-Occupancy Vehicles lane on the Staten Island Expressway,” fortifying coastal neighborhoods and expanding “our sewer systems to deal with the next Superstorm Sandy or Hurricane Ida.” “Simply put, it’s this type of investment that will not only save city residents’ time and money, but also their properties and lives,” she said.

In infrastructure votes, 19 members broke with their party

According to reports, the FBI and other key law enforcement agencies failed to act on a host of tips and other information ahead of January 6 that signaled a potentially violent event might unfold that day at the US Capitol.

Reports: FBI did not pay heed to mounting warnings of Jan 6 Capitol Riots

After a tumultuous week in Congress, during which deep divisions in the Democratic Party delayed progress on part of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, debate spilled over into the weekend as the party braced for intense negotiations in the weeks ahead.

Progressives on Sunday flatly rejected the latest demands from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a key swing vote for Democrats, to shrink Biden’s domestic policy agenda by more than half and to insert a provision to ensure that the federal government does not fund abortions.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said progressives would not agree to reduce Biden’s 10-year, $3.5 trillion social safety net and climate bill to $1.5 trillion, as Manchin requested.

“That’s not going to happen,” Jayapal said on CNN's “State of the Union.” “That’s too small to get our priorities in. It’s going to be somewhere between $1.5 and $3.5, and I think the White House is working on that right now. Remember: What we want to deliver is child care, paid leave, climate change.”

Manchin said in an interview with National Review last week that he was insisting that the legislation include the Hyde Amendment, which states that Medicaid will not pay for an abortion unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

The Hyde Amendment has been reauthorized every year since 1976, but Biden did not include it in his latest budget proposal. During the presidential race, his campaign initially said he supported the amendment, but he later reversed course and condemned it.

Jayapal, who was one of three members of Congress who testified last week about their personal experiences of having an abortion, said she opposed Manchin’s demand.

“The Hyde Amendment is something the majority of the country does not support,” she said.

However, Jayapal and other progressives said they were willing to compromise on the package’s price tag. Several said they were discussing whether to cut certain programs from their agenda entirely or to reduce the duration of the bill’s funding — to five years from 10 years, for example.

“We can front-load the benefits and have less years,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Jayapal said that progressives were willing to explore shortening the length of some components of the funding bill to decrease its cost, but that new clean-energy standards needed to stay in the legislation for a decade.

“It takes time to cut carbon emissions,” she said.

Debate has raged on Capitol Hill over the past week over Biden’s domestic agenda. The nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus blocked a House vote on his $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which is favored by the Democrats’ centrist wing. The more liberal lawmakers sought leverage to secure passage of the president’s larger $3.5 trillion domestic policy bill, which some centrist Democrats have not endorsed.

With slim majorities in both chambers of Congress, nearly every Democratic vote is needed to pass both bills.

Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and majority leader, have assured the Congressional Progressive Caucus that both bills will advance as part of a “two-track” process.

“We’re trying to pass some of the most significant legislation to help working families — throughout New York and around the country — that’s been done since Franklin D. Roosevelt,” Schumer said at a news conference in New York City on Sunday. “It takes a little time. I believe we’re on track to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as the reconciliation Build Back Better bill, and our goal is to get both bills done in the next month.”

In a letter to lawmakers Saturday, Pelosi urged passage of the infrastructure bill by the end of the month and signaled that Democratic leaders were continuing to negotiate the broader social policy and climate bill with Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., two party holdouts who are needed to pass legislation in the Senate.

“Again, we will and must pass both bills soon,” Pelosi wrote. “We have the responsibility and the opportunity to do so.”

Sinema on Saturday released a statement condemning the delay of the infrastructure vote, calling it a “failure” and “deeply disappointing for communities across our country.”

“Denying Americans millions of good-paying jobs, safer roads, cleaner water, more reliable electricity and better broadband only hurts everyday families,” she said.

But Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the Budget Committee, expressed confidence in the progressives’ negotiating position, pointing to signals from the White House that their faction was right to push for a more ambitious legislative agenda.

“We’ve got the president of the United States on our side,” Sanders said on ABC's “This Week” on Sunday. “Got 96% of the members of the Democratic caucus in the House on our side. We got all but two senators at this point in the Democratic caucus on our side. We’re going to win this thing.”

Cedric Richmond, a senior adviser to Biden, predicted that both liberals and centrists would have to give some to reach a deal.

“People will be disappointed. People will not get everything we want,” he said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” “We’re going to fight until we get both bills.”

Speaking on “State of the Union,” Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Senate Democrat, agreed that some big choices lie ahead.

“We have to ask that very fundamental question,” he said. “Should we do everything to a limited degree, or should we really invest ourselves in the most important things?”

After a tumultuous week in Congress, during which deep divisions in the Democratic Party delayed progress on part of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, debate spilled over into the weekend as the party braced for intense negotiations in the weeks ahead.

After a tumultuous week in Congress, during which deep divisions in the Democratic Party delayed progress on part of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, debate spilled over into the weekend as the party braced for intense negotiations in the weeks ahead. Progressives on Sunday flatly rejected the latest demands from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a key swing vote for Democrats, to shrink Biden’s domestic policy agenda by more than half and to insert a provision to ensure that the federal government does not fund abortions. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said progressives would not agree to reduce Biden’s 10-year, $3.5 trillion social safety net and climate bill to $1.5 trillion, as Manchin requested. “That’s not going to happen,” Jayapal said on CNN's “State of the Union.” “That’s too small to get our priorities in. It’s going to be somewhere between $1.5 and $3.5, and I think the White House is working on that right now. Remember: What we want to deliver is child care, paid leave, climate change.” Manchin said in an interview with National Review last week that he was insisting that the legislation include the Hyde Amendment, which states that Medicaid will not pay for an abortion unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. The Hyde Amendment has been reauthorized every year since 1976, but Biden did not include it in his latest budget proposal. During the presidential race, his campaign initially said he supported the amendment, but he later reversed course and condemned it. Jayapal, who was one of three members of Congress who testified last week about their personal experiences of having an abortion, said she opposed Manchin’s demand. “The Hyde Amendment is something the majority of the country does not support,” she said. However, Jayapal and other progressives said they were willing to compromise on the package’s price tag. Several said they were discussing whether to cut certain programs from their agenda entirely or to reduce the duration of the bill’s funding — to five years from 10 years, for example. “We can front-load the benefits and have less years,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on “Fox News Sunday.” Jayapal said that progressives were willing to explore shortening the length of some components of the funding bill to decrease its cost, but that new clean-energy standards needed to stay in the legislation for a decade. “It takes time to cut carbon emissions,” she said. Debate has raged on Capitol Hill over the past week over Biden’s domestic agenda. The nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus blocked a House vote on his $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which is favored by the Democrats’ centrist wing. The more liberal lawmakers sought leverage to secure passage of the president’s larger $3.5 trillion domestic policy bill, which some centrist Democrats have not endorsed. With slim majorities in both chambers of Congress, nearly every Democratic vote is needed to pass both bills. Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and majority leader, have assured the Congressional Progressive Caucus that both bills will advance as part of a “two-track” process. “We’re trying to pass some of the most significant legislation to help working families — throughout New York and around the country — that’s been done since Franklin D. Roosevelt,” Schumer said at a news conference in New York City on Sunday. “It takes a little time. I believe we’re on track to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as the reconciliation Build Back Better bill, and our goal is to get both bills done in the next month.” In a letter to lawmakers Saturday, Pelosi urged passage of the infrastructure bill by the end of the month and signaled that Democratic leaders were continuing to negotiate the broader social policy and climate bill with Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., two party holdouts who are needed to pass legislation in the Senate. “Again, we will and must pass both bills soon,” Pelosi wrote. “We have the responsibility and the opportunity to do so.” Sinema on Saturday released a statement condemning the delay of the infrastructure vote, calling it a “failure” and “deeply disappointing for communities across our country.” “Denying Americans millions of good-paying jobs, safer roads, cleaner water, more reliable electricity and better broadband only hurts everyday families,” she said. But Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the Budget Committee, expressed confidence in the progressives’ negotiating position, pointing to signals from the White House that their faction was right to push for a more ambitious legislative agenda. “We’ve got the president of the United States on our side,” Sanders said on ABC's “This Week” on Sunday. “Got 96% of the members of the Democratic caucus in the House on our side. We got all but two senators at this point in the Democratic caucus on our side. We’re going to win this thing.” Cedric Richmond, a senior adviser to Biden, predicted that both liberals and centrists would have to give some to reach a deal. “People will be disappointed. People will not get everything we want,” he said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” “We’re going to fight until we get both bills.” Speaking on “State of the Union,” Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Senate Democrat, agreed that some big choices lie ahead. “We have to ask that very fundamental question,” he said. “Should we do everything to a limited degree, or should we really invest ourselves in the most important things?”

Progressives stand firm on priorities as infrastructure debate continues

Democrats prepared legislation Wednesday to avert a government shutdown this week, but they were desperately trying to salvage President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda as conservative-leaning holdouts dug in against an ambitious $3.5 trillion social safety net and climate bill that carries many of the party’s top priorities.

Congressional leaders moved to address the most immediate threat, working to complete a bill to prevent a government funding lapse at midnight Thursday. Yet after days of intensive negotiations to bridge bitter differences in their party over Biden’s two biggest legislative priorities, the president and top Democrats appeared as far as ever from an agreement on their marquee social policy package, which the White House calls the Build Back Better plan.

That, in turn, was imperiling a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that was scheduled for a House vote Thursday.

The fate of the two measures could define the success of Biden’s presidency, and the intense negotiations surrounding them have posed a test of his skills as a deal maker, which he highlighted as a calling card during his campaign for the White House. But after days of personal meetings with lawmakers in the Oval Office and phone calls to key players, Biden remained far short of a deal.

Dramatizing the challenge, Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, a leading holdout on the social policy bill, issued a lengthy and strongly worded statement Wednesday evening reiterating his opposition to the proposal as currently constituted, saying it amounted to “fiscal insanity.”

“While I am hopeful that common ground can be found that would result in another historic investment in our nation, I cannot — and will not — support trillions in spending or an all-or-nothing approach that ignores the brutal fiscal reality our nation faces,” Manchin wrote, denouncing an approach that he said would “vengefully tax for the sake of wishful spending.”

The statement was the polar opposite of what Biden and top Democrats had hoped to extract from Manchin and other centrist critics of the bill by week’s end — a firm public commitment to eventually vote for the social policy measure, in order to placate liberals who want to ensure its enactment.

Instead, it further enraged progressives who were already promising to oppose the infrastructure bill until Congress acted on the larger social policy plan, which Democrats plan to push through using a fast-track process known as budget reconciliation to shield it from a filibuster. They have been pressing to push off the infrastructure vote until after votes on the reconciliation bill — or, at the very least, after the centrist holdouts provided a firm sense of what they would accept in that package.

“I assume he’s saying that the president is insane, because this is the president’s agenda,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said of Manchin. “Look, this is why we’re not voting for that bipartisan bill until we get agreement on the reconciliation bill. It’s clear we’ve got a ways to go.

“I tell you, after that statement, we probably have even more people willing to vote ‘no’ on the bipartisan bill,” she added.

The impasse left unclear the fate of the infrastructure measure. While a handful of centrist Republicans plan to support it, GOP leaders are urging their members to oppose it, leaving Democrats who hold a slim majority short of votes to pass the bill if progressives revolt.

“The plan is to bring the bill to the floor,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters, returning to Capitol Hill after huddling at the White House with Biden and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader. Asked whether she was concerned about the votes, she added, “One hour at a time.”

She spoke shortly after the House passed legislation lifting the statutory limit on federal borrowing until Dec. 16, 2022, an effort to avert a catastrophic federal debt default next month when the Treasury Department says it will breach the current cap.

Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to pair the increase with a spending bill to keep the government funded and are likely to oppose the House-passed bill, which was approved on a nearly party-line vote of 219-212 on Wednesday.

But even as the debt ceiling remained unresolved, Senate leaders scheduled a series of votes for Thursday morning on legislation that would keep the government open through early December and provide crucial aid for disaster relief efforts and Afghan refugees. The House is expected to take up the legislation soon afterward to avoid a shutdown Thursday night.

But much of the urgency Wednesday was focused on salvaging the president’s agenda, after Biden and his aides cleared his schedule Wednesday in an attempt to broker a deal among Democrats.

Some Democrats have complained this week that the president has not engaged in talks to their satisfaction. He welcomed groups of progressives and moderates to the White House last week, for example, but met with each separately, as opposed to holding a group negotiating session.

And efforts by Biden and his team to pressure Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, another Democratic holdout on the reconciliation bill, appear to have fallen flat. Officials have been working for days to persuade the pair to specify how much they would be willing to spend on the package, calculating that such a commitment would allay the worries of progressives now refusing to support the infrastructure bill.

“Joe Biden is the only president in American history to have passed a relief package of the significance of the American Rescue Plan with zero margin for error in the Senate and three votes to spare in the House,” said Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the White House, referring to the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that became law in March. “He knows how to make his case, he knows how to count votes, and he knows how to deliver for the American middle class.”

Both Sinema and Manchin visited the White House on Tuesday, but after their meetings, neither they nor White House officials would enumerate the contours of a bill they could support. Top White House officials also trekked to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to huddle privately with Sinema for more than two hours.

“The president felt it was constructive, felt they moved the ball forward, felt there was an agreement, that we’re at a pivotal moment,” Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters Tuesday, characterizing the meetings. “It’s important to continue to finalize the path forward to get the job done for the American people.”

Biden held conversations with various lawmakers throughout the day Wednesday and planned to continue them Thursday, White House officials said.

Privately, administration officials said Biden was continuing to take an encouraging role with Manchin and Sinema, and not demanding they agree to anything immediately. Both senators have yet to publicly do so, even as liberal Democrats continue to publicly fume over the reticence.

In his statement Wednesday, Manchin said he wanted to set income thresholds for many of the social program expansions Democrats have proposed. He suggested that he would be open to undoing some components of the 2017 tax cut.

Moderate House Democrats, who helped secure a commitment for a vote this week on the infrastructure bill, warned that a failed vote would worsen the already deep mistrust between the two factions of the party.

“If the vote were to fail tomorrow or be delayed, there would be a significant breach of trust that would slow the momentum in moving forward on delivering the Biden agenda,” said Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida, one of the moderates who sought to decouple the two plans.

Even as they labored to work out philosophical differences in their party on the bill, Democrats suffered yet another setback Wednesday when the Senate’s top rules enforcer rejected a second proposal to include in the reconciliation bill a path to legal status for about 8 million immigrants living in the country illegally.

In a memo obtained by The New York Times, Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, wrote that the policy change “vastly outweighs its budgetary impact,” effectively disqualifying it from inclusion in a measure whose contents must have a direct impact on the federal budget.

In their latest effort, Democrats had proposed moving up the date for a process known as immigration registry, which allows otherwise law-abiding immigrants who have been in the United States continuously since a certain date to adjust their status and gain a pathway to citizenship. The current date, established in 1986, is set at Jan. 1, 1972. Democrats had sought to change that date to Jan. 1, 2010.

Last week, MacDonough rejected Democrats’ initial proposal to grant legal status to several categories of people in the country illegally, including those brought to the United States as children, known as Dreamers; immigrants who were granted Temporary Protected Status for humanitarian reasons; people working in the country under nonimmigrant visas; close to 1 million farmworkers; and millions more who are deemed “essential workers.”

She said those changes to immigration law could not be included, under the Senate rules, in the reconciliation package because they represented a “tremendous and enduring policy change that dwarfs its budgetary impact.”

Democrats said they would continue to look for alternative strategies to aid immigrants through the reconciliation process.

Democrats prepared legislation Wednesday to avert a government shutdown this week, but they were desperately trying to salvage President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda as conservative-leaning holdouts dug in against an ambitious $3.

Democrats prepared legislation Wednesday to avert a government shutdown this week, but they were desperately trying to salvage President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda as conservative-leaning holdouts dug in against an ambitious $3.5 trillion social safety net and climate bill that carries many of the party’s top priorities. Congressional leaders moved to address the most immediate threat, working to complete a bill to prevent a government funding lapse at midnight Thursday. Yet after days of intensive negotiations to bridge bitter differences in their party over Biden’s two biggest legislative priorities, the president and top Democrats appeared as far as ever from an agreement on their marquee social policy package, which the White House calls the Build Back Better plan. That, in turn, was imperiling a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that was scheduled for a House vote Thursday. The fate of the two measures could define the success of Biden’s presidency, and the intense negotiations surrounding them have posed a test of his skills as a deal maker, which he highlighted as a calling card during his campaign for the White House. But after days of personal meetings with lawmakers in the Oval Office and phone calls to key players, Biden remained far short of a deal. Dramatizing the challenge, Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, a leading holdout on the social policy bill, issued a lengthy and strongly worded statement Wednesday evening reiterating his opposition to the proposal as currently constituted, saying it amounted to “fiscal insanity.” “While I am hopeful that common ground can be found that would result in another historic investment in our nation, I cannot — and will not — support trillions in spending or an all-or-nothing approach that ignores the brutal fiscal reality our nation faces,” Manchin wrote, denouncing an approach that he said would “vengefully tax for the sake of wishful spending.” The statement was the polar opposite of what Biden and top Democrats had hoped to extract from Manchin and other centrist critics of the bill by week’s end — a firm public commitment to eventually vote for the social policy measure, in order to placate liberals who want to ensure its enactment. Instead, it further enraged progressives who were already promising to oppose the infrastructure bill until Congress acted on the larger social policy plan, which Democrats plan to push through using a fast-track process known as budget reconciliation to shield it from a filibuster. They have been pressing to push off the infrastructure vote until after votes on the reconciliation bill — or, at the very least, after the centrist holdouts provided a firm sense of what they would accept in that package. “I assume he’s saying that the president is insane, because this is the president’s agenda,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said of Manchin. “Look, this is why we’re not voting for that bipartisan bill until we get agreement on the reconciliation bill. It’s clear we’ve got a ways to go. “I tell you, after that statement, we probably have even more people willing to vote ‘no’ on the bipartisan bill,” she added. The impasse left unclear the fate of the infrastructure measure. While a handful of centrist Republicans plan to support it, GOP leaders are urging their members to oppose it, leaving Democrats who hold a slim majority short of votes to pass the bill if progressives revolt. “The plan is to bring the bill to the floor,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters, returning to Capitol Hill after huddling at the White House with Biden and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader. Asked whether she was concerned about the votes, she added, “One hour at a time.” She spoke shortly after the House passed legislation lifting the statutory limit on federal borrowing until Dec. 16, 2022, an effort to avert a catastrophic federal debt default next month when the Treasury Department says it will breach the current cap. Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to pair the increase with a spending bill to keep the government funded and are likely to oppose the House-passed bill, which was approved on a nearly party-line vote of 219-212 on Wednesday. But even as the debt ceiling remained unresolved, Senate leaders scheduled a series of votes for Thursday morning on legislation that would keep the government open through early December and provide crucial aid for disaster relief efforts and Afghan refugees. The House is expected to take up the legislation soon afterward to avoid a shutdown Thursday night. But much of the urgency Wednesday was focused on salvaging the president’s agenda, after Biden and his aides cleared his schedule Wednesday in an attempt to broker a deal among Democrats. Some Democrats have complained this week that the president has not engaged in talks to their satisfaction. He welcomed groups of progressives and moderates to the White House last week, for example, but met with each separately, as opposed to holding a group negotiating session. And efforts by Biden and his team to pressure Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, another Democratic holdout on the reconciliation bill, appear to have fallen flat. Officials have been working for days to persuade the pair to specify how much they would be willing to spend on the package, calculating that such a commitment would allay the worries of progressives now refusing to support the infrastructure bill. “Joe Biden is the only president in American history to have passed a relief package of the significance of the American Rescue Plan with zero margin for error in the Senate and three votes to spare in the House,” said Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the White House, referring to the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that became law in March. “He knows how to make his case, he knows how to count votes, and he knows how to deliver for the American middle class.” Both Sinema and Manchin visited the White House on Tuesday, but after their meetings, neither they nor White House officials would enumerate the contours of a bill they could support. Top White House officials also trekked to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to huddle privately with Sinema for more than two hours. “The president felt it was constructive, felt they moved the ball forward, felt there was an agreement, that we’re at a pivotal moment,” Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters Tuesday, characterizing the meetings. “It’s important to continue to finalize the path forward to get the job done for the American people.” Biden held conversations with various lawmakers throughout the day Wednesday and planned to continue them Thursday, White House officials said. Privately, administration officials said Biden was continuing to take an encouraging role with Manchin and Sinema, and not demanding they agree to anything immediately. Both senators have yet to publicly do so, even as liberal Democrats continue to publicly fume over the reticence. In his statement Wednesday, Manchin said he wanted to set income thresholds for many of the social program expansions Democrats have proposed. He suggested that he would be open to undoing some components of the 2017 tax cut. Moderate House Democrats, who helped secure a commitment for a vote this week on the infrastructure bill, warned that a failed vote would worsen the already deep mistrust between the two factions of the party. “If the vote were to fail tomorrow or be delayed, there would be a significant breach of trust that would slow the momentum in moving forward on delivering the Biden agenda,” said Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida, one of the moderates who sought to decouple the two plans. Even as they labored to work out philosophical differences in their party on the bill, Democrats suffered yet another setback Wednesday when the Senate’s top rules enforcer rejected a second proposal to include in the reconciliation bill a path to legal status for about 8 million immigrants living in the country illegally. In a memo obtained by The New York Times, Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, wrote that the policy change “vastly outweighs its budgetary impact,” effectively disqualifying it from inclusion in a measure whose contents must have a direct impact on the federal budget. In their latest effort, Democrats had proposed moving up the date for a process known as immigration registry, which allows otherwise law-abiding immigrants who have been in the United States continuously since a certain date to adjust their status and gain a pathway to citizenship. The current date, established in 1986, is set at Jan. 1, 1972. Democrats had sought to change that date to Jan. 1, 2010. Last week, MacDonough rejected Democrats’ initial proposal to grant legal status to several categories of people in the country illegally, including those brought to the United States as children, known as Dreamers; immigrants who were granted Temporary Protected Status for humanitarian reasons; people working in the country under nonimmigrant visas; close to 1 million farmworkers; and millions more who are deemed “essential workers.” She said those changes to immigration law could not be included, under the Senate rules, in the reconciliation package because they represented a “tremendous and enduring policy change that dwarfs its budgetary impact.” Democrats said they would continue to look for alternative strategies to aid immigrants through the reconciliation process.

Democrats move to avert shutdown, but divisions imperil Biden's agenda

The US Capitol was on high alert on Saturday ahead of a rally in support of the Pro-Trump rioters who had ransacked the area during the infamous January 6 unrest.

Small group of Trump supporters rally in US Capitol amid high security

Seven US Capitol Police officers filed suit against former president Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and members of right-wing extremist groups on Thursday, accusing them of being directly responsible for the January 6 attack on Congress.

The lawsuit is one of several that have been filed against&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;over the attempt by thousands of his supporters to prevent the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden's November 2020 presidential election victory.

The latest suit was filed in US District Court in Washington by The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights on behalf of seven Capitol Police officers who battled&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;loyalists at the Capitol.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nigerian-gunmen-free-dozens-of-kidnapped-seminary-pupils-says-teacher-408677">Nigerian gunmen free dozens of kidnapped seminary pupils, says teacher</a>

Among those named in the lawsuit are&nbsp;Trump, the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;Campaign,&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;associate Roger Stone and members of right-wing extremist groups the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.

The suit alleges they engaged in an "unlawful effort to use force, intimidation, and threats to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 Presidential election."

"Because of Defendants' unlawful actions, Plaintiffs were violently assaulted, spat on, tear-gassed, bear-sprayed, subjected to racial slurs and epithets, and put in fear for their lives," the complaint said. Five of the police officers filing suit are Black.

Damon Hewitt,&nbsp;president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee, said the January 6 attack "was a blatant attempt to stifle the votes and voices of millions of Americans, particularly Black voters."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/will-hunt-you-down-joe-biden-warns-kabul-bombers-vows-to-avenge-deaths-of-us-soldiers-408665">'Will hunt you down': Joe Biden warns Kabul bombers, vows to avenge deaths of US soldiers</a>

"For months after the 2020 election had been officially called, former president&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and his associates made coordinated and systematic attempts to lodge their false claims of election fraud," Hewitt said.

"The lies of this conspiracy intentionally energized white supremacists and violent extremist groups and actively encouraged them to coordinate the violent attack on the Capitol."

Trump&nbsp;has also been targeted in lawsuits filed by Democratic lawmakers over the January 6 attack and a House Select Committee has opened an inquiry into the assault on Congress.

The select committee issued a sweeping request on Wednesday to the National Archives and seven government agencies for records related to the attack, including communications from&nbsp;Trump, members of his family, his top aides and dozens of other former members of his administration.

Trump&nbsp;has consistently refused to acknowledge his defeat to Biden and continues to make unfounded claims that he won the election.

The real estate mogul was impeached by the Democratic-controlled House in January for inciting insurrection but was acquitted by the Senate.

Seven US Capitol Police officers filed suit against former president Donald Trump and members of right-wing extremist groups on Thursday, accusing them of being directly responsible for the January 6 attack on Congress.

Seven US Capitol Police officers filed suit against former president Donald Trump and members of right-wing extremist groups on Thursday, accusing them of being directly responsible for the January 6 attack on Congress. The lawsuit is one of several that have been filed against Trump over the attempt by thousands of his supporters to prevent the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden's November 2020 presidential election victory. The latest suit was filed in US District Court in Washington by The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights on behalf of seven Capitol Police officers who battled Trump loyalists at the Capitol. ALSO READ | Nigerian gunmen free dozens of kidnapped seminary pupils, says teacher Among those named in the lawsuit are Trump, the Trump Campaign, Trump associate Roger Stone and members of right-wing extremist groups the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters. The suit alleges they engaged in an "unlawful effort to use force, intimidation, and threats to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 Presidential election." "Because of Defendants' unlawful actions, Plaintiffs were violently assaulted, spat on, tear-gassed, bear-sprayed, subjected to racial slurs and epithets, and put in fear for their lives," the complaint said. Five of the police officers filing suit are Black. Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee, said the January 6 attack "was a blatant attempt to stifle the votes and voices of millions of Americans, particularly Black voters." ALSO READ | 'Will hunt you down': Joe Biden warns Kabul bombers, vows to avenge deaths of US soldiers "For months after the 2020 election had been officially called, former president Trump and his associates made coordinated and systematic attempts to lodge their false claims of election fraud," Hewitt said. "The lies of this conspiracy intentionally energized white supremacists and violent extremist groups and actively encouraged them to coordinate the violent attack on the Capitol." Trump has also been targeted in lawsuits filed by Democratic lawmakers over the January 6 attack and a House Select Committee has opened an inquiry into the assault on Congress. The select committee issued a sweeping request on Wednesday to the National Archives and seven government agencies for records related to the attack, including communications from Trump, members of his family, his top aides and dozens of other former members of his administration. Trump has consistently refused to acknowledge his defeat to Biden and continues to make unfounded claims that he won the election. The real estate mogul was impeached by the Democratic-controlled House in January for inciting insurrection but was acquitted by the Senate.

US Capitol Police officers sue Donald Trump over January 6 attack

District of Columbia police officer Michael Fanone described being pulled into the crowd of rioters, beaten, "electrocuted again and again and again with a Taser," and robbed of his badge.

US police officers recount horrors from Capitol riots

Former US President Donald Trump’s supporters who stormed the US Capitol building had clear plans to carry out&nbsp;coordinated attacks and "disrupt democracy", senior Democrat Bennie Thompson said on Tuesday after starting the congressional inquiry into the January 6 riots.

An inquiry was opened on Tuesday to investigate the attack of Trump supporters at the Capitol police and Capitol building on January 06.

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Armed with video and picture evidence, Thompson claimed the Capitol riot was the most violent attack since the British assailed the US legislature in 1814.

"A violent mob was pointed toward the&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;and told to win a trial by combat. Some descended on this city with clear plans to disrupt our democracy,"&nbsp;Thompson said. "We know there is evidence of a coordinated planned attack. We know that the men and women who stormed the Capitol wanted to derail the peaceful transfer of power in this country."

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On the first day of the hearing, the lawmakers will be hearing first-hand accounts of the Capitol police officers who were attacked mercilessly by the rioters, while hoping to find leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence.

Four police officers, including Michael Fanone who was stun-gunned and brutally beaten by protestors, are scheduled to testify at the hearing today. One of the officers described this attack like a 'medieval battle’ and claimed he feared he would die.

It was "something from a medieval battle. We fought hand to hand, inch by inch, to prevent an invasion of the&nbsp;Capitol," said Aquilino Gonell, a Capitol police officer. He also added that at the moment all he could think was "this is how I'm going to die, defending this entrance".

The hearing chair said it is very clear that the Capitol attack was coordinated to derail the peaceful transfer of power. The attack took place on the same day when the certification process of Joe Biden’s November presidential election victory was taking place in the Capitol building.

Former US President Donald Trump’s supporters who stormed the US Capitol building had clear plans to carry out coordinated attacks and "disrupt democracy", senior Democrat Bennie Thompson said on Tuesday after starting the congressional inquiry into the January 6 riots.

Former US President Donald Trump’s supporters who stormed the US Capitol building had clear plans to carry out coordinated attacks and "disrupt democracy", senior Democrat Bennie Thompson said on Tuesday after starting the congressional inquiry into the January 6 riots. An inquiry was opened on Tuesday to investigate the attack of Trump supporters at the Capitol police and Capitol building on January 06. Also read | US Capitol Riots: Man from Florida sentenced to 8 months in prison Armed with video and picture evidence, Thompson claimed the Capitol riot was the most violent attack since the British assailed the US legislature in 1814. "A violent mob was pointed toward the Capitol and told to win a trial by combat. Some descended on this city with clear plans to disrupt our democracy," Thompson said. "We know there is evidence of a coordinated planned attack. We know that the men and women who stormed the Capitol wanted to derail the peaceful transfer of power in this country." Also read | Directionless and poor management: Senate report highlights faulty leadership during Capitol riots On the first day of the hearing, the lawmakers will be hearing first-hand accounts of the Capitol police officers who were attacked mercilessly by the rioters, while hoping to find leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence. Four police officers, including Michael Fanone who was stun-gunned and brutally beaten by protestors, are scheduled to testify at the hearing today. One of the officers described this attack like a 'medieval battle’ and claimed he feared he would die. It was "something from a medieval battle. We fought hand to hand, inch by inch, to prevent an invasion of the Capitol," said Aquilino Gonell, a Capitol police officer. He also added that at the moment all he could think was "this is how I'm going to die, defending this entrance". The hearing chair said it is very clear that the Capitol attack was coordinated to derail the peaceful transfer of power. The attack took place on the same day when the certification process of Joe Biden’s November presidential election victory was taking place in the Capitol building.

US Capitol rioters had coordinated plans to disrupt democracy': Hearing chair

A Florida man was sentenced to eight months in prison for his role in the Capitol riots. This is the first sentencing of someone convicted for a felony over the attack.

US Capitol Riots: Man from Florida sentenced to 8 months in prison in first felony sentence

George Floyd's family met with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and congressional leaders on Tuesday, a year after Floyd was killed in Minneapolis police custody.

US: George Floyd's family visits US Capitol, marks one year of Floyd's killing

US Capitol stood unprotected by National Guard for the first time in about five months on Monday. Last 2149 out of 26,000 troops departed on Monday their mission to protect Congress formally ended.

The troops were mobilized after hundreds of supporters of then-president Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, halting the joint session to confirm Trump's rival Joe Biden as winner of the presidential election.

Some broke into lawmakers' offices, and called for the killing of lawmakers and vice president Mike Pence, who was presiding over the session.

Amid fears of more threats around and following the January 20 inauguration of Biden, thousands of Guard troops were mobilized, patrolling the Capitol area day and night while a large fence encircled the grounds, making it appear a building under siege.

The troops remained in Washington for months after the inauguration as what many dubbed an insurrection was investigated.

Trump, who was impeached for encouraging the assault, later claimed the attackers were "zero threat" to lawmakers and downplayed the episode.

The FBI has arrested and charged about 440 people involved in January 6 attacks. Dozens of them are associated with armed militia groups.

(With inputs from agencies)

US Capitol stood unprotected by National Guard for the first time in about five months on Monday. Last 2149 out of 26,000 troops departed on Monday their mission to protect Congress formally ended.

US Capitol stood unprotected by National Guard for the first time in about five months on Monday. Last 2149 out of 26,000 troops departed on Monday their mission to protect Congress formally ended. The troops were mobilized after hundreds of supporters of then-president Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, halting the joint session to confirm Trump's rival Joe Biden as winner of the presidential election. Some broke into lawmakers' offices, and called for the killing of lawmakers and vice president Mike Pence, who was presiding over the session. Amid fears of more threats around and following the January 20 inauguration of Biden, thousands of Guard troops were mobilized, patrolling the Capitol area day and night while a large fence encircled the grounds, making it appear a building under siege. The troops remained in Washington for months after the inauguration as what many dubbed an insurrection was investigated. Trump, who was impeached for encouraging the assault, later claimed the attackers were "zero threat" to lawmakers and downplayed the episode. The FBI has arrested and charged about 440 people involved in January 6 attacks. Dozens of them are associated with armed militia groups. (With inputs from agencies)

National Guard troops exit US Capitol months after January 6 attack

US House of Representatives have narrowly approved $1.9 billion Capitol security bill. This bill aims to bolster security at the US Capitol. The bill has been passed with 213-212 votes.

US House of Representatives passes $1.9bn bill to bolster security at Capitol

Donald Trump encouraged the Capitol rioters and so earned his Facebook ban, but the social media giant's rules are in "shambles" and need fixing, the co-chair of the network's oversight panel said Sunday.

The panel agreed just days ago that Facebook was right to oust the ex-president for his comments regarding the deadly January 6 rampage, though it sidestepped an overall decision on whether he will ever be allowed back.

"He issued these statements which were just egging on -- with perfunctory asking for peace -- but mostly he was just egging them on to continue," oversight body co-chair Michael McConnell told Fox News Sunday.

Trump was suspended from Facebook and Instagram after posting a video during the attack by his fired-up supporters challenging his election loss, in which he told them: "We love you, you're very special."

"He (Trump) bears responsibility for his situation. He put himself in this bed and he can sleep in it," McConnell added.

However, the panel gave the company six months to justify why his ban should be permanent -- leaving a grenade in Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's lap on the issue of free speech, and spotlighting weaknesses in the platform's plan for self-regulation.

"We gave them (Facebook) a certain amount of time to get... their house in order," McConnell said. "They needed some time because their rules are shambles... They are unclear, they are internally inconsistent."

McConnell, a constitutional law professor at Stanford, noted that the social media giant was not violating Trump's free speech rights.

- 'Facebook is not a government' -

"The simple willing answer is private companies are not bound by the First Amendment," he said referring to the US constitution. "He's a customer. Facebook is not a government, and he is not a citizen of Facebook."

In its ruling, the oversight board -- envisioned by Zuckerberg as the equivalent of a "supreme court" for thorny content decisions -- made additional recommendations on dealing with potentially harmful content from world leaders.

The panel "called on Facebook to address widespread confusion about how decisions relating to influential users are made" and said, "considerations of newsworthiness should not take priority when urgent action is needed to prevent significant harm."

Twitter has permanently suspended Trump after the Capitol riot, saying there was a risk he would further incite violence, due to his multiple tweets disputing Joe Biden's presidential election victory.

Twitter on Thursday confirmed that it had pulled the plug on several Trump-linked accounts trying to skirt the ban.

Social media had been key to Trump's political success, letting him fire off comments without having to explain or back claims.

At a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, US lawmakers unleashed criticism at the leaders of the top social networks and promised new regulations.

Zuckerberg, Twitter's Jack Dorsey, and Google's Sundar Pichai faced questions from lawmakers who blamed their platforms for political extremism, drug abuse, teen suicides and more.

Zuckerberg reiterated his belief that private companies should not be the judges of truth when it comes to what people say.

Donald Trump encouraged the Capitol rioters and so earned his Facebook ban, but the social media giant's rules are in "shambles" and need fixing, the co-chair of the network's oversight panel said Sunday.

Donald Trump encouraged the Capitol rioters and so earned his Facebook ban, but the social media giant's rules are in "shambles" and need fixing, the co-chair of the network's oversight panel said Sunday. The panel agreed just days ago that Facebook was right to oust the ex-president for his comments regarding the deadly January 6 rampage, though it sidestepped an overall decision on whether he will ever be allowed back. "He issued these statements which were just egging on -- with perfunctory asking for peace -- but mostly he was just egging them on to continue," oversight body co-chair Michael McConnell told Fox News Sunday. Trump was suspended from Facebook and Instagram after posting a video during the attack by his fired-up supporters challenging his election loss, in which he told them: "We love you, you're very special." "He (Trump) bears responsibility for his situation. He put himself in this bed and he can sleep in it," McConnell added. However, the panel gave the company six months to justify why his ban should be permanent -- leaving a grenade in Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's lap on the issue of free speech, and spotlighting weaknesses in the platform's plan for self-regulation. "We gave them (Facebook) a certain amount of time to get... their house in order," McConnell said. "They needed some time because their rules are shambles... They are unclear, they are internally inconsistent." McConnell, a constitutional law professor at Stanford, noted that the social media giant was not violating Trump's free speech rights. - 'Facebook is not a government' - "The simple willing answer is private companies are not bound by the First Amendment," he said referring to the US constitution. "He's a customer. Facebook is not a government, and he is not a citizen of Facebook." In its ruling, the oversight board -- envisioned by Zuckerberg as the equivalent of a "supreme court" for thorny content decisions -- made additional recommendations on dealing with potentially harmful content from world leaders. The panel "called on Facebook to address widespread confusion about how decisions relating to influential users are made" and said, "considerations of newsworthiness should not take priority when urgent action is needed to prevent significant harm." Twitter has permanently suspended Trump after the Capitol riot, saying there was a risk he would further incite violence, due to his multiple tweets disputing Joe Biden's presidential election victory. Twitter on Thursday confirmed that it had pulled the plug on several Trump-linked accounts trying to skirt the ban. Social media had been key to Trump's political success, letting him fire off comments without having to explain or back claims. At a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, US lawmakers unleashed criticism at the leaders of the top social networks and promised new regulations. Zuckerberg, Twitter's Jack Dorsey, and Google's Sundar Pichai faced questions from lawmakers who blamed their platforms for political extremism, drug abuse, teen suicides and more. Zuckerberg reiterated his belief that private companies should not be the judges of truth when it comes to what people say.

Donald Trump 'egged on' US Capitol rioters: Facebook oversight panel co-chair

US President Joe Biden made his first joint address to Congress, outlining his vision for the country and speaking to what he sees as his administration's initial accomplishments as he nears 100 days in office.

Biden's delivers first address to Congress, says America is dreaming & leading the world again

Biden delivers first joint address to Congress, says America on the move again

The US Capitol is on high alert as it braces for President Joe Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress. Security has been ramped up as the deadly attack on the Capitol was carried out by former President Donald Trump's supporters on 6 January.

US Capitol on high alert for Biden’s first address to Congress

A musician on Friday became the first person to plead guilty in relation to the riots that rocked the US Capitol in January. The heavy metal guitarist Jon Ryan Schaffer became the first defendant who was charged with inciting the riots to plead guilty.

Schaffer is the frontman for the band “Iced Earth” and has agreed to cooperate with federal investigators in hopes of a lighter sentence.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-capitol-riots-domestic-groups-charged-for-capitol-hill-violence-363819/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

US District Judge Amit Mehta was cited by local media as saying that the Justice Department might put Schaffer in the federal witness protection programme.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/probe-of-deadly-jan-6-attack-turns-to-us-capitol-police-inspector-general-377797" hreflang="en">Probe of deadly Jan 6 attack turns to US Capitol police inspector general</a>

On January 6, a frenzy of crowds stormed US Capitol while Congress was convening to certify the victory of Joe Biden, who has since then assumed presidential duties. Schaffer faces the charges of forcefully entering the US Capitol and for using bear spray on police officers.&nbsp;

He reportedly pleaded guilty to two charges in Washington - the obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a deadly weapon.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/authorities-alert-of-possible-attack-on-us-capitol-house-session-scrapped-367840" hreflang="en">Authorities alert of possible attack on US Capitol, House session scrapped</a>

Over 370 people are facing federal charges in relation to the insurrection attempt in January. The attack forced lawmakers into hiding and also delayed Biden’s certification as US President. Earlier, security officials had claimed that the rioters had come "ready for war".

A musician on Friday became the first person to plead guilty in relation to the riots that rocked the US Capitol in January. The heavy metal guitarist Jon Ryan Schaffer became the first defendant who was charged with inciting the riots to plead guilty.

A musician on Friday became the first person to plead guilty in relation to the riots that rocked the US Capitol in January. The heavy metal guitarist Jon Ryan Schaffer became the first defendant who was charged with inciting the riots to plead guilty. Schaffer is the frontman for the band “Iced Earth” and has agreed to cooperate with federal investigators in hopes of a lighter sentence. US District Judge Amit Mehta was cited by local media as saying that the Justice Department might put Schaffer in the federal witness protection programme. Also read: Probe of deadly Jan 6 attack turns to US Capitol police inspector general On January 6, a frenzy of crowds stormed US Capitol while Congress was convening to certify the victory of Joe Biden, who has since then assumed presidential duties. Schaffer faces the charges of forcefully entering the US Capitol and for using bear spray on police officers. He reportedly pleaded guilty to two charges in Washington - the obstruction of an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a deadly weapon. Also read: Authorities alert of possible attack on US Capitol, House session scrapped Over 370 people are facing federal charges in relation to the insurrection attempt in January. The attack forced lawmakers into hiding and also delayed Biden’s certification as US President. Earlier, security officials had claimed that the rioters had come "ready for war".

Heavy metal guitarist becomes first suspect to plead guilty for US Capitol riots

Congress' probe into security failures that allowed the deadly January assault on the US Capitol by former President Donald Trump's supporters turns on Thursday to the inspector general of the police department charged with securing the seat of American democracy.

The House of Representatives Administration Committee will hear testimony from Michael Bolton, the US Capitol Police inspector general leading the investigation into the department’s preparation for and response to the January&nbsp;06 violence.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/clear-the-capitol-mike-pences-plea-for-help-in-capitol-riot-revealed-in-pentagons-document-376757">'Clear the Capitol': Mike Pence's plea for help in Capitol riot revealed in Pentagon's document</a>

Those internal probes recommended that the Capitol Police immediately improve its intelligence operations and beef up the readiness of a unit that handles civil disturbances.

Trump and some of his fellow Republicans have tried to downplay the attack, when hundreds of his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to disrupt Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/revelatory-mike-pence-signs-seven-figure-two-book-deal-for-memoir-376006">Revelatory: Mike Pence signs seven-figure two-book deal for memoir</a>

Five people including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died in the violence and many more officers suffered injuries. Lawmakers were forced to huddle in secure rooms while law enforcement battled the rioters.

Nonetheless, some congressional Republicans have sought to downplay the violence. Republican Senator Ron Johnson has expressed doubts that Trump supporters were behind the riot and a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only three in 10 Republicans said Trump bears some responsibility for the attack.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-blocks-phrase-hang-mike-pence-as-trump-supporters-turn-against-him-355959">Twitter blocks phrase 'Hang Mike Pence' as Trump supporters turn against him</a>

A summary of Bolton’s report to Congress found the Capitol Police Civil Disturbance Unit was operating on Jan. 6 "at a decreased level of readiness" and that the department needed to improve its management of weapons, ammunition and riot shields.

The violence shook lawmakers, aides and the large support workforce.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, speaking on the Senate floor following the attack, said,&nbsp;"I have never lived through or even imagined an experience like the one we have just witnessed in this Capitol."

Congress' probe into security failures that allowed the deadly January assault on the US Capitol by former President Donald Trump's supporters turns on Thursday to the inspector general of the police department charged with securing the seat of American democracy.

Congress' probe into security failures that allowed the deadly January assault on the US Capitol by former President Donald Trump's supporters turns on Thursday to the inspector general of the police department charged with securing the seat of American democracy. The House of Representatives Administration Committee will hear testimony from Michael Bolton, the US Capitol Police inspector general leading the investigation into the department’s preparation for and response to the January 06 violence. Also read | 'Clear the Capitol': Mike Pence's plea for help in Capitol riot revealed in Pentagon's document Those internal probes recommended that the Capitol Police immediately improve its intelligence operations and beef up the readiness of a unit that handles civil disturbances. Trump and some of his fellow Republicans have tried to downplay the attack, when hundreds of his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to disrupt Congress’ certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory. Also read | Revelatory: Mike Pence signs seven-figure two-book deal for memoir Five people including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died in the violence and many more officers suffered injuries. Lawmakers were forced to huddle in secure rooms while law enforcement battled the rioters. Nonetheless, some congressional Republicans have sought to downplay the violence. Republican Senator Ron Johnson has expressed doubts that Trump supporters were behind the riot and a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only three in 10 Republicans said Trump bears some responsibility for the attack. Also read | Twitter blocks phrase 'Hang Mike Pence' as Trump supporters turn against him A summary of Bolton’s report to Congress found the Capitol Police Civil Disturbance Unit was operating on Jan. 6 "at a decreased level of readiness" and that the department needed to improve its management of weapons, ammunition and riot shields. The violence shook lawmakers, aides and the large support workforce. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, speaking on the Senate floor following the attack, said, "I have never lived through or even imagined an experience like the one we have just witnessed in this Capitol."

Probe of deadly Jan 6 attack turns to US Capitol police inspector general

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield. Off the field, he was laser-focused on Black economic empowerment, counseling teammates on financial management and plotting a career helping close the racial wealth gap.

But by late March, after a bruising pandemic year that friends and family said left him isolated and mentally unmoored, Green’s life appeared increasingly to revolve around the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan, who has repeatedly promoted anti-Semitism. “Follower of Farrakhan,” Green labeled himself on Facebook, where he described leaving his job and grappling with “some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life.”

None of it appeared to hint at what he would do next. On Friday afternoon, law enforcement officials said, Green, 25, drove a dark blue Nissan sedan from nearby Virginia to the U.S. Capitol and plowed into two police officers protecting the grounds, killing one and injuring another. He then got out of the car brandishing a knife and lunged at officers. Police shot and mortally wounded him.

The attack, which pierced the calm of a spring afternoon on Capitol Hill, halted the return to normalcy that had slowly begun to take hold following the deadly Jan. 6 riot. It sent the police force that protects the Capitol into a fresh round of mourning and further complicated a raging debate over how to secure the seat of Congress at a time of increasing threat.

And it raised questions about how a dedicated athlete and aspiring businessman with no known history of violence came to turn his car into a lethal weapon. Without a clear motive, investigators were frantically combing through a trove of social media posts and a trail of woes described by people close to Green to understand what happened.

Police have not categorized the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. A senior law enforcement official, who spoke anonymously to describe the active inquiry, said that, based on early evidence, investigators believed that Green was influenced by a combination of underlying mental health issues and a connection to an ideological cause that provided justification to commit violence.

Brendan Green told The Washington Post on Friday that his brother had been teetering on the edge for months, plagued by mental health problems and possibly drugs. Noah Green had briefly moved to Botswana this year, he said, and tried to jump in front of a car, before returning and asking to move in with his brother in suburban Virginia, not far from Washington. Brendan Green said his brother had become violently ill Thursday night and left the apartment, declaring that he was ready to become homeless.

Attempts to reach Brendan Green and other members of the Green family were unsuccessful, including at his Virginia apartment. The family gave a statement to the Post on Saturday expressing condolences for the family of Officer William F. Evans, who died in the attack, and speculating that Noah Green’s struggles may have been related to head injuries sustained playing football.

One of 10 siblings, Noah Green grew up in Covington, Virginia, a largely white Shenandoah Valley town of less than 6,000 dominated by a WestRock paper mill. On Facebook, he described it as not “the best of circumstances,” but at Alleghany High School, he was voted MVP of the football team and won honors on the track team.

After a stint at Glenville State College in West Virginia, he transferred to Christopher Newport University, a small public school in Newport News, Virginia, where he studied business and joined the football team. In a university player profile, he spoke of dreaming of vacationing in Jamaica, and of admiring his grandmother and Malcolm X.

Former teammates described Green as a hard worker and said he was close to his family, whose members would make the lengthy drive across the state to watch him play. But on and off the field, they said, he kept mostly to himself.

“He would be there, but he like wasn’t really there,” said Chet Wilborne, a fellow defensive back. “I feel like he always felt like an outsider.”

The distance only grew, Wilborne recalled, after Green accused someone of drugging him with Xanax, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, without his knowledge. Wilborne remembered Green saying that the incident “altered my mindset about how I think about people.”

“Everybody at school was talking about it,” Wilborne said.

Another teammate, who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, recalled that Green would often talk to fellow players about strategies to save and invest, emphasizing the need to close the wealth gap between white and Black America.

Green volunteered one summer for a college program focused on preventing violence in the nearby Hampton Roads. And after college, the teammate said, Green began working as a financial adviser, with aspirations to start a finance company to help the Black community and eradicate poverty.

Green made little secret of his more recent struggles and his apparently intensifying interest in the Nation of Islam. He posted speeches and articles by Farrakhan and Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 to 1975, discussing the decline of America.

A string of posts in the early hours on March 17 charted his course as he saw it.

“I was able to graduate with distinction, earn a well-paying job straight out of college, and pursue my graduate degree, despite not growing up in the best of circumstances,” he wrote on Facebook. “My ultimate goal was to learn business, after hearing the words of the Minister years ago, and to use that to improve the lives of communities most in need. Particularly, the communities of black and brown here in the United States.”

But, Green wrote, Allah evidently had different plans. He said he was newly unemployed, having left his job “partly due to afflictions” left unnamed. He pointed without detail to struggling with “side effects of drugs I was intaking unknowingly.” His ambitions to build a career in business had been “thwarted.”

“I haven’t had much to lean on the past few months, I’ve been faced with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, and diminution of fruit,” he wrote. “My faith is one of the only things that has been able to carry me through these times.”

Green also posted a photo of a $1,085 donation he made as “Noah X” to the Nation of Islam’s Norfolk chapter for Saviours’ Day, the holiday honoring the birthday of its founder. A group of members standing outside the Norfolk chapter Saturday declined to comment on Green when approached by a reporter.

A Black nationalist movement that has pushed for African American self-sufficiency, the Nation of Islam has been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center for “the deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay rhetoric of its leaders,” including Farrakhan.

Green’s adherence is likely to increase scrutiny on the group, as investigators try to determine whether his beliefs played a role in Friday’s attack. The relationship between violence and the Nation of Islam has been debated since it started about 90 years ago, especially as outsiders and insiders have disagreed over its teachings.

“From the earliest times in Nation history, people have been taking these texts and saying, this is about killing white people,” said Michael Muhammad Knight, an assistant professor of religion and cultural studies at the University of Central Florida, who specializes in American Islam.

“The Nation has a very strong anti-violence discourse that goes all the way back to the beginning,” he said. “Consistently, if you look at the Nation, you don’t see the body count that white supremacist organizations have.”

In his Facebook posts, Green sometimes used apocalyptic language, suggesting he believed in an imminent end-of-world conflict. He referenced the “mother wheel,” which in Nation of Islam teachings is a spaceship that will descend on America in an apocalyptic battle, Knight explained.

In his final Facebook post on March 21, Green wrote about a “divine warning,” that these were the “last days of our world as we know it.”

Court records in Indiana, where he briefly lived, show Green had applied in December to legally change his name to Noah Zaeem Muhammad. But when he didn’t show up for a hearing in the final days of March, the proceeding was dismissed.

By then, he was back in Virginia, living with his brother. Just days later, he would drive to the Capitol.

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield.

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield. Off the field, he was laser-focused on Black economic empowerment, counseling teammates on financial management and plotting a career helping close the racial wealth gap. But by late March, after a bruising pandemic year that friends and family said left him isolated and mentally unmoored, Green’s life appeared increasingly to revolve around the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan, who has repeatedly promoted anti-Semitism. “Follower of Farrakhan,” Green labeled himself on Facebook, where he described leaving his job and grappling with “some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life.” None of it appeared to hint at what he would do next. On Friday afternoon, law enforcement officials said, Green, 25, drove a dark blue Nissan sedan from nearby Virginia to the U.S. Capitol and plowed into two police officers protecting the grounds, killing one and injuring another. He then got out of the car brandishing a knife and lunged at officers. Police shot and mortally wounded him. The attack, which pierced the calm of a spring afternoon on Capitol Hill, halted the return to normalcy that had slowly begun to take hold following the deadly Jan. 6 riot. It sent the police force that protects the Capitol into a fresh round of mourning and further complicated a raging debate over how to secure the seat of Congress at a time of increasing threat. And it raised questions about how a dedicated athlete and aspiring businessman with no known history of violence came to turn his car into a lethal weapon. Without a clear motive, investigators were frantically combing through a trove of social media posts and a trail of woes described by people close to Green to understand what happened. Police have not categorized the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. A senior law enforcement official, who spoke anonymously to describe the active inquiry, said that, based on early evidence, investigators believed that Green was influenced by a combination of underlying mental health issues and a connection to an ideological cause that provided justification to commit violence. Brendan Green told The Washington Post on Friday that his brother had been teetering on the edge for months, plagued by mental health problems and possibly drugs. Noah Green had briefly moved to Botswana this year, he said, and tried to jump in front of a car, before returning and asking to move in with his brother in suburban Virginia, not far from Washington. Brendan Green said his brother had become violently ill Thursday night and left the apartment, declaring that he was ready to become homeless. Attempts to reach Brendan Green and other members of the Green family were unsuccessful, including at his Virginia apartment. The family gave a statement to the Post on Saturday expressing condolences for the family of Officer William F. Evans, who died in the attack, and speculating that Noah Green’s struggles may have been related to head injuries sustained playing football. One of 10 siblings, Noah Green grew up in Covington, Virginia, a largely white Shenandoah Valley town of less than 6,000 dominated by a WestRock paper mill. On Facebook, he described it as not “the best of circumstances,” but at Alleghany High School, he was voted MVP of the football team and won honors on the track team. After a stint at Glenville State College in West Virginia, he transferred to Christopher Newport University, a small public school in Newport News, Virginia, where he studied business and joined the football team. In a university player profile, he spoke of dreaming of vacationing in Jamaica, and of admiring his grandmother and Malcolm X. Former teammates described Green as a hard worker and said he was close to his family, whose members would make the lengthy drive across the state to watch him play. But on and off the field, they said, he kept mostly to himself. “He would be there, but he like wasn’t really there,” said Chet Wilborne, a fellow defensive back. “I feel like he always felt like an outsider.” The distance only grew, Wilborne recalled, after Green accused someone of drugging him with Xanax, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, without his knowledge. Wilborne remembered Green saying that the incident “altered my mindset about how I think about people.” “Everybody at school was talking about it,” Wilborne said. Another teammate, who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, recalled that Green would often talk to fellow players about strategies to save and invest, emphasizing the need to close the wealth gap between white and Black America. Green volunteered one summer for a college program focused on preventing violence in the nearby Hampton Roads. And after college, the teammate said, Green began working as a financial adviser, with aspirations to start a finance company to help the Black community and eradicate poverty. Green made little secret of his more recent struggles and his apparently intensifying interest in the Nation of Islam. He posted speeches and articles by Farrakhan and Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 to 1975, discussing the decline of America. A string of posts in the early hours on March 17 charted his course as he saw it. “I was able to graduate with distinction, earn a well-paying job straight out of college, and pursue my graduate degree, despite not growing up in the best of circumstances,” he wrote on Facebook. “My ultimate goal was to learn business, after hearing the words of the Minister years ago, and to use that to improve the lives of communities most in need. Particularly, the communities of black and brown here in the United States.” But, Green wrote, Allah evidently had different plans. He said he was newly unemployed, having left his job “partly due to afflictions” left unnamed. He pointed without detail to struggling with “side effects of drugs I was intaking unknowingly.” His ambitions to build a career in business had been “thwarted.” “I haven’t had much to lean on the past few months, I’ve been faced with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, and diminution of fruit,” he wrote. “My faith is one of the only things that has been able to carry me through these times.” Green also posted a photo of a $1,085 donation he made as “Noah X” to the Nation of Islam’s Norfolk chapter for Saviours’ Day, the holiday honoring the birthday of its founder. A group of members standing outside the Norfolk chapter Saturday declined to comment on Green when approached by a reporter. A Black nationalist movement that has pushed for African American self-sufficiency, the Nation of Islam has been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center for “the deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay rhetoric of its leaders,” including Farrakhan. Green’s adherence is likely to increase scrutiny on the group, as investigators try to determine whether his beliefs played a role in Friday’s attack. The relationship between violence and the Nation of Islam has been debated since it started about 90 years ago, especially as outsiders and insiders have disagreed over its teachings. “From the earliest times in Nation history, people have been taking these texts and saying, this is about killing white people,” said Michael Muhammad Knight, an assistant professor of religion and cultural studies at the University of Central Florida, who specializes in American Islam. “The Nation has a very strong anti-violence discourse that goes all the way back to the beginning,” he said. “Consistently, if you look at the Nation, you don’t see the body count that white supremacist organizations have.” In his Facebook posts, Green sometimes used apocalyptic language, suggesting he believed in an imminent end-of-world conflict. He referenced the “mother wheel,” which in Nation of Islam teachings is a spaceship that will descend on America in an apocalyptic battle, Knight explained. In his final Facebook post on March 21, Green wrote about a “divine warning,” that these were the “last days of our world as we know it.” Court records in Indiana, where he briefly lived, show Green had applied in December to legally change his name to Noah Zaeem Muhammad. But when he didn’t show up for a hearing in the final days of March, the proceeding was dismissed. By then, he was back in Virginia, living with his brother. Just days later, he would drive to the Capitol.

Capitol suspect struggled before attack, but motive remains unclear

Two officers were injured near the US Capitol on Friday after being rammed by a vehicle less than three months after Congress came under attack from an extreme-right mob, police said.

The US&nbsp;Capitol complex was placed on lockdown after the shooting and staff were told they could not enter or exit buildings.

"A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital," the US Capitol Police said on Twitter.

Television footage showed a blue sedan that had crashed into a security barrier on one of the streets leading to Congress, as what appeared to be the injured officers were loaded onto gurneys and into ambulances.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-tear-gas-explosives-and-gunfire-trump-supporters-storm-capitol-clash-with-police-354961">In pics-Tear gas, explosives and gunfire: Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police</a>

It comes as the Washington region remains on edge nearly three months after an insurrection by supporters of then-president Donald Trump&nbsp;stormed the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win.

Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died in the assault inspired by Trump's groundless claims that he had lost the November presidential election due to massive fraud.

Since then security officials have said there is an ongoing threat from extreme-right groups and Trump supporters.

More than 300 people have been charged in the January attack, including members of armed extremists groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and 100 more are expected to be charged, according to Justice Department court filings.

In recent weeks some security has been loosened, with the number of armed National Guard troops at the&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;reduced and a security fence that created a broad perimeter around the&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;complex removed.

CBS News reported that security officials had already warned congressional staffers of a threat before the car-ramming.

Text messages sent to staffers inside told them to avoid windows and said no one could enter or leave the building.

"If you are outside, seek cover," the messages said.

But the danger on Friday was limited as Congress was in recess for the Easter holiday and relatively few people were in the building.

Security officials, including the&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;Police and National Guard, were faulted for reacting slowly&nbsp;to the&nbsp;crowds who stormed the&nbsp;Capitol&nbsp;on January 6.

Several hundred rioters broke down doors and windows and poured into the halls of the legislature, some calling for physical attacks on various members of Congress and on then-vice president Mike Pence, who was there to preside over a session to formally declare Joe Biden the winner of the election.

While the incident remains under investigation, some have alleged that Trump and supporters encouraged the attack and that Trump officials held back on deploying additional law enforcement and troops to fight back the attackers.

Two officers were injured near the US Capitol on Friday after being rammed by a vehicle less than three months after Congress came under attack from an extreme-right mob, police said.

Two officers were injured near the US Capitol on Friday after being rammed by a vehicle less than three months after Congress came under attack from an extreme-right mob, police said. The US Capitol complex was placed on lockdown after the shooting and staff were told they could not enter or exit buildings. "A suspect is in custody. Both officers are injured. All three have been transported to the hospital," the US Capitol Police said on Twitter. Television footage showed a blue sedan that had crashed into a security barrier on one of the streets leading to Congress, as what appeared to be the injured officers were loaded onto gurneys and into ambulances. Also see| In pics-Tear gas, explosives and gunfire: Trump supporters storm Capitol, clash with police It comes as the Washington region remains on edge nearly three months after an insurrection by supporters of then-president Donald Trump stormed the Capitol as Congress was voting to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win. Five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died in the assault inspired by Trump's groundless claims that he had lost the November presidential election due to massive fraud. Since then security officials have said there is an ongoing threat from extreme-right groups and Trump supporters. More than 300 people have been charged in the January attack, including members of armed extremists groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and 100 more are expected to be charged, according to Justice Department court filings. In recent weeks some security has been loosened, with the number of armed National Guard troops at the Capitol reduced and a security fence that created a broad perimeter around the Capitol complex removed. CBS News reported that security officials had already warned congressional staffers of a threat before the car-ramming. Text messages sent to staffers inside told them to avoid windows and said no one could enter or leave the building. "If you are outside, seek cover," the messages said. But the danger on Friday was limited as Congress was in recess for the Easter holiday and relatively few people were in the building. Security officials, including the Capitol Police and National Guard, were faulted for reacting slowly to the crowds who stormed the Capitol on January 6. Several hundred rioters broke down doors and windows and poured into the halls of the legislature, some calling for physical attacks on various members of Congress and on then-vice president Mike Pence, who was there to preside over a session to formally declare Joe Biden the winner of the election. While the incident remains under investigation, some have alleged that Trump and supporters encouraged the attack and that Trump officials held back on deploying additional law enforcement and troops to fight back the attackers.

Officers hurt near US Capitol after being rammed by vehicle

A US Capitol police officer succumbed to his injuries, while a second is in stable and non-threatening condition after a vehicle rammed through security and crashed into a barrier at the Washington complex.

The Friday incident forced the Capitol Hill into lockdown less than three months after a mob assault on Congress.

Capitol Police shot dead the driver after he jumped out of the car and lunged at them with a knife, Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters.

President Joe Biden, who was with first lady Jill Biden at Camp David for the Easter holiday, offered his "heartfelt condolences" to the family of William Evans, the veteran policeman killed in the attack.

"Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the US Capitol grounds," Biden said in a statement.

National Guard troops were mobilised Friday and staff at the huge Capitol complex ordered to stay away from windows and seek cover after alerts went out over the incident shortly after 1:00 pm (1700 GMT).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-capitol-on-lockdown-over-security-threat-375046">Also read |&nbsp;Officers hurt near US Capitol after being rammed by vehicle</a>

US media&nbsp;said officials had identified the attacker as Noah Green, a 25-year-old Black man from Indiana and an adherent of the Black nationalist Nation of Islam movement. Some of his online postings in March suggested a level of despair and paranoia. He said he was unemployed and had health problems, and made references to biblical concepts of the end of times.&nbsp;

In one post he spoke of being tormented by the FBI and CIA, hospitalised and subjected to "mind control," and called the government "the #1 enemy of Black people!"

He also said he was a follower of Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, who promotes Black nationalist, anti-white and anti-Semitic thinking.

Facebook said it had removed Green's account from the social network as well as Instagram, and that it would remove "any content that praises, supports, or represents the attack or the suspect."&nbsp;

Pittman said there was no immediate indication of his motivation or police file on him.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags lowered to half-staff on the Capitol, calling Evans "a martyr for our democracy."

"Members of Congress, staff and Capitol workers, and indeed all Americans, are united in appreciation for the courage of the US Capitol Police," she said.

Biden also lowered White House flags.

The attack came months after the January assault on Congress by hundreds of supporters of then-president Donald Trump.

One Capitol Police officer died as a result of the attack, as well as four other individuals who took part or were nearby.

More than 300 people have been charged in the January attack, including members of armed extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and 100 more are expected to be charged, according to Justice Department court filings.

A US Capitol police officer succumbed to his injuries, while a second is in stable and non-threatening condition after a vehicle rammed through security and crashed into a barrier at the Washington complex.

A US Capitol police officer succumbed to his injuries, while a second is in stable and non-threatening condition after a vehicle rammed through security and crashed into a barrier at the Washington complex. The Friday incident forced the Capitol Hill into lockdown less than three months after a mob assault on Congress. Capitol Police shot dead the driver after he jumped out of the car and lunged at them with a knife, Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters. President Joe Biden, who was with first lady Jill Biden at Camp David for the Easter holiday, offered his "heartfelt condolences" to the family of William Evans, the veteran policeman killed in the attack. "Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the US Capitol grounds," Biden said in a statement. National Guard troops were mobilised Friday and staff at the huge Capitol complex ordered to stay away from windows and seek cover after alerts went out over the incident shortly after 1:00 pm (1700 GMT). Also read | Officers hurt near US Capitol after being rammed by vehicle US media said officials had identified the attacker as Noah Green, a 25-year-old Black man from Indiana and an adherent of the Black nationalist Nation of Islam movement. Some of his online postings in March suggested a level of despair and paranoia. He said he was unemployed and had health problems, and made references to biblical concepts of the end of times. In one post he spoke of being tormented by the FBI and CIA, hospitalised and subjected to "mind control," and called the government "the #1 enemy of Black people!" He also said he was a follower of Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, who promotes Black nationalist, anti-white and anti-Semitic thinking. Facebook said it had removed Green's account from the social network as well as Instagram, and that it would remove "any content that praises, supports, or represents the attack or the suspect." Pittman said there was no immediate indication of his motivation or police file on him. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags lowered to half-staff on the Capitol, calling Evans "a martyr for our democracy." "Members of Congress, staff and Capitol workers, and indeed all Americans, are united in appreciation for the courage of the US Capitol Police," she said. Biden also lowered White House flags. The attack came months after the January assault on Congress by hundreds of supporters of then-president Donald Trump. One Capitol Police officer died as a result of the attack, as well as four other individuals who took part or were nearby. More than 300 people have been charged in the January attack, including members of armed extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and 100 more are expected to be charged, according to Justice Department court filings.

Officer killed, another injured in US Capitol car-ramming attack

A Police Officer has died in the United States after a man rammed a car into 2 officers at a barricade outside the US capitol. A blue sedan drove into 2 police officers and crashed into a security barrier. The Driver of the crashed car emerged with a knife in his hand and started to run towards the officers.

A Police Officer has died in the United States after a man rams a car into US capitol Police

The Pentagon has approved a request to keep about 2,300 National Guard troops in Washington to help protect the US Capitol for two more months. The number is about half of the 5,200 National Guard troops currently patrolling the Capitol.

Since the January 6 attack on the seat of the US Congress by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, National Guard troops have been dispatched to the grounds and tall fencing has been erected to extend the security perimeter.

"This decision was made after a thorough review of the request and after close consideration of its potential impact on readiness," the Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday.

It added that over the next two months, the Pentagon would work with Capitol Police, who made the request, to reduce the troop presence "as conditions allow."

The Capitol Police said in a statement it was "extremely grateful" for the Pentagon`s support. "The National Guard has played a critical role to the department`s enhanced security posture," the statement said.

Federal prosecutors have charged more than 300 people for involvement in the January 6 attack that led to five deaths, including that of a police officer. Those arrested include members of armed militia groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.

A report unveiled on Monday recommended using "mobile fencing" to protect the Capitol and urged the creation of a rapid-reaction response force in Washington, while calling the Capitol Police poorly prepared for the attack on the building.

(with inputs from Reuters)

The Pentagon has approved a request to keep about 2,300 National Guard troops in Washington to help protect the US Capitol for two more months. The number is about half of the 5,200 National Guard troops currently patrolling the Capitol.

The Pentagon has approved a request to keep about 2,300 National Guard troops in Washington to help protect the US Capitol for two more months. The number is about half of the 5,200 National Guard troops currently patrolling the Capitol. Since the January 6 attack on the seat of the US Congress by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, National Guard troops have been dispatched to the grounds and tall fencing has been erected to extend the security perimeter. "This decision was made after a thorough review of the request and after close consideration of its potential impact on readiness," the Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday. It added that over the next two months, the Pentagon would work with Capitol Police, who made the request, to reduce the troop presence "as conditions allow." The Capitol Police said in a statement it was "extremely grateful" for the Pentagon`s support. "The National Guard has played a critical role to the department`s enhanced security posture," the statement said. Federal prosecutors have charged more than 300 people for involvement in the January 6 attack that led to five deaths, including that of a police officer. Those arrested include members of armed militia groups such as the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters. A report unveiled on Monday recommended using "mobile fencing" to protect the Capitol and urged the creation of a rapid-reaction response force in Washington, while calling the Capitol Police poorly prepared for the attack on the building. (with inputs from Reuters)

Pentagon approves extension of reduced National Guard presence around Capitol

Members of US House are set to receive closed-door briefings on Monday based on a report focused on enhancing security at the US Capitol to prevent another breach.&nbsp; Retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore will give three separate briefings to members of both the Republican and Democratic parties, Bloomberg reported.

Honore's briefings will come in the aftermath of House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy issuing a statement against Honore, alleging that his review of the Capitol riots was politically biased. McCarthy also claimed that Honore was chosen by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to further her cause of "turning the Capitol into a fortress".

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Last week, Pelosi claimed that she had received Honore's draft report undertaking a security review of the Capitol's security after the attack on January 6 undertaken by supporters of former US President Donald Trump.

"It's going to take more money to protect the capitol", Pelosi had said, while adding that it would still be safe for people to visit the complex without worrying about adverse events like the January 6 attack.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/trump-state-department-aide-federico-klein-arrested-in-capitol-riot-368293" hreflang="en">Trump state department aide Federico Klein arrested in Capitol riot</a> 
 
On January 15, Pelosi had commissioned Honore to take charge of the review, and to imbibe a review of Capitol's security infrastructure, command and control, and inter-agency communication among many things. She referred to Honore as a "respected leader" who was experienced in dealing with crises. 
 
Pelosi's calls for an independent review has found traction among both Democrats and Republicans, who have remained deeply divided in the aftermath of Trump's second impeachment.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/authorities-alert-of-possible-attack-on-us-capitol-house-session-scrapped-367840" hreflang="en">Authorities alert of possible attack on US Capitol, House session scrapped</a> 
 
In his statement, McCarthy questioned Honore's "political bias" based on statements he had put out before his review, while especially referring to an accusation that Capitol Police officers were "complicit" in the attack.

Members of US House are set to receive closed-door briefings on Monday based on a report focused on enhancing security at the US Capitol to prevent another breach.

Members of US House are set to receive closed-door briefings on Monday based on a report focused on enhancing security at the US Capitol to prevent another breach. Retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore will give three separate briefings to members of both the Republican and Democratic parties, Bloomberg reported. Honore's briefings will come in the aftermath of House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy issuing a statement against Honore, alleging that his review of the Capitol riots was politically biased. McCarthy also claimed that Honore was chosen by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to further her cause of "turning the Capitol into a fortress". Last week, Pelosi claimed that she had received Honore's draft report undertaking a security review of the Capitol's security after the attack on January 6 undertaken by supporters of former US President Donald Trump. "It's going to take more money to protect the capitol", Pelosi had said, while adding that it would still be safe for people to visit the complex without worrying about adverse events like the January 6 attack. Also read: Trump state department aide Federico Klein arrested in Capitol riot On January 15, Pelosi had commissioned Honore to take charge of the review, and to imbibe a review of Capitol's security infrastructure, command and control, and inter-agency communication among many things. She referred to Honore as a "respected leader" who was experienced in dealing with crises. Pelosi's calls for an independent review has found traction among both Democrats and Republicans, who have remained deeply divided in the aftermath of Trump's second impeachment. Also read: Authorities alert of possible attack on US Capitol, House session scrapped In his statement, McCarthy questioned Honore's "political bias" based on statements he had put out before his review, while especially referring to an accusation that Capitol Police officers were "complicit" in the attack.

US House members to receive briefing on Capitol security, mitigation measures

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Federico Klein, a former State Department aide appointed by former President Donald Trump, in connection with the January 6 Capitol riots.

Klein, 42, was picked up by federal agents in Virginia, according to a spokesperson for the FBI's field office in Washington, D.C. Details on the charges against him and his alleged role in the deadly riot were not immediately available.

Klein worked on the 2016 Trump campaign and was later appointed to the State Department.Klein is believed to be the first Trump appointee to be charged in connection to the January 6 insurrection.

Federico Klein was charged with unlawful entry, violent and disorderly conduct, and obstructing Congress and law enforcement, the New York Times reported.

The FBI asserted in court documents that a man identified as Klein in video “violently shoved the shield into an officer’s body in an attempt to breach the police line,” NBC News reported.&nbsp;

The January 6 Capitol riot was carried out by a mob of supporters of Donald Trump, the 45th U.S. president, in a failed attempt to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Federico Klein, a former State Department aide appointed by former President Donald Trump, in connection with the January 6 Capitol riots.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested Federico Klein, a former State Department aide appointed by former President Donald Trump, in connection with the January 6 Capitol riots. Klein, 42, was picked up by federal agents in Virginia, according to a spokesperson for the FBI's field office in Washington, D.C. Details on the charges against him and his alleged role in the deadly riot were not immediately available. Klein worked on the 2016 Trump campaign and was later appointed to the State Department.Klein is believed to be the first Trump appointee to be charged in connection to the January 6 insurrection. Federico Klein was charged with unlawful entry, violent and disorderly conduct, and obstructing Congress and law enforcement, the New York Times reported. The FBI asserted in court documents that a man identified as Klein in video “violently shoved the shield into an officer’s body in an attempt to breach the police line,” NBC News reported. The January 6 Capitol riot was carried out by a mob of supporters of Donald Trump, the 45th U.S. president, in a failed attempt to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump state department aide Federico Klein arrested in Capitol riot

The House of Representatives scrapped Thursday's session after authorities alerted of a possible "breach" of the US Capitol by a militia group.&nbsp;

"We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4," the US Capitol Police said on Thursday.&nbsp;

"We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers," the statement further added.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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House lawmakers announced that the voting on two important bills on police reform and voting rights will no longer be held on Thursday and in fact, will take place late on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The threat comes after extremists groups supporting former president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;claimed on the internet that he will return to Washington on March 4 for the inauguration of a second term.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-capitol-riot-security-officials-say-rioters-came-ready-for-war-365785">US Capitol riot: Security officials say rioters came 'ready for war'</a>

QAnon, a conspiracy theory group, engaged in online discussions that Trump will be inaugurated as the US president on March 4, a day when most US presidents swore in until 1933, when it was changed to January 20.&nbsp;

About two months before on the day of Joe Biden's certification of the election win, thousands of pro-Trump rioters stormed into the Capitol building, causing violence and vandalisation that left five people dead.

The incident sent shockwaves across the world of the threat to American democracy.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The House of Representatives scrapped Thursday's session after authorities alerted of a possible "breach" of the US Capitol by a militia group. "We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4," the US Capitol Police said on Thursday.

The House of Representatives scrapped Thursday's session after authorities alerted of a possible "breach" of the US Capitol by a militia group. "We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4," the US Capitol Police said on Thursday. "We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers," the statement further added. Watch | House lawmakers announced that the voting on two important bills on police reform and voting rights will no longer be held on Thursday and in fact, will take place late on Wednesday. The threat comes after extremists groups supporting former president Donald Trump claimed on the internet that he will return to Washington on March 4 for the inauguration of a second term. Also read | US Capitol riot: Security officials say rioters came 'ready for war' QAnon, a conspiracy theory group, engaged in online discussions that Trump will be inaugurated as the US president on March 4, a day when most US presidents swore in until 1933, when it was changed to January 20. About two months before on the day of Joe Biden's certification of the election win, thousands of pro-Trump rioters stormed into the Capitol building, causing violence and vandalisation that left five people dead. The incident sent shockwaves across the world of the threat to American democracy.

Authorities alert of possible attack on US Capitol, House session scrapped

US Capitol security officials blamed Tuesday intelligence failures for the deadly assault on January 6 and said that the rioters came to Washington "ready for war".&nbsp;

In the first congressional hearing on Senate on the attack, security officials pointed that there were not even "remote" and "improbable" chances of a probable violence by the assessments made by intelligence officials.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

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"No entity, including the FBI, provided any intelligence indicating that there would be a coordinated violent attack on the United States Capitol by thousands of well-equipped armed insurrectionists," said the US Capitol Police's then-chief Steven Sund.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/defence-says-trump-bears-no-responsibility-for-us-capitol-attack-as-impeachment-trial-set-to-conclude-363294">Defence says Trump bears no responsibility for US Capitol attack as impeachment trial set to conclude</a>

Sund also said that the officials had prepared for a protest, but not "a military-style coordinated assault".

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sent a report to the US Capitol Police that the rioters arrived in Washington "ready for war".&nbsp;

In the testimony, &nbsp;police chiefs and the House and Senate sergeants told the Senate how they were outnumbered by armed and coordinated attackers.&nbsp;

Washington's acting police chief Robert Contee said his cops were literally "fighting for their lives" on the day of the assault.&nbsp;

The assault on the US Capitol that left five people dead including one police officer drew condemnation from across the world.

Sund, House sergeant-at-arms Paul Irving and Senate sergeant-at-arms Michael Stenger were the top officials who resigned after the incident.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

US Capitol security officials blamed Tuesday intelligence failures for the deadly assault on January 6 and said that the rioters came to Washington "ready for war".

US Capitol security officials blamed Tuesday intelligence failures for the deadly assault on January 6 and said that the rioters came to Washington "ready for war". In the first congressional hearing on Senate on the attack, security officials pointed that there were not even "remote" and "improbable" chances of a probable violence by the assessments made by intelligence officials. Watch | "No entity, including the FBI, provided any intelligence indicating that there would be a coordinated violent attack on the United States Capitol by thousands of well-equipped armed insurrectionists," said the US Capitol Police's then-chief Steven Sund. Also read | Defence says Trump bears no responsibility for US Capitol attack as impeachment trial set to conclude Sund also said that the officials had prepared for a protest, but not "a military-style coordinated assault". The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sent a report to the US Capitol Police that the rioters arrived in Washington "ready for war". In the testimony, police chiefs and the House and Senate sergeants told the Senate how they were outnumbered by armed and coordinated attackers. Washington's acting police chief Robert Contee said his cops were literally "fighting for their lives" on the day of the assault. The assault on the US Capitol that left five people dead including one police officer drew condemnation from across the world. Sund, House sergeant-at-arms Paul Irving and Senate sergeant-at-arms Michael Stenger were the top officials who resigned after the incident.

US Capitol riot: Security officials say rioters came 'ready for war'

The former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, who has recently been acquitted in his second impeachment trial, has turned against the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell.

Taking about the impeachment trial, McConnell said Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for the US Capitol riots.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/independent-911-style-commission-needed-to-investigate-trump-and-capitol-riots-pelosi-363900" hreflang="en">'Independent, 9/11-style commission' needed to investigate Trump and Capitol riots: Pelosi</a>

"There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility," McConnell wrote in an op-ed for Wall Street Journal on Monday. "His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world's largest megaphone. His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended."

This has angered Trump, who is known to be a sore loser. "The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm," he said in a statement released by his political action committee.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/toings-froings-and-kerfuffle-uk-pm-boris-johnson-reacts-to-trumps-impeachment-trial-363685" hreflang="en">'Toings, froings and kerfuffle': UK PM Boris Johnson reacts to Trump's impeachment trial</a>

The defeated former President did not stop at that, and continued name-calling McConnell — one of the many things he is infamous for.&nbsp;

"Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again," he said in his statement. "He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership."

Calling him a 'third rate' leader, Trump said he regrets supporting McConnell when he 'begged' for help in Kentucky during the US election 2020.

"This is a big moment for our country, and we cannot let it pass by using third rate 'leaders' to dictate our future!," Trump said.

The former US President Donald Trump, who has recently been acquitted in his second impeachment trial, has turned against the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell.

The former US President Donald Trump, who has recently been acquitted in his second impeachment trial, has turned against the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell. Taking about the impeachment trial, McConnell said Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for the US Capitol riots. Also read| 'Independent, 9/11-style commission' needed to investigate Trump and Capitol riots: Pelosi "There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility," McConnell wrote in an op-ed for Wall Street Journal on Monday. "His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world's largest megaphone. His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended." This has angered Trump, who is known to be a sore loser. "The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm," he said in a statement released by his political action committee. Also read| 'Toings, froings and kerfuffle': UK PM Boris Johnson reacts to Trump's impeachment trial The defeated former President did not stop at that, and continued name-calling McConnell — one of the many things he is infamous for. "Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again," he said in his statement. "He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership." Calling him a 'third rate' leader, Trump said he regrets supporting McConnell when he 'begged' for help in Kentucky during the US election 2020. "This is a big moment for our country, and we cannot let it pass by using third rate 'leaders' to dictate our future!," Trump said.

'Unsmiling political hack': Trump lashes out at Mitch McConnell after impeachment trial

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