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McCarthy warns Democrat-backed HR 1 is Pelosi power grab meant to erode election confidence

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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Sunday that the Democrat-backed H.B. 1 will destroy election confidence and serves as a power grab for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, effectively destroying America if the sweeping election reform bill passes next month.

“No, I don’t have the most to lose: The American public have the most to lose because we would lose our freedom,” McCarthy, R-Calif., said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “When you put a bill into Congress, the majority party reserves the first numbers. This is H.R. 1, so this is most important for Nancy Pelosi to hold on to her power.”

EVERY HOUSE DEMOCRAT SIGNS ON SWEEPING HR 1, GOP ARGUES IT WOULD ‘UNDERMINE’ ELECTION INTEGRITY 

Every House Democrat last week signed onto the sweeping election reform bill H.R. 1 – also known as the For the People Act – saying it will expand voting rights and “clean up corruption” in politics. But Republicans have ripped it as a “federal government takeover” and accuse Democrats of trying to change election rules to benefit themselves.

The bill is expected to be considered on the House floor during the first week of March.

“What we have to do is, people lose their confidence in elections, you’ll break society down and we will lose America as we know it,” McCarthy said, addressing host Maria Bartiromo. “We know that there’s a real question, one of the confidence in the last election.

“Going forward, what you have to do is exactly this: You have to clean up the rolls. …  You have to sue to make sure you clean up the rolls. We’ve got to make sure there’s integrity.”

BIDEN’S $1.9T CORONAVIRUS STIMULUS PACKAGE INCLUDES $1B FOR RACIAL JUSTICE PROVISIONS FOR FARMERS 

McCarthy then took a jab at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who’s facing a strengthening recall campaign likely to make the ballot this fall. He said the governor would be more likely to verify the identifies of those who sign the recall petitions than those who vote in his state. 

“There’s a recall going on in California. I will guarantee you that Gavin Newsom makes sure that they’re checking the IDs of who signs that recall more than they’re checking the IDs of who’s voting in California,” McCarthy said. “You can’t have a mass ballot mailing to people who don’t even request it when these rolls are so bad.

“I think showing an ID. to get on an airplane. Yeah, I could do that. I can also show an ID to vote because in California, it’s just like what they’re doing in the COVID bill. They now want to give vaccines to immigrants, illegal immigrants who are coming in, before giving them to Americans in San Francisco,” he continued. “If you’re illegal, you can vote in a school board race. They want people to be able to vote who are not Americans. We need to have integrity and accountability and elections that people will trust at the end of the day. And that’s why we have to have reforms and that’s why H.R. 1 should be voted down.”

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McCarthy also claimed that out of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID stimulus package, 91% goes toward non-COVID related agenda items, arguing “socialists are taking back the swamp.”

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Pelosi announces plans for ‘9/11-type commission’ to investigate Capitol attack

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“To protect our security, our security, our security, our next step will be to establish an outside, independent 9/11-type Commission to ‘investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to the January 6, 2021 domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex,'” Pelosi wrote.

Pelosi has previously called for the formation of such a commission and said she believes there is a need for it.

A commission of this nature would be established by a statute, passed by both chambers and signed into law by the President. The commission members would not be elected leaders and would be outside the government.

In a separate letter to House Democrats earlier this month, Pelosi wrote that it is “clear that we will need to establish a 9/11-type Commission to examine and report upon the facts, causes and security relating to the terrorist mob attack on January 6.”

The deadly attack prompted House Democrats to move swiftly to impeach former President Donald Trump in January. The Senate impeachment trial of the former President concluded over the weekend, and ended in Trump’s acquittal on a single charge of incitement of insurrection.

Efforts to shore up security at the Capitol and shed light on what led to its breach by a violent, pro-Trump mob on January 6 are still ongoing, however.

In mid-January, Pelosi announced that retired Lt. General Russel Honoré will lead a review of the “security infrastructure” of Capitol Hill in the wake of the attack.

“For the past few weeks, General Honoré has been assessing our security needs by reviewing what happened on January 6 and how we must ensure that it does not happen again,” Pelosi wrote in her letter on Monday.

“He has been working with Committees of Jurisdiction and will continue to make proposals. It is clear from his findings and from the impeachment trial that we must get to the truth of how this happened,” she said.

Earlier this month, Pelosi told reporters as she left a news conference that a 9/11-style commission to investigate the insurrection would look “different” than the one formed following the September 11, 2001, terror attack — and would have a greater emphasis on diversity.

“Different from 9/11. What were there, nine people? All white, one woman. It will look different,” she said at the time.

Although Pelosi complimented the 9/11 commission, she said that now “it’s a different world.”

Asked then about who she had in mind to serve on the commission, Pelosi confirmed that members would not be serving on it, saying, “It’s an outside commission.”

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Pelosi scoffs at ‘cowardly’ GOP senators

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on former President Donald Trump’s second Senate impeachment trial (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi scoffed at the “cowardly” Senate Republicans who voted to acquit Donald Trump of inciting the Capitol siege.

With the impeachment trial now over, some Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate have suggested censure as an option.

Pelosi panned those efforts as grossly inadequate in the face of the violent attack on the nation’s seat of power. Five people died.

“What we saw in that Senate today was a cowardly group of Republicans who apparently have no options because they were afraid to defend their job,” she said at the Capitol.

“We censure people for using stationary for the wrong purpose. We don’t censure people for inciting insurrection that kills people in the Capitol.”

Pelosi joined House prosecutors at a press conference at the Capitol following the Senate impeachment trial.

___

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S SECOND SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL:

The Senate met in a rare weekend session to wrap up Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. An unexpected morning vote in favor of hearing witnesses threw the trial into confusion, but both sides ultimately reached a deal that allowed it to proceed with no witness testimony. The trial ended with closing arguments, followed by a vote on whether the former president incited the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol.

Read more:

— Republican leader McConnell votes to acquit and then condemns Trump.

— Seven GOP senators vote to convict.

— Rep. Herrera Beutler in middle of impeachment trial turmoil.

— Graffiti painted outside Trump attorney’s home.

___

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:

5:05 p.m.

Trump lawyer jokes after acquittal: “We’re going to Disney World!”

Donald Trump’s legal team is taking a victory lap after securing his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial.

Addressing reporters after the trial concluded, the team thanked the Senate for finding the former president not guilty of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.

Michael van der Veen, who presented the bulk of the defense, fist-bumped a colleague as he departed the Capitol. He joked: “We’re going to Disney World!”

The vote on Trump’s impeachment was 57-43, with seven Republicans joining all Democrats to vote for Trump’s conviction.

Two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, was needed for conviction.

___

4:30 p.m.

Minutes after voting to acquit Donald Trump of the impeachment charge, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said there is still “no question” that Trump was “practically and morally responsible for provoking” the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.

McConnell said he could not vote to convict Trump because he is “constitutionally not eligible for conviction” because he is no longer president.

He added that a conviction would have created a dangerous precedent that would give the Senate power to convict private political rivals and bar them from holding future office.

McConnell added that impeachment is a “narrow tool for a narrow purpose.”

The Senate voted 57-43 on Saturday to acquit Trump. A conviction required 67 votes.

___

4:25 p.m.

House impeachment managers were the driving force behind the last-minute move to call witnesses, then strike an agreement to avoid that step.

That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press. The person could not publicly discuss internal deliberations and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

The person said the managers hadn’t initially planned to call witnesses, but came to Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, to ask them to vote to allow the witnesses on Saturday.

The managers later decided they should settle for an agreement with Trump’s lawyers not to call the witnesses. That decision came, in part, after they decided that calling witnesses wasn’t likely to drastically improve their case, the person said.

— By Michael Balsamo.

___

4:10 p.m.

The Senate’s top Democrat says Jan. 6 will live as a “day of infamy” in American history and that the vote to acquit Donald Trump “will live as a vote of infamy in the history of the United States Senate.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, took to the Senate floor on Saturday to decry the Senate’s acquittal of the former president on a charge that he incited the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

He applauded the seven Republicans who joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Trump.

He called the day of the riot the “final, terrible legacy” of Trump and said the stain of his actions will never be “washed away.”

___

4:05 p.m.

Former President Donald Trump is welcoming his second impeachment acquittal and says his movement “has only just begun.”

Trump in a lengthy statement is thanking his attorneys and his defenders in the House and Senate, who he said “stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country.”

He is slamming the trial as “yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our Country.” And he is telling his supporters that, “Our historic, patriotic and beautiful movement to Make America Great Again has only just begun” and that he will have more to share with them in the months ahead.

While Trump was acquitted by the Senate, seven Republicans voted to convict him, making it the most bipartisan vote in the history of presidential impeachments.

___

3:58

The Senate has acquitted Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, bringing his trial to a close and giving the former president a historic second victory in the court of impeachment.

Trump is the first president to be impeached twice, and he is also now twice acquitted as the majority of Republicans defended his actions. The Senate voted 57-43 that Trump is “not guilty” of incitement. Two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, was needed for conviction.

House Democrats argued that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then calling on his supporters to “fight like hell” just before they laid siege to the Capitol. Democrats argued that Trump had “obvious intent” as he egged on supporters they said were primed for violence.

Trump’s lawyers argued that the trial was brought on by Democrats’ “hatred” of Trump and that it was unconstitutional because he had left office. They said the rioters acted on their own accord, despite Trump’s words. And they argued that Trump was protected by freedom of speech and to convict him for something he said would set a dangerous precedent.

The House impeached Trump before he left office for “incitement of insurrection” after the violent mob broke into the Capitol, destroyed property and hunted for lawmakers as they counted the presidential electoral votes. Five people died.

If Trump had been convicted, the Senate would have taken a second vote on whether to ban him from running for office again. Only two other presidents, Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868, have been impeached. Both were also acquitted.

3:55

Seven Republicans have voted to convict former President Donald Trump at his Senate impeachment trial.

Though the chamber voted to acquit him Saturday, it was easily the largest number of lawmakers to ever vote to find a president of their own party guilty at impeachment proceedings.

Voting to find Trump guilty were GOP Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Romney’s “guilty” vote at Trump’s initial impeachment trial last February had made him the first senator to ever vote to convict a president of the same party.

___

3:50 p.m.

Enough senators have cast “not guilty” votes to acquit Donald Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The vote will give the former president an historic second acquittal in an impeachment trial.

House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Trump with “incitement of insurrection,” needed two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict him.

The Democrats argued in the short trial that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat. Five people died when they then laid siege to the Capitol.

Trump’s lawyers argued that the rioters acted on their own accord and that he was protected by freedom of speech, an argument that resonated with most Republicans. They said the case was brought on by Democrats’ “hatred” of Trump.

___

3:40 p.m.

The White House was not involved in the discussion on Capitol Hill about calling witnesses for former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. That’s according to a senior administration official not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations and speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official says White House officials were watching the drama over witnesses play out in the Senate, but were not involved in brokering the agreement that ultimately allowed the trial to proceed to closing arguments and a vote Saturday.

President Joe Biden spent the weekend with family at Camp David, the traditional presidential retreat in Maryland, and had plans to meet with his national security advisers on Saturday.

___

3:15 p.m.

A lawyer for Donald Trump says everyone acknowledges the horror of the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol last month but that the former president wasn’t responsible for it.

Michael van der Veen gave his closing arguments on the Senate floor on Saturday in the impeachment trial of Trump.

He says there is no evidence that Trump incited an “armed insurrection” to “overthrow the U.S. government” and to think that Trump would have wanted that is “absurd.” He says the event on Jan. 6 was supposed to be peaceful but that a small group “hijacked” it for their own purposes.

He also repeated the arguments from Friday that other politicians have engaged in incendiary rhetoric, though impeachment managers noted that none of those speeches precipitated an attack on the U.S. government.

___

3:10 p.m.

As a vote in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial nears a close, lead Democratic impeachment manager Jamie Raskin told the Senate that “this is almost certainly how you will be remembered by history.”

Raskin said that “none of us can escape the demands of history and destiny right now” as the House managers argue that Trump incited the violent Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the Senate decides whether to convict him.

He said the trial is not about Trump, but “about who we are.”

Trump’s lawyers, and many Senate Republicans, have argued that the trial is unconstitutional. They also say Trump did not intentionally incite the riot when he told a mob of his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn his election defeat and march to the Capitol as Congress was counting the electoral votes.

The House managers laid out video evidence of the violent assault, in which five people died. Raskin said they proved that Trump betrayed his country and “betrayed his oath of office.”

___

3 p.m.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has told senators in an email obtained by The Associated Press that his decision to vote to acquit former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial was a “close call.”

McConnell says he believes presidents can be prosecuted for criminal misconduct after they leave office. He says that eases the “otherwise troubling” argument House prosecutors have made that not convicting Trump would create a “January exception” for trying impeached presidents who’ve already left office.

McConnell says he thinks impeachment is chiefly to remove an official “and we therefore lack jurisdiction.”

___

1 p.m.

Senators have resumed Donald Trump’s impeachment trial without calling witnesses after agreeing to accept new information from a Republican congresswoman about his actions on the day of the deadly Capitol siege.

After a delay of several hours, the trial is back on track with closing arguments and Saturday’s session heading toward a vote on the verdict.

Under the deal, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s statement on a phone call between Trump and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters stormed the Capitol was entered into the trial record as evidence. No further witnesses were called.

Senators brought the proceedings to a standstill when a majority voted Saturday morning to consider potential witnesses.

The information from Herrera Beutler sparked fresh interest on Trump’s actions that day.

___

12:45 p.m.

Senate leaders are working on an agreement that could end a standoff over calling witnesses in Donald Trump’s impeachment trial and allow it to proceed with closing arguments and a vote on whether he incited the deadly Capitol siege.

Under the agreement being discussed, the information that a Republican congresswoman has made public about Trump’s actions on the day of the riot would be entered into the record of the trial in exchange for Democrats dropping plans to deposition testimony from the congresswoman, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington No witnesses would be called to testify.

That would allow the trial to resume Saturday with closing arguments and a vote on the verdict.

A Democrat granted anonymity to discuss the private talks confirmed the pending agreement.

The Senate came to a standstill shortly after convening for the rare Saturday session when a majority voted to consider calling witnesses.

Herrera Beutler’s account of Trump’s call with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy as rioters were breaking into the Capitol on Jan. 6 sparked fresh interest in Trump’s actions that day.

— Lisa Mascaro.

___

12:30 p.m.

Republican senators are warning that any vote to allow witnesses at the impeachment trial of Donald Trump will significantly prolong the case, and that they have their own lists of people they would want to hear from.

Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters that if there are witnesses called by Democrats, the process “won’t be one-sided” and the former president will be able to have his own witnesses, too.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was among five Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to consider witnesses, said that although he’d like to see the case go to trial, he’ll insist on multiple witnesses if Democrats get to have theirs. He says he would want to hear from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

A Trump adviser was seen holding a sheet of paper showing that Trump’s lawyers are prepared to call more than 300 witnesses.

The vote Saturday to consider witnesses upended the trial, which had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump.

___

11:15 a.m.

Former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial came to an abrupt standstill after a majority of senators voted to consider calling witnesses about the deadly storming of the Capitol.

Even senators seemed confused by the sudden turn of events Saturday. The quick trial had been racing toward closing arguments and a vote on whether to acquit or convict Trump.

Under Senate rules for the trial, it appears debate and votes on potential witnesses could be allowed, potentially delaying the final vote.

House prosecutors want to hear from a Republican congresswoman who has said she was aware of a conversation Trump had with the House GOP leader as rioters were ransacking the Capitol over the election results.

Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler of Washington has widely discussed her reported conversation with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who had called on Trump to stop the attack by his supporters.

Five Republican senators joined all Democrats in voting 55-45 on a motion to consider witnesses and testimony.

Trump’s defense attorneys blasted the late action. Attorney Michael van der Veen said it’s time to “close this case out.”

Senators are in a brief recess as leaders confer on next steps.

___

10:50 a.m.

The proceedings in former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial have come to an abrupt halt, with senators seemingly confused about the next steps.

Senators were huddling on the floor of the chamber as leaders spoke to the clerks at the dais.

Impeachment trials are rare, especially for a president, and the rules are negotiated for each one at the outset.

For Trump’s trial, the agreement said if senators agree to hear witnesses, votes to hear additional testimony would be allowed.

It’s unclear if there will be support in the evenly split Senate for calling witnesses.

___

10:35 a.m.

Senators have voted to consider witnesses in the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

Closing arguments were expected Saturday with no witnesses called. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information.

She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results.

Raskin said it was necessary to determine Trump’s role in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot. There were 55 senators who voted to debate the motion to subpoena, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who changed his vote in the middle of the count.

Trump’s attorney Michael van der Veen balked at the request, saying he’d then call 100 witnesses and said it was not necessary.

___

10:30 a.m.

Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen is telling senators that if Democrats wish to call a witness, he will ask for at least 100 witnesses and will insist they give depositions in person in his office in Philadelphia.

His animated statement was met with laughter from the chamber, which visibly angered van der Veen.

“There’s nothing laughable here,” he said. The trial is being held in person, but lawmakers are wearing masks and the coronavirus pandemic has halted most normal activity, including close contact in offices for depositions. In many civil and criminal cases, such work is handled via conference call.

Closing arguments are expected Saturday in the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump. But lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland has asked for a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information.

She has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trump’s actions on Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results.

___

10:20 a.m.

House impeachment prosecutors say they will be preparing a deposition of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler over fresh information in Donald Trump’s trial over the deadly attack at the Capitol.

Lead Democratic prosecutor Jamie Raskin of Maryland said Saturday he would seek to hear from the Republican congresswoman, who has widely shared a conversation she had with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy over Trump’s actions Jan. 6 as the mob was rioting over the presidential election results.

It’s unclear if she or any other witnesses will be called.

Raskin said he would pursue a virtual interview with the Washington lawmaker.

Senators are meeting in a rare Saturday session in what is expected to be the final day in Trump’s historic trial.

___

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Pelosi issues ‘rare rebuke’ after Cuomo claims feds trying to shortchange NY in coronavirus bill: reports

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently isn’t buying New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s claim that congressional Democrats’ proposed coronavirus aid package would not provide enough relief to the Empire State.

The speaker this week sent a letter to New York’s congressional Democrats, touting the federal proposal’s $50 billion in state and local funding for New York as well as $20 billion to “support families’ health, financial security and well-being.”

The proposed amount far exceeds the $15 billion the governor has repeatedly said the state needs to close New York’s budget gap, according to the Times Union of Albany, N.Y., which covers the state’s capital region. The newspaper said it obtained a copy of Pelosi’s letter.

“We sadly observe over 1.5 million coronavirus cases, nearly 45,000 deaths, and hundreds of thousands of job losses in New York,” Pelosi writes. “Please know that your concerns are being addressed in ways that you have advanced and with the enthusiastic advocacy of Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.”

REP. DONALDS SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ COVID RELIEF PLAN AS ‘LIBERAL AGENDA’ WITHOUT GOP SUPPORT 

The Times Union called the letter a “rare rebuke” from Pelosi who is usually closely aligned with Cuomo.  

The proposed aid, which would include more than $12 billion for schools, $8 billion for transit and $3 billion for Medicaid, would likely help avert possible budget cuts Cuomo had threatened, according to the New York Daily News.

New York House Democrats had sent a letter to Pelosi two days earlier asking for adequate funding and Cuomo sent a letter to state lawmakers last week demanding at least $15 billion in direct relief, according to the Times Union.

Cuomo reiterated the $15 billion figure this week when a legislative breakdown reportedly showed New York would receive only around $12.7 billion in direct funding to the state’s government. 

CUOMO AIDE TELLS NEW YORK DEMOCRATS ADMINISTRATION HID NURSING HOME DATA TO KEEP IT FROM TRUMP DOJ: REPORT

Pelosi’s letter arrived Thursday, a day before Cuomo and other governors met with President Biden to discuss the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion aid package.

After the meeting, Cuomo, chair of the National Governors Association, in a joint letter with vice-chair Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, said, “The President and his team made clear that they recognize and appreciate how critical this targeted relief is for our ability to recover from this pandemic,” according to the Buffalo News.

Republicans have been critical of Democrats’ relief plan, which may pass along party lines. New York Republican Tom Reed claimed it prioritizes the “far left over bipartisan compromise,” according to the Time Union. 

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The governor’s office pointed the Times Union to the statement on the White House meeting after the newspaper’s requested comment over Pelosi’s letter.

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Women charged in Capitol riot wanted to shoot Nancy Pelosi

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  • Dawn Bancroft and Diana Santos-Smith were arrested and charged in connection to the Capitol riot.
  • The FBI received a tip of a “selfie” video taken at the siege, according to an affidavit.
  • Charges include entering a restricted building, disrupting government business, and disorderly conduct.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Two women charged in connection to the Capitol siege said they were in the building “looking” for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to “shoot her in the friggin’ brain,” according to an affidavit.

Dawn Bancroft and Diana Santos-Smith were arrested earlier this week in Pennsylvania in relation to the deadly insurrection on January 6, according to a criminal complaint.

Rioters stormed the Capitol building earlier this month as Congress was in session to certify the win of then-President-elect Joe Biden. The breach of the building prompted lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence to shelter in place.

Five people died in the insurrection.

On January 12, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip of a “selfie” video purportedly taken by Bancroft during the riot at the US Capitol building. In the video, Bancroft and another woman whom the FBI later identified as Santos-Smith were shown “in the process of attempting to exit the US Capitol building in Washington, DC,” according to the affidavit.

Read more: Marjorie Taylor Greene warned before the election that Americans would have to shed blood to ‘get your freedoms back’ if Trump lost

“We broke into the Capitol…we got inside, we did our part,” Bancroft said in the video, according to the criminal complaint. “We were looking for Nancy to shoot her in the friggin’ brain but we didn’t find her.”

About a week after the FBI received the tip, for which they did not identify a source, investigators interviewed Santos-Smith and Bancroft. Santos-Smith initially told investigators that she did not physically enter the Capitol building but admitted that she lied after agents presented the aforementioned video to her. Bancroft said she did enter the building.

Santos-Smith said she and Bancroft attended the protest outside the Capitol with no intention of entering the building until she heard people yelling “they’re letting us in,” and told investigators that she thought protesters were being allowed to enter the Capitol.

Read more: Law enforcement veterans say the Capitol siege was just the tip of the iceberg of the ‘cult-like’ threat far-right extremists pose to the US

Santos-Smith said she and Bancroft entered the building through a broken window after an entrance door was too crowded, according to the affidavit. As soon as she entered the Capitol, she told investigators that she knew she should not be going inside.

A screenshot of CCTV footage showed one of the women climbing in through the broken window. 

After approximately 30 seconds to one minute inside, Santos-Smith claimed that she and Bancroft exited the building from the same window through which they entered. Bancroft relayed a similar story to investigators, according to the criminal complaint.

Bancroft and Santos-Smith were charged for entering and remaining in a restricted building, disrupting government business, and disorderly conduct.

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Pelosi and Schumer say US Capitol Police officer killed during insurrection will lie in honor at Capitol

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Sicknick died after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher during the hours-long fight for control of the US Capitol on January 6.

According to a news release, a ceremonial arrival will take place at 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday at the East Front of the Capitol. A viewing period will begin at 10 p.m. for members of the US Capitol Police and continue overnight.

The move comes after multiple lawmakers had called for Sicknick to be honored at the Capitol.

Two Republicans from South Carolina had introduced a bill that would allow Sicknick to lie in honor at the Capitol before his burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Rep. Ralph Norman and Sen. Tim Scott introduced the legislation Thursday. If passed, a plaque would be placed in the Capitol in memory of Sicknick and would allow the House Sergeant at Arms to pay for Sicknick’s funeral services.

The union representing rank-and-file officers “welcome(s) the proposal,” which would need to pass with unanimous consent.

“Officer Sicknick died because he put the lives of Members of Congress and their staff before his own safety — he did his duty,” said Gus Papathanasiou, president of the union representing rank-and-file officers. “We should commemorate his life and service with respect and dignity.”

Lying in state is typically reserved for leaders of American government, but two US Capitol Police officers shot to death in 1998 were the first private citizens to lie in honor at the Capitol. Norman was seeking to uphold that precedent for Sicknick.

“The attacks at the Capitol on January 6th show us that, now more than ever, we must support our police,” Norman said in a statement. “Just as U.S. Capitol Police put themselves in harm’s way last week to protect the seat of American democracy, the same selflessness and sacrifice is made every day by law enforcement officers across our nation. Each of them deserves our honor and support.”

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Nancy Pelosi: “The enemy is within” the House of Representatives

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that House members can pay for additional security measures with their congressional allowances, and said the House would likely need to pass additional funding for member safety because “the enemy is within the House of Representatives.” 

“It shouldn’t be that not only is the president of the United States inciting an insurrection, but keeps fanning the flame endangering the security of members of Congress, to the point that they’re even concerned about members in the House of Representatives being a danger to them,” she said. 

Asked what she meant by “the enemy is within,” the California Democrat said, “It means that we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress.” 

Some Republican representatives, including Andy Harris of Maryland and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, have reportedly expressed a desire or attempted to bring guns to the floor of the House chamber, where they are prohibited. Pelosi ordered the installation of magnetometers outside the House chamber in the wake of the January 6 assault and pledged to institute thousands of dollars in fines for members who refused to abide by the screening. 

Another Republican member, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, posted a speech to Facebook in February 2019 where she said Pelosi, “is guilty of treason … a crime punishable by death.” 

Earlier in her press conference, the speaker questioned the decision by Republican leadership to give Greene a seat on the House Education and Labor Committee in light of Greene’s previous assertion that school shootings were “false-flag” operations. 

“What could they be thinking — or is thinking too generous a word about what they might be doing? It’s absolutely appalling,” Pelosi said. 

The speaker’s comments came in response to a question about a request from more than 30 members of the House of Representatives to use their congressional allowances to augment their personal safety in their home districts by hiring local law enforcement or other security personnel, among other things. The letter was first obtained by CBS News. 

Members asked for greater latitude in how they spend their Members’ Representational Allowance, an annual allotment set by the Committee on House Administration that provides members with the operating budget for staff, mail and other office expenses to carry out their official duties.

“I do think though that while it’s appropriate that they use their MRA for their security, they should not have to because money is there to meet the needs of constituents,” Pelosi said. 

The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol increased many lawmakers’ uneasiness about their personal safety in Washington, but even more so at home, where they lack the protection afforded by the Capitol Police — and where most spend the majority of their time.   

Pelosi said she will meet later Thursday with retired Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, who is conducting a security review of the Capitol and studying member security both in Washington, D.C. and in their districts, as well as transportation in between.

Zak Hudak contributed to this story. 

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