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January 14, 2021, 5:21 PM

8 min read

Congressional Democrats have demanded an investigation into what they call "suspicious behavior and access" for some visitors the day before the Capitol assault, alleging that unnamed lawmakers led "an extremely high number of outside groups" through the building on what they say could have been "reconnaissance" tours.

During a Facebook Live on Tuesday, New Jersey Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill claimed that she witnessed unnamed members of Congress lead groups of people through the Capitol on a "reconnaissance" tour on Jan. 5, though it is common for lawmakers to guide constituents through the building.

Sherrill also alleged that Republicans "abetted" President Donald Trumps effort to overturn the results of the election, promising that she would "see they are held accountable, and if necessary, ensure that they don't serve in Congress."

Rep. Mikie Sherrill conducts a news conference with members of the New Democrat Coalition on their 2020 agenda in the Capitol Visitor Center, Feb. 28, 2020.

The New Jersey Democrat, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and former federal prosecutor, joined more than 30 lawmakers signing a letter Wednesday to request an investigation from the acting House sergeant-at-arms, the acting Senate sergeant-at-arms, and the United States Capitol Police.

Protesters interact with Capitol Police inside the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., after they breached the building while a joint session to certify the electoral college votes was taking place.

The letter does not name any members or make a specific reference to Republicans, nor does it make any specific allegation that members leading the tours were privy to any plans to attack the Capitol the next day. Three senior GOP leadership aides and a public information officer for the U.S. Capitol Police did not respond to a request for comment.

"Many of the Members who signed this letter, including those of us who have served in the military and are trained to recognize suspicious activity, as well as various members of our staff, witnessed an extremely high number of outside groups in the complex on Tuesday, January 5," the lawmakers wrote. "This is unusual for several reasons, including the fact that access to the Capitol Complex has been restricted since public tours ended in March of last year due to the pandemic."

Supporters of President Donald Trump enter the US Capitol as tear gas fills the corridor, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, DC.

It is not uncommon for lawmakers to invite avid supporters on tours of the Capitol, but Democrats have asked congressional law enforcement authorities whether any of the individuals known to visit the Capitol complex on Jan. 5 were being investigated for participating in the assault the next day.

The Democrats who signed the letter collectively contend that the tours being conducted on Jan. 5 "were a noticeable and concerning departure" from procedures put in place as of March 2020 that limit the number of visitors to the Capitol. These tours were so concerning to Democrats that they were reported to the sergeant-at-arms on Jan. 5, they wrote.

"The visitors encountered by some of the Members of Congress on this letter appeared to be associated with the rally at the White House the following day. That group left the White House and marched to the Capitol with the objective of preventing Congress from certifying our election," the letter states without citing specific examples of people charged with engaging in the melee who they believe were on tours on January 5. "Members of the group that attacked the Capitol seemed to have an unusually detailed knowledge of the layout of the Capitol Complex. The presence of these groups within the Capitol Complex was indeed suspicious. Given the events of January 6, the ties between these groups inside the Capitol Complex and the attacks on the Capitol need to be investigated."

Supporters of US President Donald Trump enter the US Capitol's Rotunda on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. Demonstrators breeched security and entered the Capitol as Congress debated the a 2020 presidential election Electoral Vote Certification.

As part of the investigation, the lawmakers ask congressional law enforcement authorities whether logs of visitors are inspected and collected, as well as whether members were required to sign in guests to the Capitol on Jan. 5.

They also inquired whether any additional law enforcement agencies have requested access to these logs, and questioned what circumstances would need to occur to deny a visitor from entering the Capitol, whether there are video logs from Jan. 5, and if facial recognition software is used for visitors entering the Capitol complex.

Link:
Democrats demand probe into nature of Capitol tours on day before assault - ABC News

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, speaks during a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021.

Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images

With Democrats projected to take back the majority in the Senate, tech bills that have languished in the Republican-controlled chamber during Donald Trump's presidency could see renewed momentum.

While pandemic relief is likely to take center stage for much of the legislative session, the shift in power could still give Democrats the chance to advance their tech policy agenda.

Groups that have long pushed for tech policy reform are hoping to see their efforts bear fruit in the new Congress.

"Democrats have no excuse," Evan Greer, director of nonpartisan digital rights group Fight for the Future, said in a statement on Wednesday. "They need to get to work right away protecting people's basic rights in the digital age. This means quickly confirming a new chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) who will restore net neutrality and ensure everyone has affordable Internet access in the midst of a pandemic."

Greer added that protecting Section 230, banning facial recognition and passing strong national privacy laws should be among the actions Democrats take with their newfound control.

Here are the key ways Democratic control could impact tech policy in the Senate:

One of the more immediate ways this could happen is by quickly confirming President-elect Joe Biden's nominations to important cabinet positions like Attorney General and the Secretary of Labor, as well as new appointments to the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission.

The Biden administration will be tasked with handling the federal lawsuits against Facebook and Google filed by the Trump administration. It will also likely continue ongoing research into other tech industry players through work at the Justice Department and FTC.

The Labor Department will face questions about how gig workers should be classified under federal law, which will affect companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart. And the FCC will be charged with taking a stance on net neutrality and regulating programs that provide broadband access, which has become even more important during remote work and distance learning due to the pandemic.

Discussions about broadband access could be among the first tech policy topics to see the light of day in the new Congress given American's increasing reliance on internet services to deal with stay-at-home orders. Those could naturally lead to a renewed focus on net neutrality, an Obama-era reform that sought to prevent internet service providers from favoring some internet traffic over other. That means users and businesses can't pay for a "fast lane" or to slow down another website's traffic.

The FCC achieved this under Obama by reclassifying ISPs as common carrier services under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, which made them subject to greater regulation than under Title I. Trump's FCC Chairman Ajit Pai undid that rule, though ISPs have not really taken advantage of the rollback. Some analysts say the real fear ISPs have with the FCC imposing net neutrality is that the agency could potentially use the same statute to impose price regulation.

That concern could actually be avoided by writing a more narrow law that enshrines the concept of net neutrality without reclassification. With Democrats in control and net neutrality serving as a popular Democratic issue, the topic could see more discussion this term.

Like antitrust reform, regulating digital political ads could be limited to the least controversial proposals. But one bill that could quickly make a significant impact with a small reform is the Honest Ads Act. First introduced by Klobuchar with Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and the late John McCain, R-Ariz., it was reintroduced in 2019 with the support of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The bill would make digital platforms subject to similar disclosure requirements as traditional forms of media when it comes to digital ads. In an interview last year, Warner told CNBC he'd thought the bill would be "the lowest hanging fruit, the biggest no-brainer just to kind of put points on the board." With majority Democratic control, such reforms may again have the chance to advance to the floor.

Lawmakers have made significant progress in crafting digital privacy legislation but those bills have remained locked up by disagreements over how those bills should be enforced.

Both Democrats and Republicans want strong protections for consumers' digital privacy rights on the national level. But Democrats think states should be able to build on those protections, while Republicans have advocated for the national standard to preempt state law to provide consistency for businesses. Democrats also want consumers to be able to sue companies they believe violated their rights, but Republicans fear that would lead to frivolous lawsuits.

Both sides believe the issue is fairly urgent to protect consumers. Without an election immediately on the horizon, there's a chance lawmakers will be more willing to come to an agreement.

Concerns over facial recognition technology came to the forefront this summer in the wake of concerns over whether and how it might be used to observe the protests for police reform. Democrats in both chambers of Congress backed a push for a moratorium on facial recognition technology for use by law enforcement.

The technology has a spotty track record and has been shown to disproportionately misidentify people of color. In June, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft all voluntarily said they would abstain from selling the technology to varying degrees. But lasting rules would have to come from Congress.

Talks about reforming Section 230 will undoubtedly continue, but bills claiming to crack down on alleged censorship of conservative viewpoints (which social media platforms have denied) will have a harder time breaking through.

Democrats and Republicans largely agree that the decades-old statute protecting tech platforms from being held liable for their users' posts needs to be tweaked. But they still are far apart on possible solutions. Trump tried to get Congress to repeal the law at the end of 2020, but that action seems to have limited support in Congress.

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Democratic Senate control could breathe new life into net neutrality and other tech regulations - CNBC

As aprogressive Democrat who supports the Green New Deal and "Medicare-for-all," Rep.-elect Kai Kahele, D-Hawaii, has had to temper his aspirations for the new Congress.

Instead of a blue wave, the 2020 election results indicated thatAmerica just wasn't ready yet for the seismic shifts that he backs.

"We're still a divided country,"Kahele, a combat veteran, told Fox News during a recent interview."And clearly, from looking at the map, there's a lot of work that still needs to be done."

Kahele, a state senator and military pilot, said the Democratic losses in the House were tough and unexpected, signaling to him that Democrats need tofocus more on educating thepublic about the good of their policies that Republicans have sought to demonize.

ILLINOIS REP.-ELECT MARIE NEWMAN REJECTS SOCIALISM TAG; TELLS GOP TO 'GET OVER IT'

"It's going to take education. It's going to take relationships," Kahele, 46, said. "Obviously, if we have slimmermajoritiesin the House, [if] we don't have the United States Senate, some of these big, bold ideas are probably not going to be able to happen."

Kahele madehistory on Nov. 3as just the second Native Hawaiian elected to Congress to represent the Aloha State since itbecame the 50th state in1959. He succeeds Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, to represent the 2ndCongressional District.

Kahele says the progressive vision for health care, a green economyand a $15 minimum wagecan improve lives. It just maytake some convincing.

REP.-ELECT YVETTE HERRELL RELATES TO TRUMP'S VOTER FRAUD CLAIMS: 'I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE'S GOING THROUGH'

Kahele arrived in Washington for congressional orientation as thousands of President Trump supporters were rallyingin D.C. refusingto accept the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Rep.-elect Kai Kahele of Hawaii's Second Congressional District arrives in Washington for congressional orientation in November 2020. Kahele madehistory as just the second Native Hawaiian elected to Congress to represent Hawaii since it became the 50th state in1959. (Marisa Schultz/Fox News)

The show of force is indicative of Trump's broad appeal to a wide swath of the country, Kahele acknowledged. He said the party needs to do a better job of talking to Trump-backers and hequestioned how theylost these voters when Democrats fight for the concerns of working men and women.

"I don't understand it," Kahele said of Trump's loyal base. "But I'm going to listen to it,make no mistake about it, because it's a force to be reckoned with."

"... As somebody who comes from a middle-class family who is a strong member of a union,I just don't think President Trump's policies help middle-class families in this country."

GEORGIA REP.-ELECT CAROLYN BOURDEAUX, ONLY DEMOCRAT TO FLIP SEAT, SAYS PARTY SHOULD TALK TO TRUMP SUPPORTERS

Like the vast majority of Democrats in Congress, Kahele never supported defunding the police.Still, he said the Republicans' effort to ascribe the Black Lives Matter demand to allDemocrats may have hurt them at the ballot box in swing districts.

He believes in socialism only in the context of medicine. He touts his experience with Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals as a shining example of how socialized medicine could work.

"I've benefited from a great example of socialized medicine in this country the V.A.," Kahele said. "And so hasmy family. My daughters were born in military hospitals. Of course, that's a benefit for giving my service to my country and many other service veterans out there, but it is an example of socialized medicine."

"You have a military hospital. You have military doctors. You have military nurses, you have... great care that they give. Why can't we extend that to all Americans? We already have Medicare 65 years of age or older.Why can't we extend that to everyone?"

Rep.-elect Kai Kahele, D-Hawaii, is a pilot in the military as well as for Hawaiian Airlines. "I've always had the ability to bring people together," Kahele said. "In times of crisis, I function at my most optimum in a high-stress situation." (Courtesy of Kai Kahele for Congress)

In order to bridge the divide between red and blue, Kahele wants to start by building bonds.

During freshman orientation, Kahele was surrounded by a sea of Republicans due to Democrats' numerous House election losses.

To break the ice, he handed outbusiness cards to his fellow reps with a picture of him, his wife, Maria and their three daughters. The card says how to pronounce his last name, "Ka-heh-lay" and lists sixHawaiian values,such as "ahonui" or patience.

"I've always had the ability to bring people together," Kahele said.

Instead of making the grueling 13-hour commute every week from his hometown of Hilo, Kahele's family is moving to Washington. Kahele is already talking about hosting barbecues, going to church and playing baseball with fellow lawmakers in the hope that friendships can give way to bipartisanship.

Rep.-elect Kai Kahele, D-Hawaii, with his wife Maria and their three daughters. (Courtesy of Kai Kahele for Congress)

He madean early connection withTexas GOP Rep.-electAugust Pfluger, a fellow veteran and father to three daughters. He wants their families to meet.

REP.-ELECT AUGUST PFLUGER OF TEXAS CALLS BIDEN OIL PLANS 'EXTREMELY ALARMING'

Pfluger, too, wants to work with Kahele on issues likestrengthening the military, national security and agriculture.

"I've enjoyed getting to know Kai," Pfluger said. "We have a lot in common from both being Air Force pilots, coming from agricultural districts and being girl dads."

Born the son of a U.S. Marine and flight attendant, Kahele grew up in Hawaii with a respect for military service and a love for flying.

Standing 6 feet, 3 inches, Kahele became a collegiate volleyball playerat the University of Hawaii.

He laterfollowed his passion for flight and became both amilitary pilot and a commercial airline pilot for Hawaiian Airlines.

Kahele joined the HawaiiAir National Guard in 1999 and achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. He's beendeployed many times in the Middle East,flyingC-17 jets during combat missions into Afghanistan and Iraq.

Rep.-elect Kai Kahele has served in the Hawaii Air National Guard since 1999. The pilot has flown combat missions in Iraq and in Afghanistan. (Courtesy of Kai Kahele for Congress)

Kahele's start in politics was bornout of tragedy.

His dad, Gilbert Kahele, was always active in Democratic politics. But it wasn't until he retired from civil servicethatGilbert became a state senator in 2011 at the age of 68.

Gilbert's Senatecareer, however, was cut short by a massive heart attack in January 2016.As he was hanging on to life at the hospital, he asked Kaheleto consider completing his work in the Senate.

Kahele, who had no political experience,agreed to his father's final request to put him at ease. Afew weeks later, the governor appointed Kaheleto fill out the remainder of his late father's term.

Rep. elect Kai Kahele, D-Hawaii, announces his primary challenge against Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, R-Hawaii, in January 2019. (Photo Courtesy of Kai Kahele for Congress). (Courtesy Kai Kahele)

Kahele quicklytook to politics and earned leadership roles in the Senate. Three years later, Kahele made a bold decision to primary challenge the popular Gabbard just after she announced her 2020 presidential run. Kahele saidthe people of Hawaii needed full-time representation.

REP.-ELECT NANCY MACE STILL RECOVERING FROM JUNE CORONAVIRUS BOUT: 'I WAS REALLY, REALLY SICK'

The early campaign launchpaid off when nine months later Gabbard announced she would not seekreelection for her House seat to focus on her White House bid. Kahele had boxed out more Democrats who might have sought to compete for a vacant seat.

He won the Democratic primary easily, despite taking four months off from the campaign for active duty withHawaii National Guard in responseto the coronavirus pandemic.

As he arrived in Washington last month for orientation,Kahele marveled that it's been four decades sinceSen.Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii,made history in 1976 as the first Native Hawaiian to be elected to the House.Akaka went on to serve in the U.S.Senate from 1990-2013.

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A 10-year-old Kai Kahele is pictured here on a family trip to Washington D.C. with then-Rep. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii. Kahele is pictured with his mother Linda, father Gilbert and sister Noelani. Kahele will be just the second native Hawaiian elected to represent Hawaii in Congress after Akaka. (Photo courtesy of Kai Kahele.)

Kahele reflected on a vacation he took with his family to the nation's Capitol in 1984 when they met with Akaka, a friend of his father's. The family posed for a photo with the lawmaker on the steps of Capitol, and a young Kahele had no inkling whatsoever he would be the next Native Hawaiian to make history in Washington.

"Who would have ever thought that standing on the steps in United States Capitol in 1984 would be a little 10-year-old boy who would be the second congressional representative for Hawaii of Native Hawaiian ancestry standing next to the first?" Kahele said.

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Democratic Rep.-elect Kai Kahele, combat veteran, says Trump supporters are 'a force to be reckoned with' - Fox News

If only the Democrats in D.C. were as nice to conservatives as they are to Chinese spies maybe the country wouldnt be so divided.

Do you agree, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell?

According to reports, the California congressman and former presidential candidate had a close relationship with a Chinese national called Fang Fang.

How close? Well, Axios reported that, Amid a widening counterintelligence probe, federal investigators became so alarmed by Fangs behavior and activities that around 2015 they alerted Swalwell to their concerns giving him what is known as a defensive briefing.

This is where the story getsreallyinteresting.

Fang left the country unexpectedly in mid-2015 amid the investigation, the report reads. In other words, not long after Swalwell was briefed by the FBI, Fang Fang skipped town.

Im no Sherlock Holmes, but the timing of Fangs sudden farewell seems slightly suspicious to me. But rather than resign or even admit wrongdoing, Swalwell did what all good Dems do when in a bind he blamed Donald Trump. After all, being a Democrat means never having to say youre sorry.

When asked about the Axios report, Swalwell said, Ive been a critic of the president. Ive spoken out against him. I was on both committees that worked to impeach him. The timing feels like that should be looked at.

Swalwell has spoken out against the president. In fact, he was one of the most prominent promoters of the bogus Russia hoax. He once even accused the presidents son of being a Russian agent on live TV.

During a hit on MSNBC, Swalwell criticized Trumps son for meeting with a Russian lawyer and said, Stated plainly, the presidents son met with a Russian spy.

Perhaps if Swalwell had merely had one meeting with Fang Fang, he wouldnt be in his current predicament. But based off the reports, he did far more than meet her.

Perhaps worse, as of Saturday 10 days after the original Axios report was released the congressman has not been kicked off the House Intelligence Committee. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she has full confidence in Swalwell.

In reality, she simply doesnt want to give President Trump the satisfaction of seeing one of his most smug detractors dumped.

Former House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdytold Fox News, Thats the best Nancy Pelosi could do?At 230 members, the best you can come up with is a former city councilman in California whos not smart enough to know when a woman is expressing interest in you, [whether] shes a spy?

But in all fairness, why should Eric be treated any differently than the other well-known liberals who are in bed (or in cars) with Chinese spies.

Theres Sen. Dianne Feinstein, another sharp-as-a-tack California pol, who employed a Chinese spy as a driver for over 20 years. The mainstream media had little interest in Driving Miss DiFi. They have even less interest in Erics explosive scandal.

After all, these respected publications like NPR and the New York Times have bigger news to cover like Mayor Petes love of airports or Hunter Bidens new art gallery.

According to Vanity Fair, Hunter creates his work with a metal straw he uses to blow alcohol ink onto Japanese Yupo paper, creating abstract layers of colors and concentric circles.

The smartest man Joe Biden knows is not just an artist. He also has made a name for himself in China. No, not because of his concentric circles, though Im sure those will be well received.

ABC News reported that a source familiar with Hunter Bidens tax probe said investigators are particularly interested in a 2.8-carat diamond he received from a Chinese business associate in 2017.

While Hunter says the ring is valued at $10,000, his ex-wife Kathleen claims its worth closer to $80,000.

Either way thats a lot of metal straws!

All of this begs the question: Do we have to get to the bottom of the Democrat leaders untrustworthy relationships with members of the Chinese Communist Party?

Can someone ask Rep. Maxine Waters if she can connect the dots between a Chinese businessman, a 2.8 carat diamond and the former vice presidents troubled son?

Does Pelosi think all roads lead to Xi Jinping, as they did to Putin?

And perhaps most pressing: Is Joe Biden really confident that China wont eat our lunch, or is he just confident that theyll pay for his?

Go here to see the original:
Curley: Democrats, as usual, look the other way on Eric Swalwell scandal - Boston Herald

WASHINGTON Democrats on Friday shot down Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs campaign for a prized seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee instead appointing fellow New York Rep. Kathleen Rice.

The New York congresswomen had been jockeying for the seat and lobbying colleagues behind the scenes, but Rice ultimately won in a vote of 46-13, Politico reported Friday.

The committee oversees everything from public health to climate issues, foreign commerce and consumer protection.

Democratic lawmakers on the Steering and Policy Committee were reportedly forced into an awkward vote Thursday when some members presented their views on who should win.

According to Politico, some Democrats cautioned against giving the plum role to AOC, 31, because she had encouraged several liberal challengers to take on her own colleagues.

Im taking into account who works against other members in primaries and who doesnt, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said on the call.

Other members on the Energy and Commerce Committee reportedly worried how Ocasio-Cortezs progressive policies, including the Green New Deal, could cause problems in the new Congress, where Democrats will have a slimmer majority.

Rice, 55, a Long Island Democrat and former prosecutor, said she was honored to be selected.

New Yorkers deserve a fighter to lower the cost of prescription drugs, address climate change and improve our drinking water, Rice said in a statement to Patch.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to help the incoming Biden-Harris Administration combat the COVID-19 pandemic and build back our economy.

Rices appointment to the committee marks a huge turnaround in fortunes for the lawmaker, who was denied a seat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee after she spoke out against Nancy Pelosis speakership.

Ocasio-Cortez has recently echoed Rices calls, telling the Intercept she believes the 80-year-old needs to go but has no clear successor.

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AOC passed over by Democrats for spot on key House committee - New York Post