Washington D.C. (September 5, 2024) | This week, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Chairman of the Committee on House Administration's Oversight Subcommittee released transcripts of interviews conducted by the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General (IG) that contradict the findings published in their January 6 report, "Review of the DoD's Role, Responsibilities, and Actions to Prepare for and Respond to the Protest and its Aftermath at the U.S. Capitol Campus on January 6, 2021."

In their report, the DoD IG claims that the actions at the Pentagon were “reasonable in light of the circumstances” at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The IG also determined that “DoD officials did not delay or obstruct the DoD’s response to the [U.S. Capitol Police’s] [Request for Assistance] on January 6, 2021.” The Oversight Subcommittee’s investigation into the delayed National Guard response on January 6, including these newly obtained witness transcripts, suggest the exact opposite. 

Previously concealed by the Biden-Harris Administration for over three years, these transcripts indicate that senior Pentagon officials unnecessarily delayed the DC National Guard response to the Capitol on January 6 due to “optics” concerns, and reveal that President Trump urged his senior military leaders to prioritize safety.

Following the release of these transcripts, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Mike Rogers (AL-03), and former Major General William Walker of the D.C. National Guard, released the following statements:

Rep. Barry Loudermilk: 
“The fact that an IG report can be used to manipulate a historical narrative to protect the very Department it’s tasked with overseeing is deeply concerning. The men and women of the National Guard who put their lives on the line to protect our nation deserve the truth.  

"Through our investigation, we know that the National Guard was capable and ready to deploy to the U.S. Capitol at 3 pm on January 6, but their response was delayed by senior Pentagon leaders. These new transcripts prove that not only were political concerns of ‘optics’ at play on January 6, 2021, but that DoD officials continued to delay as the riot at the Capitol worsened. DoD officials also misled Congress, telling then-Speaker Pelosi at 3:19 pm that the National Guard was 'on the way.'

"It is abundantly clear that the DoD IG’s report protects a preconceived narrative to safeguard their own interests, instead of being based on facts. As we continue the critical work of our investigation, we will not waver from our goal of ensuring the American people get the full truth.”

Former Major General Walker:
“After four decades of service, I firmly believed in the Army values and had an expectation of character, decisiveness, and integrity in all situations from my Army leaders and especially senior leaders. That expectation was shattered on January 6, 2021.

"The D.C. National Guard has a history of success supporting both the federal government and the city government responding to civil unrest. On January 6, we had to wait for authorization from the Pentagon. We were out there, we were ready, and we were prepared. We are the Capital Guardians. That’s what we do.”

HASC Chairman Mike Rogers:
“Rep. Loudermilk has remained committed to ensuring the American people have a full accounting of the events and timeline of January 6, 2021. I am glad the Armed Services Committee was able to provide support for Rep. Loudermilk’s investigation and I thank him for his efforts to conduct rigorous oversight.”

KEY TRANSCRIPT EXCERPTS: 

General Mark Milley, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

1. “[January 3, 2021] The President just says, ‘Hey, look at this. There’s going to be a large amount of protesters here on the 6th, make sure that you have sufficient National Guard or Soldiers to make sure it’s a safe event.’”
2. “[POTUS says,] ‘Hey, I don’t care if you use Guard, or Soldiers, active duty Soldiers, do whatever you have to do. Just make sure it’s safe.’”

Christopher Miller, Acting Secretary of Defense

1. “[On January 6, 2021] everyone was like, “Did you listen to the President’s speech?” I’m like “The guy speaks for 90 minutes it’s like Castro or something.” No, I’ve got work to do.”
2. “I was cognizant of the fears that the President would invoke the Insurrection Act to politicize the military in an anti-democratic manner. And, just before the Electoral College certification, 10 former Secretaries of Defense signed an op-ed piece published in The Washington Post warning of the dangers of politicizing and using inappropriately the military. No such thing was going to occur on my watch.”
3. “There was absolutely -- there is absolutely no way I was putting U.S. military forces at the Capitol, period.”
4. “The operational plan was this, let’s take the D.C. National Guard, keep them away from the Capitol.”

Click here to read the full transcripts. 

BACKGROUND

On November 16, 2021, the DoD IG released a report titled, “Review of the Department of Defense’s Role, Responsibilities, and Actions to Prepare for and Respond to the Protest and its Aftermath at the U.S. Capitol Campus on January 6, 2021." This report was the final product of the DoD IG’s investigation into the events of January 6, 2021.

Throughout our investigation, the Subcommittee has found significant irregularities in the DoD IG report, including statements attributed to witnesses who subsequently informed the Subcommittee that the witness did not make these statements, as well as glaring inconsistencies regarding the deployment of the D.C. National Guard (DCNG). From our review of phone records, timelines, firsthand accounts, sworn testimonies, and after-action reports, there is considerable evidence pointing to an intentional delay at the DoD in either deploying the National Guard, or communicating the deployment order. To address the communication and security gaps experienced on January 6, 2021 between the DoD and Congress, the Subcommittee continues to pursue the transparency the American people deserve.

Washington D.C. (August 29-30, 2024) | Recently, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Chairman John Moolenaar (MI-2), of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and Reps. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Ben Cline (VA-6), Tom Suozzi (NY-3), and Brian Babin (TX-36) traveled to Japan and the Republic of Korea to express support for both the U.S.-Japan and American-Korean alliances and discussed ways our two countries can work together to combat the Chinese Communist party’s rising military, economic, and ideological aggression.

In their meetings with Japanese officials, the lawmakers raised the need for increased security cooperation to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific and urged the Japanese government to continue its work to push back on the CCP’s malign economic agenda. Below are summaries from the delegation’s key meetings:

1. PRIME MINISTER KISHIDA: In the delegation's meetings with Prime Minister Kishida, lawmakers discussed the importance of the U.S.-Japanese alliance and discussed how the two countries can work together to secure critical supply chains and emerging technologies from the CCP's harmful economic practices. 
2. DEFENSE MINISTER KIHARA: Following the recent Chinese military incursion into Japanese air space, the delegation expressed their support for Japan's sovereignty. The delegation discussed the need for close security cooperation between both countries and Japan's vital role in preserving peace in the region. 
3. MINISTER OF ECONOMY, TRADE AND INDUSTRY SAITŌ: The delegation discussed the close economic relationship between the U.S. and Japan, and how the countries can work together to strengthen economic ties in light of the CCP's aggressive economic practices. 
4. FOREIGN MINISTER KAMIKAWA: The delegation discussed the importance of American and Japanese leadership, and Japan's critical role in maintaining peace in the region. 
5. U.S. AMBASSADOR RAHM EMANUEL: The delegation visited the U.S. Embassy to meet with Ambassador Rahm Emanuel. 
6. YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE: The delegation traveled to Yokosuka Naval Base to learn more about how the Navy and other services are continuing to address the CCP's rising military aggression. 
7. AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN JAPAN: The delegation met with leaders of the American Chamber of Commerce to discuss issues facing American companies in Japan and how the U.S. government can better support them. 

While meeting South Korean officials, the delegation discussed the economic prosperity and security South Korea brings to the Indo-pacific region and the world. Below are summaries of key meetings: 

1. PRESIDENT YOON: The delegation met with President Yoon to discuss the importance of the US-Korea alliance in the face of authoritarian pressure from China and North Korea. 
2. TRADE MINISTER CHEONG: The delegation met with Trade Minister Cheong In-Kyo to discuss the importance of trade between South Korea and the US, South Korea's historic investment in the United States, and how our countries can work together to strengthen outbound investment restrictions to China and our critical and emerging technology supply chains. 
3. NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: The delegation also visited Korean legislators at the National Assembly. The members joined Speaker Woo Won-Shik and Representatives Kim Young-bae, Kim Gunn, and Kim Min-ki, among other legislators, to discuss the critical economic and security relationship between both countries. 
4. KITA DINNER: The delegation had dinner with members of the Korean International Trade Association (KITA) to learn more about the thriving South Korean economy. 
5. DMZ VISIT: The lawmakers also visited the American and Korean Joint Security Area at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea to learn more about the work of our troops in the region.

Washington D.C. (August 28, 2024) | Recently, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Chairman of the Committee on House Administration's Oversight Subcommittee, published newly obtained documentary footage recorded by Alexandra Pelosi on January 6, 2021, and produced to the Subcommittee by HBO. 

Click here to view the footage. 

The bulk of these videos show then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeatedly saying, "I take full responsibility." Additionally, she discusses the firing of U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund and House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving, Still, she stresses that blaming anyone besides former President Donald Trump would be a "diversionary tactic." 

Nancy Pelosi on January 6, 2021: 

"We have totally failed. We have to take some responsibility for not holding the security accountable for what could have happened." 

"Oh my god, I cannot believe this stupidity of this. And I take the full responsibility."

Following the release of this footage, Rep. Loudermilk issued the below statement: 

"This batch of unaired HBO footage is nothing new," said Rep. Loudermilk. "For over three years, Nancy Pelosi has refused to take responsibility for her failure to secure the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. Instead. she has pushed the focus of the failure on President Trump. As Speaker, she controlled House operations and security on the House side of the Capitol - which she acknowledges in this HBO footage."

BACKGROUND:
Vice-chair Liz Cheney and Chair Bennie Thompson's J6 Select Committee had this footage but did not release it publicly and did not archive this footage at the end of the 117th Congress or hand it over when Republicans took the majority at the beginning of 2023. Therefore, the Subcommittee went directly to HBO to obtain the footage. 

Click here to view the letter sent to HBO.

The first release of this behind-the-scenes HBO footage was in June. 

For the past 3 years, Pelosi and House Democrats pushed the narrative that former President Trump was solely responsible for the events of January 6, 2021. But on January 6, Nancy Pelosi herself acknowledged three times on camera that she was responsible for Capitol security and ultimately, she was the one that should be accountable for the security of the Capitol.

In case you missed it, this week, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) published an opinion piece in The Washington Times, where he details why the American people still need the full truth on the more than 3-hour delayed DC National Guard deployment to the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 and how senior DoD leaders were concerned with 'optics' over security that day.

"My investigation of the events of Jan. 6 and its aftermath revealed a disturbing truth: The DCNG was not at the Capitol to save lives or restore law and order in those vital hours because the approval and order to deploy were not relayed to the DCNG until after 5p.m.," Rep. Loudermilk wrote. "Like most Americans, I believe that any official document issued by the Defense Department inspector general would be based on facts after a thorough investigation. What I found was the opposite. I will make these transcripts public so you can decide for yourself." 

Read the full op-ed here.

This week, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) was the guest speaker for the monthly meeting of the Sequoyah Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). Members of the DAR trace their lineage to an ancestor who helped contribute to securing our nation's independence. 

The speech centered around the U.S. Constitution and how it is critically important that we continue to protect the freedoms that it outlines in the Bill of Rights. 

Rep. Loudermilk also signed a proclamation at the NSDAR event commemorating U.S. Constitution Week following his speech. U.S. Constitution Week will be celebrated from September 17-23, 2024 to commemorate its history, importance, and bring attention to how one of our key founding documents still serves today.

The Washington Times:

GOP lawmakers say senior Army officials contradicted the Defense Department inspector general’s report that found no delay or obstruction in deploying the National Guard during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, according to newly released transcripts from the Pentagon’s internal investigation.

Republicans say they are suspicious about how the Defense Department’s IG office, then headed up by acting IG Sean O’Donnell, came to the conclusion in its November 2021 report that senior Pentagon officials’ deployment of the National Guard to the Capitol riot was timely and appropriate.

The IG said the office made its determination based on the overall response time from receipt of a request from U.S. Capitol Police to the arrival of the D.C. National Guard, which was between three hours, 15 minutes and three-and-a-half hours.

Additionally, the IG said its investigators did not identify a standard that required the Pentagon to fulfill a Defense Support of Civil Authorities “request for assistance” within a specified amount of time.

GOP investigators on the House Administration Committee’s oversight subcommittee, led by Chairman Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, believe the Defense Department watchdog’s conclusion is wrong, after delving into the March 2021 interviews from the IG transcripts.

READ MORE 

Blaze Media: 

"I take the full responsibility.”

Those words by former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — the polar opposite of what she has publicly proclaimed for nearly 44 months — were uttered on Jan. 6 as she and Democratic colleagues watched the unfolding protests and violence at the U.S. Capitol on television, new video shows.

While claiming she takes responsibility in one video clip, she lashed out at former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund in another, putting the blame for Jan. 6 on his head.

.....

“I am stunned by the repeated statements by Pelosi about there not being any National Guard deployed to the Capitol in advance of the attack on January 6,” Sund told Blaze News, “when it was her sergeant at arms for the House of Representatives who denied my request for support on January 3, and then again repeatedly for 71 minutes while we were under attack on January 6.”

The Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight released six new video clips from unaired documentary footage shot on Jan. 6 after Pelosi and other House leaders were evacuated from the Capitol to nearby Fort McNair.

The videos had been in the possession of the now-defunct Jan. 6 Select Committee but were not turned over to House Republicans in January 2023 as required by House rules, said U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight.

READ MORE

Just The News: 

As she fled the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made clear she did not want to evacuate the building and expressed regret that the National Guard had not been pre-positioned to protect Congress ahead of the contentious certification of the 2020 election results, according to video footage turned over this week to House Republican investigators and obtained by Just the News.

“We're calling the National Guard now?  They should have been here to start out,” Pelosi can be heard saying as she flees through a tunnel under the Capitol on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, as her daughter Alexandra videotaped her for an eventual HBO movie.

Pelosi’s expressions of personal regret were not fully aired in that documentary and only recently were turned over to House Administration Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk, who took over the congressional investigation of Jan. 6 security failures when Republican came into control of the House in January 2023.

READ MORE

New York Post: 

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeatedly admitted she should have done more to protect the US Capitol from the January 6 rioters that former President Donald Trump unleashed to overthrow the election, newly released footage shows.

Pelosi also lashed out at the idea that anyone expected MAGA fans to “act civilized,” according to the video taken as she was whisked away from the Capitol as the angry mob began infiltrating the congressional building.

“We have totally failed. We have to take some responsibility for not holding the security accountable for what could have happened,” the California Democrat raged at one point.

....

The release of the footage comes as House Republicans — led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) –continue to examine the findings of the now-disbanded Jan. 6 select committee.

READ MORE

Marietta Daily Journal: 

Contact Me