Newsweek - USA (2021-02-12)

NEWSWEEK.COM 25

but a si]able number heading >to the
Capitol@ now. IŠm following along.”

12:40 PM: Some confrontations begin
between protesters and police at the base
of the west side of the Capitol building, on
the street level nearest to the National Mall.

12:45 PM: At least a do]en S 89 s park
in front of the Capitol building.

It is unclear who is arriving, whether it
is the FBI or the Secret Service. Three
of the four top successors to the presi-
dency under the U.S. Constitution—Vice
President Mike Pence, Speaker of the
House Nancy Pelosi and President pro
tempore of the Senate Chuck Grass-
ley—are present in the Capitol.

12:49 PM: 8 .S. Capitol Police 8 SCP
respond to a report of a possible explosive
device at the Republican National Commit-
tee headTuarters. Shortly afterward, a sec-
ond pipe bomb is reported at the headTuar-
ters of the 'emocratic National Committee.
A parked vehicle in the area is also found
to hold an M assault riʀe, a handgun and

components for 11 Molotov cocktails with

what is described as homemade napalm.

According to the DHS TRIPwire report

published on January 7: “On  January

2021...ofɿcers discovered two IEDs out-

side the Republican National Committee

(RNC) Headquarters and Democratic Na-

tional Committee Headquarters, respec-

tively, several blocks from the Capitol.

Both devices were described as pipe

bombs, and the RNC device was wired

with an analog timer. The USCP Hazardous

Materials Response Team examined the

IEDs, determined they were viable, ren-

dered them safe and turned them over to

the FBI for additional analysis. Authorities

also discovered a cooler ɿlled with impro-

vised incendiary devices (IIDs) described

as Molotov cocktails near the Capitol.Ť

12:51 PM: (lijah Schaffer of The Blaze

tweets a video from around the Wash-

ington Monument “...There are at least

100,000 people just in the overʀow for

the event. 9 ideos can not >sic@ describe

the si]e of the crowd. This is wild.”

12:51 PM: After conducting routine busi-

ness, the Senate, preceded by the Secretary

of the Senate, -ulie (. Adams, and the 'ep-

uty Sergeant at Arms, -ennifer +emingway,

direct the procession of the senators to the

+all of the +ouse of Representatives for

the purpose of counting electoral ballots.

12:53 PM: 9 ice President Pence releas-

es a statement from a “'ear Colleague”

letter that says he lacks the authority to

reject electoral votes. “My oath to support

and defend the Constitution constrains

me from claiming unilateral authority,” he

says. The two-and-a-half page letter says

“After a careful study of our Constitution,

our laws, and our history, I believe neither

view is correct... 9 esting the 9 ice President

with unilateral authority to decide presiden-

tial contests would be entirely antithetical to

that design...No 9 ice President in American

history has ever asserted such authority.”

“It is my considered judgement that my

oath to support and defend the Constitu-

tion constrains me from claiming unilateral

authority to determine which electoral votes

should be counted and which should not.”

“I will do my duty to see to it that we open

the certiɿcates of the (lectors of the several

states, we hear objections raised by Senators

and Representatives, and we count the votes

of the (lectoral College for President and 9 ice

President in a matter consistent with our Con-

stitution, laws, and history. So help me *od.”

12:55 PM: The +ouse is called to order by

Speaker Pelosi '-CA. She says that, due

to C 29 I' restrictions, each side, +ouse

and Senate, 'emocrats and Republicans,

are allowed to have 11 members present

on the ʀoor  total. 2 thers have to be in

the gallery and practice social distancing.

12:57 PM: +arrison Smith of The Washing-

ton Post tweets “Marching down Constitu-

tion, past the American +istory Museum.

şWe live under a criminal cartel,Š man says

on loudspeaker. şTime we put an end to it.Š”

12:59 PM: A -oint Session of the +ouse

and the Senate “held pursuant to the provi-

sions of Senate Concurrent Resolution 1” is

called to order, and +ouse Sergeant at Arms

Paul '. Irving announces the 9 ice President

and the Senate joining the +ouse chamber

as Mike Pence and the senators arrive.