Biden, Harris to deliver remarks on anniversary of Jan 6 Capitol siege
Jan 03, 2022
Washington [USA], January 3 : White House on Sunday said that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver remarks on the one-year anniversary of the attack on US capitol on January 6, reported CNN.
This follows House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announcement of a slate of events to commemorate the insurrection of the US capitol. "These events are intended as an observance of reflection, remembrance and recommitment, in a spirit of unity, patriotism and prayerfulness," Pelosi said in a letter to her Democratic colleagues.
On January 6, a group of supporters of former President Donald Trump entered the US Capitol in a bid to protest the lawmakers certifying the 2020 election results from several states that Trump said were fraudulent. One protester was shot dead during the incident and the law enforcement authorities charged 500 people for participating in the event.
At noon there will be a prayer and a moment of silence on the one-year anniversary of the Capitol siege. This will be followed by a "Historic Perspective" conversation between historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Meacham "to establish and preserve the narrative of January 6th."
Lawmakers will then share their accounts of the attack in a session presided over by Colorado Democratic Rep. Jason Crow. It will then be followed by a prayer vigil with members of the House and Senate on the steps of the Capitol, reported CNN.
Last month, US President Joe Biden signed legislation that will allow the US Capitol Police to request assistance without prior approval during emergencies, the White House said.
"On Wednesday, December 22, 2021, the President signed into law: S. 3377, the - the 'Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act of 2021,' which authorizes the Chief of the Capitol Police to request the assistance of Federal agencies in emergencies," the White House said in a press release.
The bill passed the House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously last month. The legislation was crafted in response to what legislators claimed was the Trump administration's delay to approve a request from Capitol Police to deploy the National Guard during the January 6 Capitol riot.
