The Topline: Democracy's Daily Digest
As serious as the threats against the U.S. Capitol are, we can't let them distract from the important work still being done there. Last night, the House passed the For the People Act, an expansive election reform and voting rights bill. The legislation passed without any Republican votes, which is a shame. Disenfranchising voters through partisan gerrymandering and restricting access to the ballot box are antithetical to self-government. The bill aims to address these issues, as well as implement anti-corruption measures. It is worth earnest consideration in the Senate, free from strictly partisan interests. —Evan McMullin
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All eyes on the Capitol
U.S. Capitol Police uncovered intelligence of a plot by extremists to breach the U.S. Capitol today. The threat is connected to a conspiracy theory, promoted by QAnon supporters, that Donald Trump would rise again to power on March 4, the original presidential inauguration day. Online chatter included discussions among members of the Three Percenters, an anti-government militia, and other domestic extremist groups to "take control of the U.S. Capitol and remove Democratic lawmakers." House leaders canceled today's legislative session over the threat, taking today's scheduled votes last night. —The Wall Street Journal
— The Flynn question. Maj. Gen. William Walker of the D.C. National Guard testified in the Senate yesterday about the attack on Jan. 6. He named Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn as one of two Pentagon officials who delayed the response of the Guard that day. Charles Flynn is the brother of disgraced former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who had suggested that Trump should declare martial law and riled up Trump supporters the day before the attack. So why did the Pentagon initially deny, falsely, that Charles Flynn was involved in the call for help? —Defense One
— The Q connection. Michael Flynn has publicly endorsed the QAnon conspiracy theory, even going so far as posting a video of himself reciting a QAnon "pledge." In addition to White supremacist extremism, conspiracies like QAnon, spread widely online, are driving political violence. "These conspiracy theories are becoming more all-encompassing," historian Kathryn Olmsted says. "They are encouraging more people to think that it is logical and necessary to use violence against their government." —NPR
— Extended stay. In response to the ongoing threat, Capitol Police have requested that the National Guard provide security for another two months, a proposal under review by the Pentagon. Rep. Elissa Slotkin said some lawmakers want to know what the plan for providing security going forward is. "None of us like looking at the fencing, the gates, the uniformed presence around the Capitol," she said. "We can't depend on the National Guard for our security." —Associated Press
MORE: Trump hotel triples room rates ahead of QAnon's alleged second Trump inauguration day —Second Nexus
Milbank: What really happened on 1/6?
"At best, this was a catastrophic failure of government. At worst, political appointees and Trump loyalists at the Defense Department deliberately prevented the National Guard from defending the Capitol against a seditious mob." —Dana Milbank in The Washington Post
Dana Milbank is an author and columnist at The Washington Post.
MORE: Capitol riot probe zeroes in on Pentagon delay in sending troops —Politico
For the People Act passes the House
House Democrats passed H.R. 1, a sweeping voting and ethics bill, over unanimous Republican opposition last night. Touching on virtually every aspect of the electoral process, the legislation was approved on a near party-line vote of 220-210. It would strike down hurdles to voting, restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, and bring more transparency to the campaign finance system, which allows wealthy donors to anonymously bankroll political causes. The bill now advances to the Senate. If it passes, it will become the largest overhaul of U.S. election law in a generation. —Associated Press
MORE: House passes George Floyd Justice in Policing Act —Axios
'The cost of inaction is staggering'
House Energy and Commerce Democrats have unveiled a template of their plan to combat climate change. The 981-page bill—an expanded version of last year's CLEAN Future Act—would take a sector-by-sector approach to eliminate carbon dioxide and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. It calls for a federal clean energy standard, with a goal of 80% clean electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2035. Though the legislation is ambitious, in line with President Biden's Build Back Better agenda, it does not call for a tax on carbon emissions. The bill's sponsors acknowledge that the measure lacks political support. —Politico
DN Ed Board: Here's to rules and power sharing
"As America was reminded last week, Congress has some built-in brakes against the unfettered use of power, and rules still matter. If Senate Democrats wish to use the reconciliation process to take away Republicans' ability to filibuster the proposed $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package, they must adhere to the Byrd Rule. If that sounds arcane and complicated, it is. Just remember that it keeps senators from piling a bunch of unrelated items into a bill, where they will receive little or no debate, and then ramming them into law." —Deseret News
MORE: Bipartisan senators introduce bill to strip Biden of war powers —Politico
Focus on ethics in politics
More current and former public servants have been caught in ethical breaches this week. One of them is Elaine Chao, former Transportation secretary and wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The inspector general at Chao's old department found that she may have violated ethics rules to help promote her family's personal interests and their U.S.-based shipping company, Foremost Group. The Justice Department declined to pursue charges against her in December. —Forbes
— Gov. Andrew Cuomo. An emotional Cuomo addressed the sexual harassment claims made against him and said he will not resign as governor of New York. He said while he is "embarrassed" by the allegations, he wants New Yorkers to wait to form an opinion on the matter until the conclusion of a probe being conducted by Attorney General Letitia James. —New York Daily News
— Rep. Ronny Jackson. Formerly the White House physician to Presidents Obama and Trump, Jackson "disparaged" subordinates, drank recklessly while traveling with the president, and engaged in "frat boy-type" behavior, according to a new report released by the Pentagon. The Texas congressman was selected by Trump to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 2018—but his name was withdrawn when reports about his behavior first surfaced. —CBS News
— Rep. Jim Jordan. This week, the campaign committee for the Ohio congressman received ten notices from the Federal Election Commission, flagging discrepancies on its books totaling nearly $3 million. The campaign claims that the errors slipped through the cracks amid a record fundraising surge, and that it actually has more money on the books now. But experts say the high dollar amount will likely trigger an FEC investigation. —The Daily Beast
MORE: In Trump probe, Manhattan district attorney puts pressure on his longtime chief financial officer —The Washington Post
Boot: Shoring up democracy is no small task
"Foreign policy is not conducive to moral purity. But the United States should not simply abandon its values or embrace authoritarianism, as Trump did. Biden is likely to do a much better job of balancing idealism and realism. Although he will seldom go far enough to please human rights activists, his administration could begin to reverse the erosion of democracy both at home and abroad." —Max Boot in The Washington Post
Max Boot is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.
MORE: Yascha Mounk: Freedom House's report shows democracy in trouble —The Atlantic
I find it beyond "special" that people who claimed that Covid is a hoax, folks like Rep. Paul Gosar, use the virus as the reason they can't travel to D.C. to do the job they were elected to do. Yet Gosar and others, using the virus as the reason for voting-by-proxy (which they railed against when implemented), are at the same time able to travel to Florida for their white supremacist rallies. —Bill T., Arizona
The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
Got feedback about THE TOPLINE? Send it to Melissa Amour, Managing Editor, at editor@thetopline.com.
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