2021 Texas politics in photos: An insurrection, legislative battles and emerging campaigns
Texas politics in 2021 were marked by a violent insurrection at the nationโs Capitol and state legislative fights over abortion, voting rights and redistricting. Our photojournalists were there every step of the way.
Pence: I'll likely never see eye to eye with Trump on Jan. 6
Former Vice President Mike Pence says he isn't sure he and former President Donald Trump will ever see โeye to eyeโ over what happened on Jan_ 6 but he will โalways be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years.โ.
Prosecutors struggle with consistent story in Jan. 6 cases
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)BOSTON โ Thereโs little doubt the Oath Keepers were planning for something on Jan. 6. But prosecutors have since said it is not clear whether the group was targeting the Capitol before Jan. 6. But the Oath Keepers โdid not know precisely the way in which force and violence might be needed to support this plan,โ she said. In December, Kelly Meggs, who officials say was the leader of the Oath Keepers' Florida chapter, wrote in a message that he had โorganized an allianceโ with the Proud Boys. Mehta said there's no evidence he entered the Capitol on Jan. 6 or had been plotting to do so.
Security officials to scale back fencing around US Capitol
Lawmakers from both parties have decried the fencing as unsightly, expensive and beyond what is necessary, even though security fears remain high. The security perimeter extends far beyond the Capitol itself through neighboring parks and office buildings. AdBlodgett said.the outer perimeter fencing will be removed in the latter part of March and Independence and Constitution avenues, the two major thoroughfares that flank the Capitol, will be opened for traffic. An inner perimeter will be moved closer to the Capitol building this week, providing reopened access to nearby streets and some sidewalks. The political pressure to remove the security fencing has been building.
Stay or go? Fence, Guard pose Capitol security questions
National Guard open a gate in the razor wire topped perimeter fence around the Capitol allow another member in at sunrise in Washington, Monday, March 8, 2021. The U.S. Capitol Police has asked for the fencing and the National Guard to remain, for now. As of Friday there were about 4,300 Guard troops in the city. "Our National Guard troops, who serve with great honor and distinction, are not law enforcement officers, and we will not abide the continued militarization of Capitol complex security,โ wrote Sens. Coupled with the hiring of 350 additional officers, the report also recommends establishing a permanent โquick response forceโ within the Capitol Police but also at the National Guard in D.C. for emergencies.
Stay or go? Fence, Guard pose Capitol security questions
National Guard open a gate in the razor wire topped perimeter fence around the Capitol allow another member in at sunrise in Washington, Monday, March 8, 2021. The U.S. Capitol Police has asked for the fencing and the National Guard to remain, for now. As of Friday there were about 4,300 Guard troops in the city. "Our National Guard troops, who serve with great honor and distinction, are not law enforcement officers, and we will not abide the continued militarization of Capitol complex security,โ wrote Sens. Coupled with the hiring of 350 additional officers, the report also recommends establishing a permanent โquick response forceโ within the Capitol Police but also at the National Guard in D.C. for emergencies.
โBlame Trumpโ defense in Capitol riot looks like a long shot
Trump was acquitted of inciting the insurrection during his second impeachment trial, where Democrats made some of the same arguments defense attorneys are making in criminal court. Some Republican lawmakers have said the better place for the accusations against Trump is in court, too. Hundreds of Trump supporters were photographed and videotaped storming the Capitol and scores posted selfies inside the building on social media, so they canโt exactly argue in court they werenโt there. โThat defense is dead on arrival,โ said Bradley Simon, a New York City white-collar criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor. Other defendants linked to militant groups also have tried to shift blame to Trump in seeking their pretrial release from jail.
Takeaways from Congress' first hearing on Capitol riot
Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund appears before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, to examine the January 6th attack on the Capitol. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)WASHINGTON โ Security officials testifying at Congress' first hearing on the deadly siege of the Capitol cast blame and pointed fingers on Tuesday but also acknowledged they were woefully unprepared for the violence. The security officials lost their jobs, and Trump was impeached by the House on a charge of inciting the insurrection, the deadliest attack on Congress in 200 years. But then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testified that he only learned about it the day before Tuesday's hearing. But in closing, Klobuchar restated the testimony: โThere was clear agreement this was a planned insurrection.โONE OFFICER'S PERSONAL STORYThe hearing opened with Capitol Police Capt.
Oregon lawmaker faces outcry after state Capitol breach
Based on security video, Nearman, 56, walked out of a side door of the Capitol building, where two protesters stood. On Monday, lawmakers gathered at the state Capitol building, under a heavy police presence, to swear in reelected and newly elected legislators. The Oregon State Police said they were aware of further โrumors that armed groups are considering taking over and/or occupying the State Capitolsโ and are monitoring โseveral possible events" ahead of the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20. Brown has activated the Oregon National Guard because of possible violence at the state Capitol and elsewhere. Oregon State Police said the National Guard would be used as necessary and its deployment locations wouldnโt be made public.
The Latest: Pelosi wants fines for bypassing House security
The House is trying to push the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office. Ten Republican House members voted to impeach President Donald Trump over the deadly insurrection at the Capitol. ___12:45 p.m.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump represents a โclear and present dangerโ to the nation and must be impeached. The debate is heated almost from the start as the House sets up a vote to impeach President Donald Trump. ___8:15 a.m.Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is predicting more Republicans will join him in voting to impeach President Donald Trump.
Fury at the shaken Capitol over the attack, security, virus
Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ This time the fury enveloping the U.S. Capitol comes not from an insurgent mob but from within. The anger on display is searing โ Democrat against Republican; Republican against Republican; legislators of both parties against the catastrophic security failure that left top leaders of the government vulnerable to last week's violence as well as to the coronavirus in their ranks. Shaken members, long accustomed to protective bubbles, inquired whether they can expense their own bulletproof vests to taxpayers (yes they can). McCarthy had joined most House Republicans in December in supporting a lawsuit to block Bidenโs election, and again last week in two votes against certifying Bidenโs win. In their oath of office, lawmakers vow to defend the Constitution โagainst all enemies, foreign and domestic.โ
Texas Democrats back U.S. House resolution asking Pence to remove Trump from office
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Vice President Mike Pence at a joint session of Congress before last week's violent insurrection at the Capitol. U.S. House members asked Pence on Tuesday to remove President Donald Trump from office over his role in the violent siege. With the backing of Texas Democrats, the U.S. House called on Vice President Mike Pence to remove President Donald Trump from office Tuesday, even though the vice president said he planned to take no such action. Prior to the vote, Pelosi named U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, to the team of House impeachment managers. "I will not support any measure to remove President Trump from office," he said.
Fury at the shaken Capitol over the attack, security, virus
Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ This time the fury enveloping the Capitol comes not from an insurgent mob but from within. The anger on display is searing โ Democrat against Republican; Republican against Republican; legislators of both parties against the catastrophic security failure that left top leaders of the government vulnerable to last week's violence as well as to the coronavirus in their ranks. Shaken members, long accustomed to protective bubbles, inquired whether they can expense their own bulletproof vests to taxpayers (yes they can). McCarthy had joined most House Republicans in December in supporting a lawsuit to block Bidenโs election, and again last week in two votes against certifying Bidenโs win. In their oath of office, lawmakers vow to defend the Constitution โagainst all enemies, foreign and domestic.โ
DC mayor pushes for increased security around inauguration
FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020, file photo, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks during a news conference in Washington. Bowser is seeking increased security around President-elect Joe Bidens Jan. 20, 2021, inauguration in the wake of the mob insurrection at the Capitol. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)WASHINGTON โ District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser is seeking increased security around President-elect Joe Bidenโs inauguration in the wake of the mob insurrection at the Capitol. D.C. does not have jurisdiction over the Capitol and other federal property within its borders. Nearly all of the legal challenges put forth by Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges.
Chaos, violence, mockery as pro-Trump mob occupies Congress
On Wednesday, hallowed spaces of American democracy, one after another, yielded to the occupation of Congress. There was a heavy police presence at the Capitol on Thursday morning, including officers from D.C., Maryland and Virginia and the D.C. National Guard. Trump told his morning crowd at the Ellipse that he would go with them to the Capitol, but he didnโt. Video footage also showed officers letting people calmly walk out the doors of the Capitol despite the rioting and vandalism. Shortly after being told to put on gas masks, most members were quickly escorted out of the chamber.
โFind a place to hide or seek coverโ: A harrowing day at the U.S. Capitol for Texans in Congress
Downstairs, off the House floor, U.S. Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia, D-Houston, was in the ladies room and oblivious to the escalation. A Capitol Police Officer pulled her out of her restroom stall and directed her back to the House floor. House members attempted to resume the proceedings but were continually interrupted by Capitol Police. And a woman was shot and killed trying to get into the House floor. He called out the Republican members who said they would object.
Congress continues work to count electoral votes after mob that stormed Capitol dispersed
In this image from video, Vice President Mike Pence speaks as the Senate reconvenes after protesters stormed into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Trump told his morning crowd at the Ellipse that he would go with them to the Capitol, but he didnโt. Video footage also showed officers letting people calmly walk out the doors of the Capitol despite the rioting and vandalism. Announcements blared: Due to an โexternal security threat,โ no one could enter or exit the Capitol complex, the recording said. Shortly after being told to put on gas masks, most members were quickly escorted out of the chamber.