House Energy and Commerce Committee markup has now resumed on the Biden COVID relief bill energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrat…

At 12 noon, House Oversight will meet on its portion of the COVID bill, which includes $350 billion in aid for state and local governments. GOP lawmakers like to paint this as a 'Blue State Bailout.' But the details show something much different. jamiedupree.substack.com/p/trump-lawyer…

Let's check in on Wyoming. Dozens and dozens of towns would get COVID aid under the House plan.

Remember - there was about a 5-10 minute period where Senators were stuck on the Senate floor, with rioters in the hallways, before they were then taken to a secure location. It could have been a disaster.

Senators evacuating

Swalwell to Senators about their evacuation: "You know how close you came to the mob." Senators are walking from right to left. Trump supporters are just in the background.

In the Trump impeachment trial, Democrats are showing more video of the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.

Today's videos include police communications

Surveillance video from the first floor, Senate side. Can't tell what kind of flag the guy at the bottom right has.

Before the House Rules Committee, Rep. Ted Deustch D-FL got choked up for a moment as he discussed the mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and said it was flat wrong for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene R-GA to have harassed survivors of that event.

Rep. Jackie Walorski R-IN, the top Republican on the House Ethics Committee, says while she denounces Greene's comments, the move to strip Greene of her committee assignments is wrong. "What are we doing here?" Walorski asked.

Walorski says because many of Greene's comments came before she was a member of Congress, the Ethics Committee should have no jurisdiction over Greene's behavior before January 3, 2021.

Senate Commerce Committee meets to vote on Biden pick for Commerce Secretary. GOP still in charge with Sen. Roger Wicker R-MS chairing.

The Senate Commerce Committee votes 21-3 to okay Gina Raimondo for Commerce Secretary.

Wicker R-MS expects organizing resolution deal today. "I expect we will have a passing of the committee gavel very, very soon," Wicker said.

BREAKING

Sen. Schumer announces there is finally a deal on a Senate organizing resolution, and says it will be approved later today.

Punxsutawney Phil says 6 more weeks of winter.

Does that also apply to the GOP staying in control of Senate committees? Because it's Groundhog Day in the Senate on that again, with no organizing resolution yet.

This is *not* Regular Order.

jamiedupree.substack.com/p/biden-meets-…

House Democrats make clear to the GOP that they will move to punish Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene R-GA if Republicans don't act.
jamiedupree.substack.com/p/biden-meets-…

It's just so normal now for Republicans to still be in charge of Senate committees - even though the GOP lost its majority - that it didn't even merit a mention as Sen. Jim Inhofe R-OK gaveled a nomination hearing to order this morning.

Senate panel starts business meeting on the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas for Secretary of Homeland Security.

Sen. Ron Johnson R-WI still chairing the panel.

Johnson is absolutely ripping Mayorkas, and says President Biden should not have picked him for the DHS post.

Sen. Rob Portman R-OH criticizes Mayorkas, but notes there has not been a Senate confirmed leader at DHS since April 2019. Portman says he will vote to send the Mayorkas nomination to the Senate floor.

Senate hearing underway on nomination of Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to serve as Commerce Secretary. GOP still in charge of the committee with Sen. Roger Wicker R-MS chairing. Wicker says he expects easy confirmation for Raimondo.

On the Senate floor, Schumer addresses the GOP blockade: "I am glad the Republican Leader finally relented and we can move forward now to organize the Senate."

Unclear exactly when the organizing resolution (just like the 2001 plan for a 50/50 Senate) will be formally approved.

As I wrote this morning, the 2001 powersharing plan - which Schumer offered earlier this month - was approved without any debate or controversy 20 years ago. But this time it took much longer. jamiedupree.substack.com/p/second-trump…

Sen. Patrick Leahy D-VT now in the chair. He will preside over the Trump impeachment trial as the President Pro Tem of the Senate. Senators now coming to the floor for the arrival of the House managers.

The House managers waiting in the Ohio Clock Corridor off the Senate floor, where rioters flooded the halls just a few weeks ago.

A lot more Democrats on the Senate floor than GOP Senators. Lead manager Rep. Jamie Raskin D-MD is reading the impeachment article against former President Trump.

NYT showing again that there was a lot of energy expended by the former President to illegally reverse his election loss in Georgia. nytimes.com/2021/01/22/us/…

Mr. Trump's actions related to Georgia are already part of the impeachment process. One would expect to hear the recording of the Trump-Raffensperger phone call played in the Senate trial.

One of the House impeachment managers:

https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1352826282791165953

The latest arrest in the Capitol attack calls himself a "Dating + Relationship Strategist" on Twitter. justice.gov/opa/page/file/…

From the Stedman affidavit: "Witness 2 believed STEDMAN resides with his parents"

One of today's Capitol attack arrests is a man from Baker County, Florida (west of Jacksonville). Gathering some of the evidence wasn't difficult for the FBI.

Buttigieg hearing starts with Republicans chairing the hearing. Sen. Roger Wicker R-MS says because there is no power sharing agreement yet in the 50/50 Senate - he's still the Chairman of the Commerce Committee.

Wicker refers to Sen. Maria Cantwell D-WA as the 'soon-to-be chairman' - but the Senate must still approve an organizing resolution setting out a 50/50 power sharing agreement. For now, there's no final deal between Schumer & McConnell.

Buttigieg begins his testimony. He was introduced by Sen. Todd Young R-IN, which should indicate a relatively easy path to confirmation. Buttigieg opening statement at commerce.senate.gov/services/files…

Two weeks ago, supporters of President Trump were starting their assault on the Capitol, ransacking parts of the historic building. Now, Congressional leaders are honoring the new President in the Capitol Rotunda, free from any attackers.

The arrests continue on this Inauguration Day. This Florida Man thought he was in the clear after talking to the FBI. But today he was arrested for his actions in the US Capitol attack. justice.gov/opa/page/file/…

The suspect charged with trying to crush a DC police officer in the Capitol has been arrested. One note from the documents - his cell phone number is registered to his mom.

justice.gov/opa/page/file/…

There are some new comments out tonight from Rep. Lauren Boebert R-CO about the US Capitol attack that I want to discuss in a thread, because I've been asked repeatedly about this matter.

Her press release can be found at boebert.house.gov/media/press-re…

1/

Boebert has received a lot of attention for this tweet, which she sent out as Trump supporters were clashing with police and breaking into the Capitol, threatening House and Senate members who were debating challenges to Arizona's electoral college votes. 2/

Boebert today said of her tweet and attacks from Democrats: "They accuse me of live-tweeting the Speaker’s presence after she had been safely removed from the Capitol, as if I was revealing some big secret, when in fact this removal was also being broadcast on TV."

3/

The House getting ready to come into session. That door is about 20 feet from where police shot dead a Trump supporter who was trying to break into the lobby just off the House floor. Lawmakers were sheltering from the attack on the House floor at the time.

Republicans have objected to a bill from Democrats designed to force Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment.

The clerk also officially read the resignation letter of the House Sergeant At Arms. He was pushed out after the disastrous security response to the attack by Trump supporters last week.

Some new video has emerged from inside the Capitol, as rioters are trying to crash their way into the House chamber, where lawmakers had taken refuge. You can see the gun of one officer, just before a woman was shot dead trying to enter the Speaker's Lobby just off the floor.

Here's the link to the longer video, which shows people trying to knock down the doors to get into the lobby area off the House floor. At about this same time, police with guns drawn were defending the center doors into the House Chamber as well.

https://twitter.com/AlexThomp/status/1347638418952638468

This angle, and another from further back, shows Capitol Police walking away from the protecting doors, and going down the stairs to leave the area. That allowed rioters free rein to break the glass/doors. Second later, the woman was shot by the officer on the other side.

Trump will be a no-show for Biden's Inauguration

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1347569870578266115

It has happened a few times, where the outgoing President does not escort the new President to the Inauguration. 1/

JQA also did not go. 2/

Sen. Lindsey Graham R-SC calls yesterday's attack on the US Capitol the actions of 'domestic terrorists'

https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1347266287693668353

At a Capitol news conference, Graham is also very publicly pleading with top Trump Administration officials to *not* resign at this time.

Graham asked repeatedly about President Trump:

"I'm not worried about the next election. I'm worried about getting through the next 14 days."

Senate Democratic Leader calls for the immediate removal of President Trump

https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1347223559278653441

Schumer more: "If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress must reconvene to impeach President Trump."

The House and Senate are scheduled at this point to be out of DC from now until January 19. Pelosi holds a 1 pm newser. We'll see if anything changes.

House Democrats already crafting impeachment articles.

https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1347231878114402306

Rep. Jody Hice R-GA objects to the elections in his own home state of Georgia, by which he was elected to Congress in November. There is applause as Hice admits he has no Senator signed on to the objection.

Speaking of Georgia....

https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1347042668564664320

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene R-GA objects to the elections in Michigan - but she has no Senator signed on to the objection. There is again applause, as Michigan's electoral votes are approved.

Back in the Senate, Sen. Lindsey Graham R-SC says "Enough is enough" about GOP efforts to overturn the election.

"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are lawfully elected, and will become the President and Vice President of the United States on January 20th."

The Senate is now voting on the objection to the Arizona electors.

The last time the Senate voted on such an electoral vote objection, the Senate rejected the challenge in 2005 on a vote of 74-1.

Only Sen. Barbara Boxer D-CA supported the effort.