[inaudible conversations] the subcommittee on oversight will come to order. The subcommittee on oversight will come to order. Without objection the chair may declare a racist at any time. Also that objection the meeting record will remain open for five legislative days so members may submit any materials they wish to be included therein. Thank you Ranking Member tours, members of the subcommittee are courageous whistleblowers for joining us for todays oversight hearing. These whistleblowers are coming forward today to share for the first time under oath, the firsthand account related to National Guard deployment on generous six. None of todays whistleblowers were interviewed under oath by the department of defense Inspector General or the select committee. Generate sixth, 2021 highlight a culmination of failures at many levels. For todays hearing we are examining the department of defense d. C. National guards response to the violent breach of the capitol. So we will get into it. I like to play a brief video about the timeframe of the delay. Is this the video we received this morning . Last night. [background noises] alright, want to thank the maturity for indulgence of playing the video. Its important to set the stage of just how important three hours in 19 minutes can be. On a day like that. At a previous testimony for u. S. Capitol police chief about the former speaker in the congressional leadership delay. The u. S. Capitol Police Request for assistance for generate sixth, 2012 at 14 10 p. M. The d. C. National guard received the first request for immediate assistance from u. S. Capitol police. At the protester started to gather and force their way into the capitol complex. However, at this time the Capitol Police had not officially approve the request roughly eight to 12 00 p. M. Protesters breach the capitol began assaulting police officers. Staffers and members of congress were ordered to evacuate including myself and others that are here today. Capitol police attempted to secure members and clear the capitol but were quickly outnumbered. There been many testimonies of that day but one thing is clear the u. S. Capitol Police Requested and needed urgent assistance from anyone who would answer the call including the metropolitan Police Department and various federal Law Enforcement entities and the d. C. National guard. However there was a delay deploying the National Guard for over three hours. Almost an hour after the capitol is breached at 3 04 p. M. The acting secretary of defense Christopher Miller proved d. C. National guard to deploy to the capitol. Just a brief History Lesson for those who do not know executivee order 11485 delegates oversight of the d. C. National guard to the department of defense. 1969 memo further designates this authority specifically to the secretary of arms. I generate six, 2021 commanding general of the d. C. National guard William Walker reported directly to the secretary of the army, Ryan Mccarthy. The d. C. National guard was at the armory, one point to miles away from the capitol waiting for authorization to deploy to assist civil authorities and quell the riots. However the d. C. National guard did not arrive at the capitol until almost 6 00 p. M. That is three hours in 19 minutes of delay. During those hours chaos engulfed members of congress, Law Enforcement officers, reporters, staffers, and citizens. During those hours necessary help from the d. C. National guard was not on the way. Our goal today is to get to the bottom as to why. It took too long for d. C. National guard to arrive at the capitol. The 113th awaiting capitol guardians have a proud history of protecting our nations capitol and serve our nations leadership. Nations leadership. Nevertheless new Jersey State Police for delete one or 50 miles away it responded to the capitol before the d. C. National guard. Additionally the pentagon knew there was a threat to governmental operations caused by 3 30 7 00 p. M. The pentagon send its own Security Forces to guard the homes of defense leaders. At 3 30 7 00 p. M. Note deceit National Guard forces were on the way for the capitol. Throughout my subcommittees extensive investigation into the events of generate sixth and the select committee on january 6, we have uncovered concerning and inconsistencies regarding mobilization of the d. C. National guard. Phone records, firsthand accounts, sworn testimony after action reports we have gathered there appears to have been a significant delay that the the departmentof defense and dee National Guard or communicating the order of deployment. Either way the purpose of this hearing is to hear the d. C. National guards story for the First Time Ever about the three hour 19 minute delay. November 16, 2012 in department of defense Inspector General released a report reviewing their role in the response to generate sixth which claimed the d. C. National guard was deployed to the capitol as quickly as possible. However the report also credited significant delays in deployment to d. C. National guard commander general Major GeneralWilliam Walker neglecting to mobilize after receiving orders. Specifically dod ig report concludes that the leader of the National Guard response Major General walker received direction from the secretary of the army, Ryan Mccarthy to deploy the d. C. National guard to the capitol twice once and for 35 00 p. M. Again at 5 00 p. M. Major general walker denies either of these calls took place. Despite the many inconsistencies and contradictions of the department of defense responsibility that day the select committee on generate sixth ignore these discrepancies despite them being shared privately by their own staff and burled for the dod side of the story. Following the release of the dod ig report multiple whistleblowers the d. C. National guard who were present with Major General walker have come forward to share their experiences. According to their testimony hours of vital Response Time or missed because Senior Army Officials had personal concerns regarding military presence of the u. S. Capitol. Today we have the responsibility of recognizing these d. C. National guardsmen, listening to their testimony honoring their patriotism. These brave men showed up to defend the capitol and were discarded and ignored when they tried to come forward. I reach out to dod ig regarding concerns with their report and contradictory narratives for nearly two months i have not received any answers. To date we will learn more about what happened that day regarding the delay. Well hear side of the story that has been ignored for too long. Most importantly today we will look into the future and make sure our capitol, our capitol guardians and our Law Enforcement partners are more prepared today than they were three years ago. We are only able to conduct this oversight because whistleblowers have come forward to share their stories. I encourage anyone to reach out to the subcommittee is our investigation gives our recognize Ranking Member towards to provide an Opening Statement. Thank you chairman and thank you to our witnesses for being here today for your service to our nation in particular the on generate sixth. You sacrifice your time to protect us. We owe you a debt of gratitude we are here today discussing the delayed National Guard response of the capitol for one reason and one reason only. Donald trump dispatched an armed mob to try to overturn the election he knew he lost. And for three hours in 19 and 19 minutes is that violent mob called his Law Enforcement for members of congress and the Vice President who they were trying to hang the National Guard was forced to wait and wait and wait. All because of the chaos at the pentagon caused by the commanderinchief and the fear he would involve the military and domestic political affairs, a big unknown dont we teach worldwide to emerging countries. This was a commanderinchief who is the riot unfolded did not call as acting secretary of defense or secretary of the army to ask why the National Guard was missing. Where were they . A commanderinchief who, after he learned someone was shot did not care. He did not call the National Guard directly. A commanderinchief who is eight and a family party and dance as the mob prepared to overturn the capitol. A commanderinchief who sat in his and dining room watching it all unfold on tv like it was an action movie with an ending favorable to him. How did we get here . Let me tell you. In response to the june 2020 demonstration respond to the murder of george floyd President Trump said he would quote diploid the dice its in military to put down the protest and even asked the secretary of defense on why the military couldnt quote just shoot the protesters in the leg or something. Secretary esper and found the president street comment so disturbing he held a press conference saying he opposed invoking the insurrection act. Then, in december as trump continued to spread conspiracy theories reported by members of this Congress Sitting here today about the election being stolen, the talk of invoking the insurrection act reached a boiling point. It got so bad his own secretary of the army and the army chief of staff a fourstar general issued a joint statement saying quote there is no role for the u. S. Military in determining the outcome of an american election. And, as her top military leaders worried the president would declare martial law the rest of the National Security apparatus was in total disarray. People were getting fired or resigning left and right everyone remembers that, right . With only 71 days and his german trump determining the secretary of defense and replaced him with an acting secretary of defense who was completely, completely over his head. Contrary to attempts to rewrite history, the generate sixth select Committee Conducted more than two dozen interviews and reviewed over 37000 pages of documents related to the National Guard and dedicated 46 pages of its final report to this issue. The select Committee Found the chaos led to illequipped acting secretary of defense issuing an unclear order to the secretary of the army. In order so unclear it was interpreted differently by the acting secretary of defense the army chief of staff and the secretary of the army. Three people, three different interpretations. It is sold there in the select committees final report on the dozens of irrelevant transcripts available online. Adding to the chaos, these top Army Officials exercise extreme caution and imposed on precedent restrictions on when and how to deploy the guard on january 6. This was the direct result of the president s decision to involve the military and domestic affairs. Two i witnesses, i am so sorry but i am so sorry that Trump DefenseDepartment Army leadership failed you and they failed us on january 6. You should never have been forced to sit on your hands what while we were lying on our stomachs. Planning to use a pen in our purses as a weapon to defend ourselves against a mob that was sent here to kill us by the president of the United States of america. We were preparing to die. I yield back in. Whats a gentle lady yields. The chair not recognize the full committee Ranking Member for five minutes for the purpose of making an Opening Statement. Thank you, mr. Chairman and thank you to our witnesses. For your careers of distinguished service. The deceit National Guardsmen are no set capitol guardians. And we are only able to do art the days and months of filing generally six because you stood guard over us and as you did for that of her of your long service we oh, you and debt of gratitude. So thank you. I want to be clear, we are here today for a single reason. An un patriotic cynical powerhungry man incited a deadly insurrection as part of his months long effort to overturn a free and fair american election. We are here because of his lies about the 2020 election. It is hard to believe its frankly even hard to say but it does not make it any less true. It meant many cannot bring themselves to acknowledge it. Many in this room. As a result, we are here because of the majority 15 Month Mission to find malfeasance for the generate sixth select committee that investigated the insurrection were no malfeasance exists. And frankly, just as a question of jurisdiction should be raised. If this hearing is about the chain of command and or communication between the various elements of the defense apparatus of the United States, it falls to the House Armed Services committee to do that investigation. They should be doing it. This is clearly not the venue for this to happen. I do want to address something at the outset. There is a notion that process that President Trump ordered or pushed for 10,000 National Guard troops ahead of january 6 has been debunked repeatedly it is also a red hearing and this is why it. As the chair has stated 196 and executive order delegated authority at the d. C. National guard to secretary of defense who in turn delegated that Authority Secretary of the army. The president of the nine states ultimately sits atop the chain of command. Would he do with the National Guard before january 6 does not matter compared to his actions or i should say in actions on the sixth of january itself. What he never did on the sixth was called the secretary of defense, secretary of the army or d. C. National guard itself to find out they were not on the scene and order them to the capitol for that three hour 19 minute delay. So i went to quickly dispense with the claimant once and for all he ordered 10,000 troops. Acting secretary of defense Christopher Miller was asked the following question provided the following answers under penalty of perjury. First question, the 10,000 troops did you take that as a request for you or to order for you to deploy 10,000 troops . His answer and i quote no, absolutely not. I interpreted as a president ial banner or President Trump banner that you are all familiar with and in no way, shape, form did i interpret that as an order or direction. He was also asked in february 2021 mark meadows said on fox news quote even in january that was given as many as 10,000 National Guard troops were told to be on the ready by the secretary of defense but is there any accuracy to that statement . Mr. Matos answer, not from my perspective i was never given any direction or order of know of any plans of that nature so no obviously we have plans for activating more folks but that wasnt anything more than contingency planning. And a few questions later, to be Crystal Clear the question was, there is no direct order from President Trump to put 10,000 troops to be on the ready for january 6 is that correct . His answer quote that is correct there is no direct order. There was no order from the president. I think that is all you need to know under oath secretary of defense said it never happens. Heres the bottom line. The president of the United States manipulate his followers into believing the election was stolen from him, summoned an armed mob to washington and then unleash them on the nicest capitol. And then did absolutely nothing to stop what unfolded. People died. We almost lost our democracy. We could have 100 hearings to deflect blame but the facts are not going to change. President truman famously had a sign on his desk that said the buck stops here. President trump sign on the other hand would read the buck stops anywhere but here. He lit the fire. He fanned the flames the Defense Department delayed the troops he want everyone else to take the blame. Frankly i find it pathetic. I agree sedrick Mitch Mcconnell who said former President Trumps action proceeding the riots were disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty former speaker Kevin Mccarthy said trump bears responsibility for his actions know if, and, or button i agree senator Lindsey Graham who said all