WASHINGTON – President Biden announced a round of sanctions on Wednesday with the aim of targeting the “leaders who directed the coup” in Myanmar earlier this month, but he was much less clear about the type of responsibility he wants from the people involved. in the US Capitol uprising.
Biden avoided weighing on the impeachment of former President Donald Trump, who was accused of inciting the attack with a speech in which he urged his supporters to “fight” while Biden’s electoral victory was being certified. Many of the pro-Trump protesters who attended the demonstration marched straight to the Capitol, where they broke down barricades, broke into the building and ransacked offices.
In the weeks since the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, DN.Y., and other lawmakers supported efforts to create an investigation or congressional commission to obtain detailed information about the attack and the police response.
President Biden in Washington on Wednesday. (Michael Reynolds / EPA / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
On Wednesday, when asked at a news conference whether Biden supports the idea of a congressional commission, White House press secretary Jen Psaki gave in to lawmakers.
“We certainly left the decision on whether there is an investigation in Congress for members of Congress,” said Psaki.
Capitol violence was linked to the deaths of five people, including US Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who tried to keep the crowd at bay. Aspects of the Capitol Police’s preparation for the protests planned that day and their response to the attacks were questioned by Bowman and others.
The Capitol Police chief resigned after the attack, two policemen were suspended and at least 10 others are being investigated for behavior during the attack, including an incident in which one took a selfie with protesters. Despite this, the Capitol Police have not held a meeting to address reporters or the public since the attack.
Psaki declined to say whether Biden believes the Capitol Police should publicly address the attack. Instead, she pointed to the FBI’s investigation of the violence.
“We, of course, here in the federal government, have an investigation underway, as you know, from the Department of Justice,” she said, “and I would forward any reports or updates from your end to them.”
The White House briefing came just minutes before Biden’s announcement of the Myanmar coup. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously acknowledged that the United States’ ability to defend democracy abroad “suffered a blow” with the January 6 attack.
Trump supporters clashed with police and security forces at the Capitol on January 6. (Brent Stirton / Getty Images)
Psaki emphasized that Biden denounced what happened on Capitol Hill last month as “horrible” and “an attack on our democracy”.
“He made these statements because that was the way he felt, and it is also important to make that clear to the public and the world,” she said. “But in terms of what measures are going to be taken from here, we leave that to the Senate.”
Many observers said the attack on the Capitol was equivalent to a coup, as it was an effort to overthrow Biden’s election. Bowman’s proposal to investigate the attack was even called the COUP Act. Although Psaki used the term “coup” to describe the situation in Myanmar, she hesitated to say whether she believes it should be applied to the attack on the Capitol.
“I’m not going to give any new definitions,” she said, adding: “But I appreciate your creativity.”
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