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House ramps up security for lawmaker travel

09 January 2021
Dan Ackermann

After several lawmakers were hassled in airports, federal authorities on Saturday increased security for members of Congress when they travel to and from Washington through the inauguration, according to an internal memo obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: The unusual new safety measures reflect the increased incidents of angry Americans confronting lawmakers, and the hostile aftermath of Wednesday's siege of the U.S. Capitol.

A "House Alert" sent to members on Saturday said that the House Sergeant at Arms "and the U.S. Capitol Police have partnered with the Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority and the United States Air Marshals to increase security for Members of Congress while traveling to and from Washington D.C."

  • The "Travel Security Notification for Members of Congress" encouraged lawmakers to submit their flight itineraries to House security officials, who "will make notifications to the appropriate law enforcement agencies to ensure an increased security posture."
  • "Agents from the U.S. Capitol Police will also be stationed at BWI, IAD and DCA airports through the Inauguration to assist in security coordination."

Members and staff were encouraged to "remain vigilant of their surroundings and immediately report anything unusual or suspicious."

Video was posted Tuesday showing Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) being heckled in the Salt Lake City airport. On Friday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) was called a "traitor" and "verbally harassed" by at least a couple dozen Trump supporters at Washington Reagan National Airport, Politico reported from video.

  • Over the New Year's holiday weekend, vandals defaced the homes of both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.