WASHINGTON—On Friday, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) led a letter with 25 of her colleagues to Vice President Mike Pence, Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, and top officials at the Pentagon and National Guard, demanding answers on why the National Guard was delayed in responding to Wednesday’s violent attack on the Capitol. 

“The American people and their Representatives who survived this coup attempt deserve immediate and thorough answers to the following questions to help the public gain a complete picture of the events that occurred on January 7, 2021 and an understanding of the current capabilities of the President to continue to lead this country,” the members wrote.

In addition to Vice President Pence and Acting Secretary Miller, the letter was addressed to: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Chief of the National Guard Bureau General Daniel R. Hokanson, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, and Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard Major General William J. Walker. 

The congressmembers also pointed to the difference in response by the National Guard with Wednesday’s insurrection and actual non-violent protests by groups like Black Lives Matter. They also inquired as to why reports point to Vice President Pence gave the order to deploy the National Guard and not President Trump. 

“As the dust settles in the wake of this insurrection, our nation will look to its leaders, such as Members of Congress, the Administration, and state and local leaders, to preserve and restore democracy in this country,” the members also wrote.“Now more than ever, our actions must be governed by an unwavering dedication to the pursuit of peace, freedom, and justice for all. The eyes of history will be watching.”

The letter was signed by: Congressmembers Barragán, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Clarke, Cohen, Connolly, Cooper, Correa, Davids, Evans, Hayes, Huffman, Johnson, Jones, Lee, Lowenthal, McNerney, Meng, Moore, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Payne, Plaskett, Pressley, Price, Raskin, Vargas, and Velázquez.

The full letter can be viewed here.