Never miss a story
Sign up for our free daily morning email...
...and afternoon text update
×
public safety
austonia newsletter
Get connected with our daily update
Most viewed
U.S. House Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, met with members of the Texas National Guard on Friday.
U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, spent the afternoon of Jan. 6 barricaded in his office in the Rayburn House Office Building, with a sofa and a baseball bat as protection against what he called the terrorists on the other side of the door.
"It was a really dark day for the United States," he told Austonia.
<p>As Congress prepared to vote on whether to certify the results of the November presidential election, former President Donald Trump had spoken that morning to a group of supporters at "Save America" rally at the Ellipse, a 52-acre park south of the White House, where he repeated baseless claims that the election had been "stolen" from him. Afterwards, thousands of attendees marched to the U.S. Capitol, where they breached police lines and scaled the walls of the building itself. </p><p>"The members were evacuated off the floor. The alarms went off," McCaul said. "I barricaded myself in my office, which is right off the Capitol. The terrorists, if you will, (we) could hear them outside of my office trying to get in. So we barricaded the office with a sofa, and all I had, really, was a baseball bat to protect myself and my staff."</p><p>Capitol police were soon on the scene. "The mob were dressed in kind of paramilitary-style uniforms. The Capitol police came up and there was a big skirmish between the two," McCaul continued. "We want to thank the Capitol police for saving us." </p><p>Nearly three hours after rioters began to clash with police on the Capitol steps, the D.C. National Guard <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2021/01/06/dc-protests-capitol-riot-trump-supporters-electoral-college-stolen-election/6568305002/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">was sent in</a> as reinforcement, and congressional leaders <a href="https://twitter.com/Phil_Mattingly/status/1346937291793641475" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">were evacuated</a> from the Capitol complex. By 8 p.m. Congress had reconvened—and four people were dead. </p><p>McCaul spoke to Austonia about his experience at the Capitol that day, as well as his thoughts on impeachment, the inauguration and border security. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.</p><p><strong>After the riot</strong> </p><p>After the deadly riot, McCaul voted against objecting to the electoral votes of two states: Arizona and Pennsylvania. The majority of House Republicans, however, voted differently. Of the 211 Republican members, 121 objected to Arizona's votes and 138 to Pennsylvania's. But they were outnumbered by Democrats, and by 4 a.m. both the House and Senate had voted to certify the votes of the Electoral College, validating then President-elect Joe Biden's victory. </p><p>"It's not our job to overturn or second guess the certificates if they're authentic," McCaul said. "The states have certified. The Founding Fathers gave the states that power, not the federal government or Congress."</p><p>Despite breaking with his caucus on certification and condemning Trump's behavior leading up to the riot, McCaul opposed impeachment on the grounds that the process had been rushed. "We have not been given the time to truly look at the facts and the evidence before this impeachment was hurried to the House floor," he said in <a href="https://mccaul.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/mccauls-statement-on-impeachment-vote" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a Jan. 13 statement</a>. "We haven't been given the opportunity to hear from a single witness, or hold even one hearing." </p><p>McCaul did admit to doubt. "I don't know what's out there, what decisions were being made with respect to the use of the National Guard to protect the members of Congress," he told Austonia, adding that the Senate trial may uncover answers to these questions. But he also has reservations about whether the trial should move forward at all. "I think the country, to be quite honest with you, is ready to move forward with the new administration and not live in the past," he said. </p><p>It remains to be seen whether Trump will face consequences as a result of the riot, but McCaul is optimistic that some of the rioters will. This session, he reintroduced a bill that would allow the Justice Department to charge individuals with domestic terrorism, which would carry corresponding sentencing of up to life in prison or death. "(The riot) was definitely an act of domestic terrorism, and I think we need to address that," he said, adding that he thinks the bill failed last session because of a focus on international terrorism. "But I think what happened on Jan. 6 has changed everything." </p><p><strong>A new administration</strong> </p><p>McCaul was at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Jan. 20, one of several he has attended during his 16 years in office. "This one was obviously very different in the sense that we have a global pandemic, and we were at the United States Capitol, which was under attack just a few days ago," he said. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="aea6629addc3023b9f2b375757a6bc3d" id="1f364"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);
width:calc(100% - 2px);">
<div style="padding:8px;">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center;
width:100%;">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC);
display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;">
</div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRZtRUHx0b/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif;
font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;
word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p>
</div></blockquote></div><p>Although there was heavy police presence and no crowd, the ceremony was similar to past inaugurations in other ways. "It's really the day our nation comes together as Americans first to honor the peaceful transition of power that we've done for over 200 years," he said. "So it has a very sacred feeling to it." </p><p>McCaul is serving his eighth term as the representative of the 10th District of Texas, which spans from Central Austin to the northwest Houston suburbs. He ranks middle-right in terms of ideology and high in terms of leadership, according to the <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/michael_mccaul/400654" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Congressional tracking site GovTrack</a>. He is married to Linda Mays McCaul, whose father is the billionaire founder and former chairman of Clear Channel Communications, now iHeartMedia. They have five children.</p><p>Prior to holding elected office, McCaul served as the chief of counter terrorism and national security in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas and as a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice. As a self-described supporter of the DOJ and intelligence communities, he stressed the importance of nonpartisanship in those areas. </p><p>"You have political appointees, but you don't want to inject politics in our federal criminal justice system. Our intelligence community should be protected from that as well," he said. "I hope the Biden administration will move forward in that way of thinking."</p><p>McCaul has a balanced view on the issues of border security and immigration reform. "Trying to tackle immigration reform is very difficult, and it brings out the best and the worst in people," he said, adding that he believes any policy needs to combine technology, infrastructure and manpower. "We need to know who's coming into this country to be able to control and protect Americans." </p><p>Where many Republicans flaunt their ideological rigidity, McCaul believes that the two parties can—and should—work together. He is hardly a centrist, however. A <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/michael-t-mccaul/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FiveThirtyEight analysis found</a> he voted in line with Trump 93.6% of the time.</p><p>"You know, I got ranked by Georgetown University as the <a href="https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-Bipartisan-Index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=20abfc4c-e01c-49d2-8a26-5d420d4918fb" target="_blank">most bipartisan lawmaker from Texas</a>—and <a href="https://mccaul.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/mccaul-named-third-most-effective-lawmaker-of-the-115th-congress?fbclid=IwAR3atoTb4eLwoUvcOm5jLJwa0mGKG4Nmh_P-8oiQ8O7P465oG3SDdtfOSjs" target="_blank">third most effective</a>," he said. "The way I get things done is I work across the aisle."</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Austin Council Member Greg Casar wants to change City Hall ... ›
- Austin politicians disavow Trump mob storming U.S. Capitol - austonia ›
- Texas representatives prepare to vote on Trump impeachment trial ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
Popular
(Charlie L. Harper III)
Two Austin police officers have been indicted by a Travis County grand jury in connection with a violent arrest case that had been closed with no findings of wrongdoing two years ago.
The officers, Chance Bretches and Gregory Gentry, are indicted on charges of felony assault after the case was reopened by new District Attorney Jose Garza.
In a statement on Friday, Police Chief Brian Manley said the officers had been investigating a drug deal when the suspect resisted arrest and caused injury to the officers and himself. Manley has, however, placed officers Bretches and Gentry on leave as a result of the indictments.
In response to the charges, attorneys for the officers said in a statement that they are "gravely concerned that the judgment of the newly elected DA, whose experience consists of seven weeks, is that both officers committed first-degree felonies punishable by life in prison."
The last time an APD officer was indicted in an excessive use-of-force case was in 2018.
From Your Site Articles
Staff Sgt. Timothy Luke Manchester, of Austin, died Jan. 20, in a non-combat related incident, according to the Department of Defense.
Manchester was 34 years old and supporting Operation Spartan Shield when he died in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 36th Infantry Division, Camp Mabry, Texas.
(Office of the Governor)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's public safety priorities for the current legislative session include making it "fiscally impossible" for municipalities to defund their police departments and a statewide plan to address homelessness that will include a ban on public camping. Both are clear rebukes to recent policy changes enacted by local elected officials.
"We cannot and will not allow Austin to defund the police," Abbott said during a press conference on Thursday. "Texas must set the example for the United States of America, not only to support law enforcement but to fully fund law enforcement agencies."
<p>Austin City Council voted last August to cut the Austin Police Department budget by around 5% in the wake of mass protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Council members also approved putting around 30% of the budget into transition funds while they decide which traditional police duties could be moved out of the department's control. </p><p>Abbott did not elaborate on what such legislation might look like during a press conference on Thursday. But a few bills have already been proposed that might provide insight. </p><p>State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, filed a bill that would prohibit municipalities from passing annual budgets that reduce funding for public safety agencies. And State. Rep. Steve Allison, R-San Antonio, filed a bill that would require a referendum in cases where municipalities passed budgets with more than a 5% cut to public safety spending. </p><p>The Texas Legislative Council, a nonpartisan agency that helps lawmakers draft legislative, has also drawn up a proposal that, if filed and approved by state lawmakers, would <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-police-state-control" target="_self">put APD under state control</a>—while remaining fully funded by the city of Austin. Abbott signaled his support for the draft <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-police-state-control" target="_self">on Twitter</a>, writing that it had arrived "just in time for Christmas." </p><p>The main impact of the APD budget cuts was the cancellation of three planned cadet classes. APD's training academy has come under fire in recent years following allegations of racism, hazing and a paramilitary culture. Multiple reports commissioned by the City Council have recommended that it be put on hold until these issues can be resolved. </p><p>The most recent one—a <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/res66report" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">community review of APD's training videos</a> that was published on Monday—found "dangerous racial and class sterotypes;" limited representation of women, trans and non-binary people; a warrior mentality that pitts police officers against the community members they serve; and "constant refinforcement … that every encounter is potentially life-threatening," which could encourage excessive use of force. </p><p>Abbott said he "fully support(s) training reform" but is staunchly opposed to cuts.</p><p>Austin City Council Member Greg Casar, who spearheaded the recent push to cut APD's budget, said the governor was standing in the way of accountability.</p><p>"In the wake of unjustifiable shootings and violence by police, our community has pushed the city to make much needed change," he said in a statement. "Now, Gov. Abbott is supporting proposals to protect departments that do the wrong." </p><p>In addition to police funding, Abbott also announced a forthcoming statewide plan to address homelessness, which he said would include a ban on public camping. </p><p>Austin City Council voted in 2019 to overturn a camping ban, which prompted intense pushback from concerned residents, business owners and state officials, including the governor. Two council members faced conservative challengers in runoff elections last month who ran on reinstating the camping ban. Incumbent Jimmy Flannigan lost his race to Republican Mackenzie Kelly; Alison Alter narrowly defeated her opponent Jennifer Virden. </p><p>Earlier this week, Save Austin Now, a local campaign led by Travis County GOP Chairman Matt Mackowiak, submitted thousands of signatures in support of a petition that, if validated, will allow Austin voters to decide whether to reinstate the campaign ban. It is the group's second attempt to do so after an earlier batch of signatures was ruled invalid before the November election. </p><p>Abbott called Austin "the front door for the state of Texas" and said such a ban is important for the city's appeal to visitors. "When they come into this community, they need to know that they're going to be safe."</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Photo essay: Austin's homeless camps amid COVID, cleanups ... ›
- Gov. Abbott dispatches National Guard to Austin amid election ... ›
- Austin murder total hits 10-year high in 2020 - austonia ›
- Austin's homeless camps face antagonists, COVID and cleanups ... ›
- Governor-backed plan could put Austin police under state control ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep Reading
Show less
