Defense & National Security — Jan. 6 committee drama stretches into new year

by Ellen Mitchell - 01/03/23 7:34 PM ET

In the days before its work officially came to a close, the Jan. 6 committee released thousands of pages of witness interviews and evidence. But a portion of the House rules package proposed by Republicans singles out the panel’s work, seeking to block the records from being managed by the National Archives.

We’ll share the details of that and what it means, plus what happened to the Army general who went viral after clashing with Fox News hosts. Also: Ukraine’s most recent warnings on Russian attacks.

This is Defense & National Security, your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, I’m Ellen Mitchell. Subscribe here.

GOP seeks to prevent Archives handling of J6 trove

The Jan. 6 committee is running into resistance after a portion of the House rules package proposed by Republicans singles out the panel’s work, seeking to block its records from being managed by the National Archives.

The GOP rules package would require the Archives to turn over any of the committee’s work to the House Administration Committee by Jan. 17, sidestepping a requirement that would prohibit their release for at least 30 years.

An unusual address: It is unusual for House rules to address one committee — a sign Republicans may wish to do more to rebut the work of the Jan. 6 panel after the GOP released its own report on security failures at the Capitol the day of the riot.

The rules package will be weighed after a contentious vote to determine whether Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will serve as House Speaker.
McCarthy as recently as November flagged GOP interest in the documents.

Dodging rules: “The official Congressional Records do not belong to you or any member, but to the American people, and they are owed all of the information you gathered — not merely the information that comports with your political agenda,” McCarthy wrote in a letter to Jan. 6 panel chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).

Existing House rules already name the House Administration Committee as the custodian of records, but preventing their handling by the Archives also dodges rules that allow for withholding documents for up to 50 years if they deal with a sensitive investigation. That portion of the GOP rules proposal was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

An earlier pledge: The Jan. 6 committee has pledged to make public the bulk of its work from its 18-month long investigation into the riot, but Thompson told reporters that some records would be withheld based on arrangements with those who requested their identity remain protected.

Other information set to be transferred to the Archives includes video of the taped depositions, much of which was not released publicly during the panel’s hearings, as well as thousands of text messages from various figures obtained by subpoena.

Read the rest here.

Also from The Hill:

Ex-Capitol Police chief warns agency still ‘not in a better place’ two years after Jan. 6 failures: book

GENERAL WHO FACED OFF WITH FOX NEWS HOSTS RETIRES FROM ARMY

An Army general who went viral after clashing with Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham in 2021 retired from the military branch on Sunday.

Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe announced his retirement on Twitter shortly after the new year rang in, writing “Elvis has left the building.”

Some background: Donahoe had been set to retire in July, but the Army halted his plans after it launched an investigation into his social media activity following his public spats with the Fox News hosts over female soldiers in the military and COVID-19 vaccines.

Instead, he was reassigned as a special assistant to the commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, pending the Army’s review of his social media posts.

Clapback: In March 2021, Donahoe was among a group of senior military leaders who criticized Carlson after the prime-time host complained about the U.S. military attracting more female soldiers into the service.

Carlson said the Pentagon was becoming too “feminine” and making a “mockery of the U.S. military” as China was becoming more “masculine.”

Donahoe, at the time a commander with the Army’s Maneuver of Excellence at Fort Benning, Ga., posted a video on Twitter of him conducting a female soldier enlistment ceremony as “a reminder that @TuckerCarlson couldnt be more wrong.”

No punishments: Donahoe told Military.com in a story published Tuesday there was no disciplinary action taken against him after the Army’s review concluded.

“I retired honorably and without any reprimand or admonishment,” he said.

Read that story here

Russia planning ‘prolonged’ drone attack: Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stressed in his New Year address to Ukrainians that Russia is planning a “prolonged” attack with drones supplied by Iran.

In an open letter published Monday, Zelensky said that since the start of 2023, the number of Iranian drones shot down over Ukraine numbers more than 80.

A warned increase: “This number may increase in the near future. Because these weeks the nights can be quite restless. We have information that Russia is planning a prolonged attack with ‘Shaheds’. Its bet may be on exhaustion. On exhaustion of our people, our air defense, our energy sector,” he wrote.

Some hope: Zelensky sought to provide hope and encouragement to Ukrainians and said that Moscow needs “mobilizing emotions” to demonstrate to the Russian people that everything is going “according to the plan.”

“And our task is to give Ukraine every day successes, achievements, even small, yet victories over terrorists and terror. Each shot down drone, each shot down missile, each day with electricity for our people and minimal schedules of blackouts are exactly such victories,” he added.

Recent strikes: Russia has also deployed a series of exploding drones around Kyiv during the New Year weekend, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Read that story here

Also from The Hill:

Kremlin says 63 soldiers killed in Ukrainian missile attack: reports
Russia deploys exploding drones around Kyiv
US mulls shipping Bradley Fighting Vehicles to boost Ukraine ground combat

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will speak at a Washington Post Live virtual event on the fentanyl crisis, border security, and Title 42, at 2 p.m.

WHAT WE’RE READING

Blinken reiterates US position on two-state solution with new Israeli counterpart
Four cyber concerns looming in the new year
Man who tripped officer with bike rack on Jan. 6 pleads guilty to felony
North Korea vows ‘exponential increase’ of nuke arsenal
Officials say US forces killed almost 700 suspected ISIS members in 2022
Putin seeks boost in military cooperation with China