Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Assemblyman JOE DANIELSEN
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Benson, Armato, Mejia, Assemblywoman Jimenez, Assemblymen Mazzeo, Space, Wirths, Assemblywomen Murphy, Swain, Quijano and Assemblyman Tully
SYNOPSIS
Recognizes service of New Jersey Army and Air National Guard members who were mobilized to Washington D.C. after attack on United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution recognizing the New Jersey National Guard’s service in response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Whereas, On January 6, 2021 during a joint session of the 117th United States Congress that convened to commence the Electoral College count process, a “First Amendment demonstration” turned into an attack on the United States Capitol and Capitol complex by violent rioters protesting the results of the 2020 election; and
Whereas, The riot interrupted the joint session and led to the adjournment of the Senate, the recess of the House of Representatives, the evacuation of all members of Congress and personnel, and the lockdown of the Capitol for several hours; and
Whereas, Officials immediately called up 1,100 members of the District of Columbia National Guard and at the same time reassigned the 340 District of Columbia National Guardsmen who were already there and tasked with traffic control, metro crowd control and logistics support for the “First Amendment demonstration.” The new mission of the District of Columbia National Guardsmen was to reinforce and support the D.C. Metro Police and Capitol Hill Police; and
Whereas, The National Guardsmen and District of Columbia Metro Police officers’ crowd control efforts enabled the Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to secure Senators, members of the House of Representatives, their staff, and all other personnel and clear the building, including both chambers and the members’ offices in the U.S. Capitol; and
Whereas, During the riot, the rioters vandalized, looted, and destroyed Capitol property resulting in the injury of dozens of Capitol and District of Columbia Metro police officers and the death of five people, including four rioters and one United States Capitol Police Officer and former New Jersey National Guard Citizen-Airman Staff Sergeant Brian D.Sicknick; and
Whereas, By 7:15 pm, five hours after the riot commenced, both the Senate and House of Representative Chambers were secure and members returned and resumed the joint session; and
Whereas, That night, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller authorized up to 6,200 National Guard members from Maryland, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania to join the District of Columbia National Guard to help secure the events of the 56th inauguration and the peaceful transfer of power to Joseph R. Biden, 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021; and
Whereas, The next day, on January 7, 2021 upon the request of the United States National Guard Bureau, Governor Murphy authorized the deployment of the New Jersey National Guard to Washington, D.C. to reinforce the District of Columbia National Guard and local law enforcement, provide security, protect national monuments, and secure the peaceful transition of power; and
Whereas, On Sunday, January 10, 2021 soldiers from the 1-114th Infantry Regiment, B Troop from the 102nd Calvary Regiment, and the 508th Military Company, as well as Airmen from the 108th Wing and 177th Fighter Wing arrived in support of the Capitol security mission; and
Whereas, The New Jersey National Guard sent a total of 550 National Guardsmen to Washington D.C., 500 before the inauguration and an additional 50 to support the inauguration; and
Whereas, In less than two weeks, a total of 25,000 National Guard members from every state and territory were mobilized to Washington, D.C. for the January 20, 2021 presidential inauguration; and
Whereas, Since the inauguration on January 20, 2021, 370 of the original 550 New Jersey National Guardsmen who were sent to Washington D.C. for the inauguration have returned; and
Whereas, There are 180 National Guardsmen that will remain in Washington D.C. through the middle of March and who will be reinforced by an additional 170 troops for a total presence of 350 troops for continuing the mission of securing the monuments in Washington, D.C.; and
Whereas, Approximately 7,000 National Guard members from most states, including the 350 from New Jersey, will remain in Washington D.C. through the middle of March to provide security; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House recognizes, honors, and thanks the members of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard for their dedication, service, and sacrifice to our State and our nation by responding immediately to the call to duty in the aftermath of the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021; for securing the United States Capitol in the days after the riots and during the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States; for dutifully safeguarding our nation’s monuments; and for keeping the people of this State and of the United States safe.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Governor and to Colonel Lisa J. Hou, D.O., Interim Adjutant General and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
STATEMENT
This resolution recognizes, honors, and thanks the members of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard for their dedication, service, and sacrifice to our State and our nation by responding immediately to the call to duty in the aftermath of the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021; for securing the United States Capitol in the days after the riots and during the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States; for dutifully safeguarding our nation’s monuments; and for keeping the people of this State and of the United States safe.