RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
At this time, the Home of Representatives will vote to question President Trump once more.
TONYA MOSLEY, HOST:
Home Democrats authorized a measure final night time urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the twenty fifth Modification to take away the president. However that vote was solely symbolic. Pence mentioned in a press release he doesn’t assume Trump’s elimination is in one of the best curiosity of the nation. This solely set Home Democrats on a decided course to question Trump. If the article is authorized, which it’s anticipated to, Trump would turn into the primary president in U.S. historical past to be impeached for a second time. However this time, some key Republicans are on board.
MARTIN: For extra, we have got NPR congressional reporter Claudia Grisales with us. Good morning, Claudia.
CLAUDIA GRISALES, BYLINE: Good morning, Rachel.
MARTIN: A historic day in the present day – what are you able to inform us? What is going on to occur?
GRISALES: The Home goes to kick all of it off at 9 a.m. We’re anticipating some fiery debates that would prolong for a number of hours in the present day. The article of impeachment is simply 4 pages. It expenses Trump with gravely endangering the nation and interfering with a peaceable switch of energy and that he stays a menace to nationwide safety. Democrats say whereas this second impeachment was triggered by this lethal revolt, it is a buildup to a part of a sample that he is established in latest months and years.
MARTIN: All proper. So that is the Democrats’ case, pointing to the riot on the Capitol and President Trump’s lies in regards to the election outcomes. This might arrange a debate with Republicans, however there’s an enormous distinction this go-round with impeachment as a result of Republicans are breaking ranks. I imply, the No. 3 Republican within the Home, Liz Cheney, put out a scathing assertion, proper?
GRISALES: Precisely. She mentioned the revolt brought about damage, demise and destruction in probably the most sacred house in a republic. The president summoned this mob and lit the flame of the assault and, quote, “All the things that adopted was his doing. None of this may have occurred with out the president.” She additionally mentioned Trump may have intervened to cease it however did not and, quote, “There has by no means been a higher betrayal by a president of the USA of his workplace and his oath to the Structure.” And several other Home Republicans are additionally on board together with her. However in the present day stays an actual check if extra will be a part of her.
MARTIN: What about Republicans within the Senate?
GRISALES: The New York Occasions reported final night time that McConnell could possibly be on board with this course of, which might mark a dramatic turning level right here. We have additionally heard from a couple of different Senate Republicans who help Trump’s resignation or elimination. And we should always be aware, there are some Democrats involved a trial may eclipse a President Joe Biden’s agenda. However some say they do not assume that would be the case. I talked to Senator Tim Kaine about this. Let’s take a hear.
TIM KAINE: So I feel in some methods, America might be hungry to return to competence and compassion and character from the chaos, division and demise that we have seen, particularly within the final yr.
GRISALES: So that is the sentiment amongst many Democrats. And we heard this from Biden himself, a hope the Senate can take up a trial and get occurring this new president’s agenda, too.
MARTIN: Proper – ‘trigger we should always simply say, a Senate trial may prolong, clearly, past President Trump’s time period. And so that is one thing that Democrats might be fascinated by methods to pursue each on the similar time.
GRISALES: It is actually revealed how divided Congress is true now one week after this horrific occasion. There have been enormous variations on methods to reply, and a few members have been nonetheless reeling. This is Consultant Norma Torres of California.
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NORMA TORRES: I answered my cellphone to my son Christopher. The decision lasted 27 seconds. All I may say, sweetheart, I am OK; I am working for my life. And I hung up.
GRISALES: So you’ll be able to actually hear the sentiment there, and Democratic members are particularly directing this anger immediately at Trump.
MARTIN: Claudia Grisales, our congressional reporter.
Claudia, thanks. We respect it.
GRISALES: Thanks for having me.
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MARTIN: All proper. One week from in the present day, Joe Biden might be sworn in because the forty sixth president of the USA. However it’s not going to look or really feel like something we now have seen earlier than.
MOSLEY: Ten-thousand Nationwide Guard troopers will assist present safety. The Nationwide Mall might be closed off with 7-foot fencing much like what’s there now wrapping the Capitol grounds. The inaugural parade might be scaled down, and there will be no inaugural balls. A few of that is due to the pandemic, however a giant a part of it’s due to the safety issues from final week’s lethal revolt on the Capitol.
MARTIN: Becoming a member of us now, NPR’s Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman. Good morning, Tom.
TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: Hey, Rachel.
MARTIN: Earlier than we get to the inauguration planning, I need to ask – you have been reporting from the Capitol when the the riot occurred. And there’s nonetheless a dispute amongst officers, together with the navy, about what really transpired and who’s responsible. What do we all know at this level?
BOWMAN: Effectively, Rachel, it begins and ends with the Capitol Police. They mentioned earlier than the Trump rally, no assist was wanted from the navy, which may have supplied Nationwide Guard troopers. Now, the Capitol Police have sole authority on the Capitol and its grounds. And so they mentioned they’d a very good plan, in line with navy individuals I spoke with. So small numbers of Guard troopers solely helped Washington, D.C., police at intersections and metro stops. However shortly after, 1:30, there was an pressing name from each D.C. and Capitol police for assist from the navy that D.C. officers say the Pentagon both refused or dragging their toes. The Pentagon says there was no refusal, however fairly they wanted extra element on what number of Guard troopers have been wanted, they usually needed to get approval from the protection secretary. So it actually was a multitude.
MARTIN: So what’s to forestall that from occurring once more? I imply, there are every kind of different threats coming in surrounding the inauguration itself and the times main as much as the inauguration right here in Washington.
BOWMAN: Effectively, to start with, the Secret Service is in cost this time, as they’re for all inaugurals. And they are much extra skilled than the Capitol Hill cops. And as one official mentioned, they’re the adults within the room. They’re going to have a command middle in downtown D.C., additionally, clearly extra planning for extra brokers, troopers, police due to what occurred on the Capitol final week. And there was a gathering on the FBI discipline workplace yesterday with all these concerned – the Pentagon, FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Safety, Park Service, D.C. and Capitol police. They’re going to work out a plan. And so they’re nonetheless attempting to find out, Rachel, for instance, what number of Guard troopers might be wanted. Ten-thousand can be found. It may go as much as 15,000.
And the Military – get this. The Military is working with the Secret Service to see which service members working on the inaugural would require extra safety background screening. That is an astonishing degree of safety concern.
MARTIN: Further screening for what, although, Tom – simply whether or not or not they will abide by the principles in defending the inauguration?
BOWMAN: Yeah, that is precisely it.
MARTIN: Wow. In order that type of ties into the very last thing I needed to speak with you about, which was the assertion that got here out from the Joint Chiefs of Employees yesterday. I imply, it was exceptional. Simply inform us what it mentioned and what you are taking away from it.
BOWMAN: It was a rare memo signed by all the eight Joint Chiefs. It referred to what occurred on the Capitol as violence, sedition and revolt. And it reminded all service members, Rachel, that any act to disrupt the constitutional course of is just not solely towards what they are saying is are traditions, values and oath, it is towards the legislation. The truth that senior leaders must remind the troops of those fundamentals says rather a lot in regards to the troubled political scenario the nation is in proper now.
MARTIN: The truth that they even needed to say Joe Biden is the subsequent president and we will be chargeable for ensuring that there is a peaceable transition of energy is historic in and of itself.
BOWMAN: Completely.
MARTIN: NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman.
Tom, thanks. We respect it as all the time.
BOWMAN: You are welcome, Rachel.
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MARTIN: All proper. Lastly in the present day, we will shift our focus over to the UK as a result of the pandemic there has taken one other flip for the more severe.
MOSLEY: COVID-19 deaths within the U.Ok. are actually approaching a lack of civilian life not seen in Britain since World Struggle II as a extremely infectious variant of the coronavirus threatens as soon as once more to overwhelm British hospitals.
MARTIN: We have NPR’s London correspondent Frank Langfitt on the road. Hello, Frank.
FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE: Hello, Rachel.
MARTIN: What are you able to inform us about how the hospitals particularly are coping with this proper now?
LANGFITT: It is actually, actually dangerous, Rachel – 35,000 sufferers within the hospitals right here, greater than 1,200 individuals dying a day. We’re speaking actually about file ranges for this pandemic. Simply take Northern Eire – 94% capability. Over the weekend, there was really hospitals placing out requests on social media for off-duty well being care staff to come back in. One official there mentioned that hospitals have been going through into the abyss. And yesterday, I used to be speaking to a doctor in London, a man named Khajun Kantha (ph). He works in an intensive care unit within the metropolis. And he talked about working out of oxygen, the type that they use after they’re transporting sufferers across the hospital and listening to of much more worrisome oxygen issues elsewhere. That is what he needed to say.
KHAJUN KANTHA: Essentially the most variety of admissions is way larger now than it was again in March final yr when it was the height. We’re now seeing a virus that’s extra transmissible, but in addition you do not have the identical lockdown spirit that we had again within the first lockdown in 2020, which implies that we’re anticipating to see an increasing number of sufferers.
MARTIN: I imply, it is simply heartbreaking that that is occurring. We’re virtually a yr into this.
LANGFITT: Yeah.
MARTIN: And now issues are this dangerous, Frank.
LANGFITT: Yeah, worse than they have been earlier than.
MARTIN: Why?
LANGFITT: There’s loads of causes. First, the variant – you realize, you bear in mind it began right here in the UK, in county Kent within the southeast. It is as much as 70% extra infectious. And now it is actually all around the nation. As Dr. Kantha was saying there only a second in the past, lots of people are following the principles, however some aren’t. Persons are burned out by lockdown. Police are nonetheless breaking apart events, card video games, issues like that.
And the opposite factor that is type of wonderful, Rachel, is that the federal government has by no means actually put collectively an efficient check, observe and hint system. You realize, in different nations, you have seen programs the place individuals are on the telephones. They’re speaking. They’re following up with individuals on a regular basis who may need examined constructive…
MARTIN: Proper.
LANGFITT: …Very hands-on. Greater than 10 months now, we nonetheless haven’t got that type of system right here. I used to be speaking to Paul Hunter. He is an epidemiologist on the College of East Anglia. And that is what he needed to say.
PAUL HUNTER: Having a textual content saying, yeah, it’s best to isolate, is not sufficient. Having someone phoning you up after which telling you you have to be self-isolating after which nothing else occurs, is not sufficient. And that is been actually on the coronary heart of why we have not been capable of management the epidemic.
MARTIN: I imply, he is suggesting that there must be extra accountability for individuals who do not comply with the principles. And that begins to convey up every kind of civil liberties issues. I imply, what is the resolution?
LANGFITT: Actually, proper now, I feel it is the vaccine. You realize, the U.Ok. was first to approve the Pfizer vaccine. We even have the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on-line. And the federal government deserves credit score for doing that rapidly. It is already delivered 2.3 million doses, hoping for as many as 14 million by mid-February. However given the observe file of the federal government, there’s skepticism. And for most individuals, the vaccine simply cannot come quick sufficient.
MARTIN: All proper. NPR’s Frank Langfitt in London speaking about how a brand new, extra transmissible variant of the coronavirus is taking a toll on individuals, their hospitals overwhelmed in the UK.
Frank, thanks. We respect it.
LANGFITT: Nice to speak, Rachel.
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