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OPINION

Speaker Pelosi: Take Down This Capitol Fence

us capitol fencing

National Guard troops patrol a fenced permitter around the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 19, 2021 in Washington, D.C. Tens of thousands of National Guard troops were deployed as additional security for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Newt Gingrich By Wednesday, 17 February 2021 02:05 PM EST Current | Bio | Archive

Current U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s fence around the U.S. Capitol is an eyesore, it's an insult to the American people, as well as an embarrassment for the Unites States globally. 

At least one Democrat has been brave enough to do something about it. Washington D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton has introduced a bill "No Fencing at the Capitol."

Delegate Holmes Norton says correctly that, "permanent fencing would send an un-American message to the nation and the world, by transforming our democracy from one that is accessible and of the people to one that is exclusive and fearful of its own citizens."

The Washington Post editorialized against a permanent fence saying it would "deface" the U.S. Capitol.

Just the News reported that House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes said, "I haven't seen any credible information whatsoever that we would need all the fencing and all the guardsmen that are still there. . .  They need to go home."

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., noted the hypocrisy of liberals who wanted to tear down the wall between the United States and Mexico while keeping a permanent fence around the Capitol, saying "[t]he same people who tell me that fences don't work on the border want to have this fence and turn the Capitol into a military compound."

There is no excuse for razor wire to be blocking the American people from our Capitol.

It is the People’s House.

The fencing is more than an eyesore — it's an insult.

The left is desperate to convince us that the greatest threat to America is from American conservatives. From the left’s ideological worldview, Antifa is not a problem. Looters and rioters burning down buildings in American cities are "mostly peaceful."

Islamist terrorists such as Boko Harum and al-Qaida are not serious threats.

The Iranian dictatorship is a legitimate regime that should be engaged with diplomatically. Communist China is a good business partner. Vladimir Putin’s Russia is misunderstood and should be courted — these are all part of the left’s delusions.

But American conservatives, according to the Left, are so dangerous we must keep the National Guard in our nation’s capital and surround the Capitol Building with razor wire and fencing — never mind that the group of thugs who attacked the Capitol in January in no way represent the 74 million people who voted Republican in 2020.

Delegate Holmes Norton (who is a Democrat) has shown real courage in introducing the "No Fencing at the United States Capitol Complex Act."

Other Democrats should listen to their colleague — who actually lives in D.C.

Every Republican and common-sense Democrat should immediately cosponsor the Holmes Norton bill — and a bipartisan duo or group should introduce it in the Senate.

If Speaker Pelosi refuses to bring the bill to the floor, a discharge petition should be started. Under House rules, if a majority of the members sign a discharge petition, the bill must get a vote.

This is an opportunity for a genuinely bipartisan step away from hysteria and toward sanity.

I hope every American will call your House and Senate members today and urge them to cosponsor the "No Fencing at the United States Capitol Complex Act." Also, send a note to Delegate Holmes Norton congratulating and thanking her for her leadership and courage.

The U.S. Capitol belongs to the American people — not the political aristocracy.

To read, hear, and watch more of Newt’s commentary, visit Gingrich360.com.

Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich is well-known as the architect of the "Contract With America" that helped the Republican Party reclaim a majority in the House for the first time in 40 years. Newt was also a Republican candidate for president of the United States in 2012. Today, Newt is chairman of Gingrich 360, a full-service American consulting, education, and media production group. He is the host of the "Newt's World" podcast and is a New York Times bestselling author. His latest book is "Trump and the American Future." Read New Gingrich's Reports — More Here.

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NewtGingrich
I hope every American will call your House and Senate members today and urge them to cosponsor the "No Fencing at the United States Capitol Complex Act." Also, send a note to Delegate Holmes Norton congratulating and thanking her for her leadership and courage.
delegate, holmes, norton, fencing, putin
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2021-05-17
Wednesday, 17 February 2021 02:05 PM
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