COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — To Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH 13th District), security at Wednesday’s presidential inauguration reminded him of a very dangerous time and place.
“It reminds me of, unfortunately, of going to Baghdad in the middle of the Iraq War, the Green Zone,” Ryan said of his travels while serving on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
The security at the 2021 inauguration was unprecedented for the traditional peaceful transfer of power — with double layers of fencing and armed troops on every corner — and Ryan is one of several members of Congress who say they hope to never see it like that again.
Ryan heads the committee that oversees the Capitol Police Force, which came under scrutiny after the insurrection of Jan. 6. As of Wednesday, Ryan said the Capitol Police were under the control and command of the Secret Service.
Ryan said that every day his committee learns about a new layer of betrayal that allowed the rioters to overrun security: off-duty police, trained military members, and an Olympian were all known to have breached the Capitol, possibly with insiders’ assistance.
“The whole thing is just sad,” Ryan said. “It’s a sad commentary on where our country is. It’s a sad commentary that so many Americans feel left out, disenfranchised.”
Ryan said that President Joe Biden takes office at a time of high anxiety — an ongoing pandemic, and a year of social unrest, topped by the violent assault on the Capitol
“You know, there is no excuse for the violence the racism, but there’s large swaths of this country that just feel unseen, forgotten,” he said. “And you know it’s just sad that it’s come to this point, but I hope it’s also an opportunity for us to change direction.”
Ryan said that changing direction will take more than a new leader in the White House, or the commitment of members of Congress.
“It’s not the president’s job, it’s not the senator’s job, the governor’s job… it’s the job of every citizen,” he said. “You know, we talk to citizens like, you are a taxpayer, you’re a voter, you’re a consumer. We’re not. We’re citizens of a country that we’re trying to hold together.”