Police Officer Dies From Injuries in Riot: Congress Update

(Bloomberg) -- A U.S. Capitol police officer has died from injuries sustained during the riot at the Capitol. A former White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump, John Kelly, backed removing his ex-boss through invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. The ranks of Democratic lawmakers calling for using that tool, or impeachment, swelled.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in calling for Trump’s ouster in the wake of what many lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said was his incitement of the mob that stormed the Capitol. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he doesn’t at this point support invoking the 25th Amendment, while leaving open that option “if something else happens.”

Capitol Police Officer Dies (12:10 a.m.)

A U.S. Capitol Police officer has died of injuries he sustained when Trump supporters broke into the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon.

The officer, Brian Sicknick, who joined the force in 2008, was hurt “while physically engaging with protesters,” according to a department statement. “He returned to his division office and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”

The department added in the statement that the death would be investigated by the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department. Sicknick was the fifth person who died in connection to the storming of the Capitol. Earlier in the day, the chief of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, resigned. His last day will be on Jan. 16, according to a department official. -- Billy House

Senate Sergeant at Arms Resigns (8:43 p.m.)

Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper Michael Stenger has resigned in response to the invasion of the Capitol by rioters on Wednesday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday.

McConnell said he had demanded Stegner’s resignation, which will take effect immediately, and that Deputy Sergeant at Arms Jennifer Hemingway would serve as acting sergeant at arms.

“I thank Jennifer in advance for her service as we begin to examine the serious failures that transpired yesterday and continue and strengthen our preparations for a safe and successful inauguration on Jan. 20th,” McConnell said in a statement.

McConnell acted after Schumer said he would fire Stenger when Democrats take control of the chamber later this month.

Earlier, the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, Steven Sund, stepped down after calls from Pelosi and other congressional leaders. His last day will be Jan. 16, according to a department official. -- Max Berley

Jeffries Joins Democratic Congressional Leaders Backing Impeachment (5:15 p.m.)

Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, a member of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership team, joined the number of lawmakers supporting impeachment of President Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump should be impeached, convicted and removed from office immediately,” Jeffries said in a tweet. -- Billy House

Former Trump White House Chief Backs His Ouster (4:22 p.m.)

Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said that if he were still in Trump’s cabinet, he would back the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove him.

“The behavior yesterday and in the weeks and months before that has been outrageous from the president,” Kelly said on CNN. “What happened on Capitol Hill yesterday was a direct result of him poisoning the minds of people with the lies and the fraud.”

He said that “the cabinet should meet and have a discussion” about the 25th Amendment. Asked if he’d vote to remove Trump if he were still in the cabinet, Kelly said, “Yes, I would.” -- Jordan Fabian

Graham Says Trump’s Actions Were ‘The Problem’ (2:42 p.m.)

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the outgoing chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a Trump ally, criticized the president for stoking Wednesday’s mob that stormed the Capitol. But he said that talk of using 25th Amendment “isn’t appropriate.”

“The president needs to understand his actions were the problem, not the solution,” Graham said at a press briefing Thursday.

He also said, “I don’t support an effort to invoke the 25th Amendment now. If something else happens, then all options would be on the table.”

Graham urged members of the cabinet to stay in their posts until Joe Biden takes over as president week after next. He said people including White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had been helping keep the administration working.

“To those who believe you should leave your posts now to make a statement, I would urge you not,” Graham said.

Graham called for a joint task force to investigate the response by authorities to the violence on Wednesday, which he characterized as domestic terrorism. -- Laura Litvan

Pelosi Calls for Trump’s Ouster as President (2:11 p.m.)

Pelosi said at a press briefing Thursday, “the president of the United States incited an armed insurrection against America” with his appeal to supporters Wednesday who went on to storm the Capitol. She joined Schumer in urging Pence to use the 25th Amendment to remove Trump.

“If the vice president and the cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment,” she said.

Pelosi said Trump is “a very dangerous person who should not continue in office. This is urgent, an emergency of the highest magnitude.” -- Billy House

Schumer Moves to Oust Senate’s Sergeant-at-Arms (1:26 p.m.)

Schumer said Thursday that he will fire the Senate’s security official, Mike Stenger, after Democrats assume control of the Senate over how Capitol police handled the Jan. 6 riots

If “Stenger hasn’t vacated the position by then, I will fire him as soon as Democrats have a majority in the Senate,” Schumer said in a statement.

Pro-Trump rioters were able to enter the U.S. Capitol, making their way into the Senate chamber and damaging property. One rioter even took his seat in the presiding officer’s chair.

The House Appropriations Committee separately announced an investigation into the Capitol Police’s handling of the turmoil. -- Erik Wasson

Schumer Calls for Trump to Be Removed by Cabinet (11:34 a.m.)

Schumer called for President Donald Trump to be immediately removed from office, saying he incited an insurrection against the government by encouraging the mob that stormed the Capitol on Wednesday.

Schumer, who’s set to become majority leader, said in a statement that Vice President Mike Pence should invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment, using support of the cabinet to take over in the Oval Office until Joe Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. -- Laura Litvan, Steven Dennis

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