- The Washington Times - Monday, January 11, 2021

A top Democrat said Monday that Republicans could end up on the no-fly list for actions surrounding last week’s assault on the Capitol by supporters of President Trump.

House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie G. Thompson specifically listed Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, who helped lead an objection to counting some Electoral College votes — just as Mr. Trump was riling up supporters over the same matter. Those supporters would later attack Congress.

Asked by SiriusXM host Joe Madison whether the no-fly sanction should be applied if they are found liable, Mr. Thompson said “there’s no question about it.”

“There’s no exemption for being put on the no-fly list,” Mr. Thompson said. “Even a member of Congress that commits a crime, you know, they’re expelled from the body. There are ethics charges that can be brought against those individuals. And people are looking at all of this.”

Mr. Thompson also mentioned “the new member from Colorado” — Rep. Lauren Boebert — who posted on Twitter when the chamber was locked down, and when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had been pulled from the chamber amid the chaos.

Those tweets have been cited as evidence she was giving protesters a road map to Mrs. Pelosi’s whereabouts. Mr. Thompson said she “basically tweeted directions.”

Calls for the senators and the congresswoman to resign have raged in the days since the Wednesday attack, though they have shown no signs of planning to do so.

A petition calling for Mr. Cruz and Mr. Hawley, both lawyers, to be disbarred is also circulating among law school students and lawyers.

Mr. Cruz has called for the rioters to face lengthy jail time and has said Mr. Trump bears some responsibility for the attack. Ms. Boebert has condemned the attack on the Capitol and accused Democrats of sowing disunity by trying to oust Mr. Trump early.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.

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