Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Democrat has special Jan. 6 focus
Navy veteran points to role of ex-military
NORFOLK, Va. — When members of Congress head home to connect with their constituents, some hit tractor pulls. Others might stop by mom-and-pop stores.
For Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria, whose Virginia district includes the world’s largest naval base, a recent swing included boarding an amphibious assault ship for a NATO ceremony and a speech by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“The congresswoman right here in front of me asks tough questions all the time, pins my ears against the wall on many, many topics,” Gen. Mark Milley told a recent audience of dignitaries aboard the USS Kearsarge, a reference to Luria’s grilling him on military readiness during committee meetings.
Luria’s next round of queries will concern a topic that is potentially more sensitive for the military: why veterans were disproportionately involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
A 20-year naval veteran and nuclear-trained surface warfare officer who commanded 400 crew members in the Persian Gulf, Luria is joining House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s special committee to investigate the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“I bring some additional perspective,” Luria, 45, said in an interview from Naval Station Norfolk, where the Kearsarge and about 75 other ships are docked. She may end up being the lone member with military experience on the panel after most Republicans said they would boycott after Pelosi’s objecting to the appointment of two GOP lawmakers, including a Navy veteran.
Luria noted the high number of online misinformation campaigns that targeted veterans and said many participants have spoken about how politically and socially marginalized they felt.
“As long as we have a very large group of people in this country who feel like the only way for their voice to be heard is to show up and be violent, then there’s a risk of this happening again,” Luria said.