Fact check: Does the Speaker of the house have any authority over the National Guard in Washington DC?

1. Summary of the results

The evidence conclusively shows that the Speaker of the House has no authority over the National Guard in Washington DC. Multiple sources confirm that only three specific officials have the power to activate the DC National Guard:

• The President of the United States
• The Secretary of Defense
• The Secretary of the Army ^{[1] [2] [3]}

This authority structure was established by a 1949 executive order signed by President Harry Truman, which delegated command of the D.C. National Guard to the Secretary of Defense ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual points need to be considered:

• The Capitol Police Board, not the Speaker, makes decisions about National Guard deployment at the Capitol. This board consists of:
• The House Sergeant at Arms
• Senate Sergeant at Arms
• Architect of the Capitol ^[5]

• While the Speaker cannot deploy the Guard, they can approve requests to contact the Pentagon for assistance, as demonstrated during the January 6 events ^[1]
• The D.C. National Guard is unique in that it reports directly to the President, unlike other state National Guard units which report to their respective governors ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself may stem from widespread misinformation regarding Nancy Pelosi's role during the January 6 events. Multiple sources specifically address this confusion:

• Claims that Pelosi prevented or controlled the National Guard's response on January 6th are false ^[3]
• No congressional official has unilateral authority to decline National Guard service ^[2]
• The acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, not congressional leadership, was responsible for the unit's activation during the January 6 events ^[4]

This misinformation appears to have been spread to shift responsibility for security failures during the January 6 events, potentially benefiting those seeking to deflect blame from other decision-makers who actually held authority over the National Guard's deployment.