Baker Will Send 500 National Guard To D.C. For Inauguration

Massachusetts will deploy up to 500 National Guard personnel to Washington, D.C., to protect the capital city during the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Thursday.

The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security said in a statement the deployment will begin in the next few days. The governor also activated another 500 guardsmen to protect Massachusetts "out of an abundance of caution" and to support local law enforcement over the next week, though "the Administration is not aware of any specific threats to Massachusetts at this time," the statement added.

The announcement that Massachusetts troops will be deployed this week came during a wide ranging press conference in which the governor also addressed the climate change bill that recently passed the legislature, discussed a new grant program to help small business weather the economic downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and answered questions about his role in the future of the Republican party.

Baker was asked if he intends to take on a larger national role to advocate for more moderation within the GOP as his party rebuilds after President Donald Trump leaves office next week.

"If I can be helpful in a larger conversation about what I think of is the right way to play this so-called game, I'm happy to do that. But I don't want anybody to walk away thinking that I would ever use this position to leverage something else," Baker said, reiterating that he intends to serve out his full term ending in 2023.

More immediately, Baker is contending with a climate change bill to drastically reduce the state's carbon emissions to "net zero" by 2050, meaning the state would switch to enough clean energy sources to cancel out green house gas emissions over the next three decades. The bill sets pathways for several industrial sectors, from housing and transportation to manufacturing and retail, to cut energy use, introduce clean fuels and electrify systems that currently burn natural gas and other carbon-emitting gases.

Baker said Thursday he's concerned higher environmental standards in the state building code, as proposed in the bill, would raise the cost of building construction and hobble his effort to combat the housing crisis. Baker said aspects of the bill lawmakers passed at the end of their two-year session "literally may just stop in its tracks any housing development in the Commonwealth."

"While we support many elements of that bill and have worked collaboratively with the folks in the Legislature on numerous climate initiatives, which is part of the reason why we're a national leader on this stuff, we've got to build more housing that's less expensive, not less housing that's more expensive," Baker said.

The legislation will expire if Baker doesn't take action on it. Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano have vowed to refile the bill, send it back to Baker's desk and override his veto if necessary.

"I think there is a desire and a necessity to continue to move forward the bill that we passed at the end of the session last, last session, last week, " House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz told GBH News.

Baker was visiting Ristorante Saraceno, a restaurant in Michlewitz's North End district, to announce another round of grants for small businesses suffering during the pandemic. The grant program will offer $78.5 million in direct support to retailers, indoor entertainment venues, eateries and other businesses that have lost revenue over the past year.

Baker said the grants can be used to pay rent, utility bills, mortgages, staff payroll and to replace supplies businesses can no longer use.

"We know how important it is to get small businesses up and running and to help them work their way through this last turn of the pandemic and to make sure that by the time we get to the spring, they're still with us," Baker said.

The grant program will offer $78.5 million in direct support to retailers, indoor entertainment venues, eateries and other businesses hit hard by the pandemic. Baker said the grants can be used to pay rent, utility bills, mortgages, staff payroll and to replace supplies businesses can no longer use.

To date, the grant program has given out $195 million to over 4,100 small businesses. The grants are part of the $668 million COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program administered by the quasi-public financing agency Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation.

"We will be sending guard personnel to Washington, D.C. as part of the force that they're putting together for the inaugural activities," Baker said Thursday.

A spokesman for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security wrote in a statement the deployment will begin in the next few days. The statement said Gov. Baker approved the request by the federal government and National Guard Bureau to back up the D.C. National Guard.

"This has been a lot of back and forth over the past 48 hours between between the guard here, the guard in D.C. and in some of our colleagues in local and state law enforcement here," Baker said before the deployment was formally announced.

Baker also activated another 500 guardsmen to protect Massachusetts "out of an abundance of caution" and to support local law enforcement over the next week, according to the spokesman.

"The Administration is not aware of any specific threats to Massachusetts at this time and continues to work with partner agencies to maintain the multi-layered security plans in place to protect residents and centers of government," the statement said.

On Beacon Hill, House and Senate lawmakers will have to refile a bill to drastically reduce the state's carbon emissions unless Baker has a change of heart over the legislation that will expire without his signature at the end of the day Thursday.

Baker said Thursday he's concerned higher environmental standards in the state building code, as proposed in the bill, would raise the cost of building construction and hobble his effort to combat the housing crisis. Baker said aspects of the bill lawmakers passed at the end of their two-year session "literally may just stop in its tracks any housing development in the Commonwealth."

"While we support many elements of that bill and have worked collaboratively with the folks in the Legislature on numerous climate initiatives, which is part of the reason why we're a national leader on this stuff, we've got to build more housing that's less expensive, not less housing that's more expensive," Baker said.

The legislation, which would set numerous emissions standards to set the state on a path to reaching "net zero emissions" by 2050, will expire if Baker doesn't take action on it. Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano have vowed to refile the bill, send it back to Baker's desk and override his veto if necessary.

"I think there is a desire and a necessity to continue to move forward the bill that we passed at the end of the session last, last session, last week, " House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz told GBH News.

Baker made the comments while visiting Ristorante Saraceno, a restaurant in Michlewitz's North End district, to announce another round of grants for small businesses suffering during the pandemic's economic shutdown.

"We know how important it is to get small businesses up and running and to help them work their way through this last turn of the pandemic and to make sure that by the time we get to the spring, they're still with us," Baker said.

The grant program will offer $78.5 million in direct support to retailers, indoor entertainment venues, eateries and other businesses hit hard by the pandemic. Baker said the grants can be used to pay rent, utility bills, mortgages, staff payroll and to replace supplies businesses can no longer use.

Baker was asked if he intends to be a national leader and to advocate for his brand of moderate REpublican politics as his party rebuilds after Donald Trump's presidency.

"If I can be helpful in a larger conversation about what I think of is the right way to to play this so-called game, I'm happy to do that. But I don't want anybody to walk away thinking that I would ever use this position to leverage something else," Baker said, reiterating that he intends to serve out his full term ending in 2023.