WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."

MY NEXT GUEST HAS SPENT 12 YEARS WORKING FOR CALIFORNIANS IN THE

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

PLEASE WELCOME CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER!

IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AS WELL.

WELL.

>> Stephen: I KNOW THERE IS SO MUCH TO BE DONE IN WASHINGTON,

D.C. RIGHT NOW.

YOU GUYS MUST HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL.

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT, ONE WEEK AGO TODAY

WAS THE INAUGURATION OF OUR NEW PRESIDENT.

WHILE THERE WAS NO CROWD, WAS IT A JOYFUL OCCASION?

DID YOU-- DID YOU FEEL THE IMPORT AND THE CHANGE OF THE

TIDE?

>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS A WONDERFUL OCCASION, BECAUSE THERE WAS A

CALMNESS THAT HAD KIND OF TAKEN OVER THE ENTIRE GATHERING, AND

THERE WAS-- THERE WAS SOME GIDDINESS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF HAPPINESS, YES, AND THERE WAS JOY.

>> Stephen: WELL, IT'S SOBERING TO THINK THAT THAT

INAUGURATION TOOK PLACE IN ONE OF THE SPOTS ON CAPITOL HILL

WHERE THERE WAS SUCH VIOLENCE AND SUCH CHAOS AND AN ATTEMPT TO

OVERTURN A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION.

YOU WERE THERE AT THE CAPITOL THAT DAY.

WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY SOMEONE WHO

PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW, IN 1978, YOU WERE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO

WAS ATTACKED DOWN IN JONES TOWN BY CULT MEMBERS, AND YOUR BOSS,

THEN-REPRESENTATIVE LEO RYAN, WAS KILLED.

WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU KNEW THAT PEOPLE BENT ON

VIOLENCE WERE STORMING THE CAPITOL?

>> I WAS SITTING IN THE HOUSE GALLERY, AND I SAW THE SPEAKER

BEING ESCORTED OUT OF THE CHAMBER, AND SHE LOOKED A LITTLE

DELIBERATE IN HER MOVEMENTS.

BUT THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR HER.

AND THEN, THE WHIP AND MAJORITY LEADER WERE ESCORTED OUT.

AND THEN I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP.

AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER STOOD AT

THE DAIS, AND SAID, "THE CAPITOL HAS BEEN BREACHED."

AND WE THOUGHT OH, MY GOD.

HE SAID, "STAY IN YOUR SEATS.

WE'RE LOCKING ALL THE DOORS OF THE GALLERY."

HE SAYS, "THERE IS A POUCH UNDER YOUR CHAIRS.

PULL IT OUT."

NOW, I'VE SAT IN THE CAPITOL GALLERY MANY TIMES, AND DIDN'T

KNOW THAT THERE WERE POUCHES UNDERNEATH THE SEATS.

SO I PULLED OUT THE POUCH, UNZIPPED IT.

THERE WAS AN ALUMINUM PACKET, AND I TORE THAT OPEN, AND PULLED

OUT A GAS MASK.

AND THEN HE SAID, "DON'T PUT IT ON YET."

AND THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE WERE ASKED TO MOVE ACROSS THE

GALLERY TO THE OTHER SIDE, CROUCHING UNDERNEATH THE BRASS

RAILINGS.

AND WE GOT TO THE OTHER SIDE, AND THEN WE HEARD THE POUNDING

ON THE CHAMBER DOORS, AND THE CAPITOL POLICE BROUGHT A HUGE

PIECE OF FURNITURE OVER TO THE DOORS TO KEEP IT IN PLACE, AND

THEN THEY DREW THEIR GUNS AT THE NOW-BROKEN GLASS ON THE DOORS.

AND THEN WE WERE TOLD TO GET DOWN.

SO I GOT DOWN ON THE MARBLE FLOOR, AND THEN I HEARD A SHOT.

AND I PUT MY HEAD DOWN, AND I REMEMBER FEELING THE COLD MARBLE

ON MY CHEEK.

AND THERE WAS THIS SENSE OF RESIGNATION.

HERE I WAS 42 YEARS LATER IN MY OWN COUNTRY, IN THE SACRED

TEMPLE OF DEMOCRACY, AND I WAS FEARFUL THAT WE WERE GOING TO

LOSE OUR LIVES.

>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER.