WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, today released the below statement following the committee’s publishing of a report outlining the intelligence and security failures surrounding the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“After multiple hearings, discussions with more than 50 on-duty Capitol Police officers, coordination with all relevant government agencies, and a review of thousands of documents, Congress proved that it is taking its oversight role seriously in investigating the buildup and fallout from January 6 in a bipartisan way. As the report outlines, there was a lack of interagency cooperation, failure to clearly disseminate intelligence reports showing a high risk of violence, and an underprepared Capitol Police Board that put Capitol Police officers in danger. The action items recommended in this comprehensive report are important steps toward security and safety, and as such we have begun instituting these changes right now to prevent such an attack from occurring ever again.”
BACKGROUND ON REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS:
This report lists 20 recommendations from the Rules Committee, in addition to summarizing recommendations from agency inspectors general, which can be acted on immediately. These recommendations include empowering the United States Capitol Police (USCP) Chief to request emergency assistance, implementing clear and workable USCP Board procedures, ensuring all USCP officers are trained and equipped properly, and increasing intelligence consolidation and sharing between all relevant agencies in the National Capital Region.
The full report can be accessed here.
# # #