“Six months ago, our nation’s Capitol was attacked by a violent insurrectionist mob whose objective was to overturn the votes of more than 158 million Americans. Thankfully, they did not succeed. But their actions led to the deaths of three police officers and injuries to dozens more, and hundreds of Members, staff, employees, and press were trapped for hours in fear for their lives and safety. The attack shook the foundations of our democracy and left many wondering what can and must be done to renew faith in our institutions and strengthen them against future threats.

“Americans deserve answers to the many questions that remain about how the insurrectionists were able to breach the Capitol complex, what role the former president and his associates played in instigating it, and what steps are being taken to secure our democratic institutions. That’s why I brought legislation to the Floor to create a bipartisan commission modeled after that which investigated the 9/11 attacks twenty years ago. While Democrats passed that bill in the House, Republicans in both the House and Senate voted to block it. That’s why the House voted last week to establish a bipartisan Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on the Capitol. Its mission will be to get the answers Americans are seeking and issue recommendations to ensure nothing like this ever happens again.

“I join in mourning the officers whose lives were lost as a result of that terrible day six months ago, and my thoughts are with their families. My thoughts are also with the Capitol Police, Hill staff and employees, and the Capitol Hill press corps, all of whom continue to stand in defense of our democracy. I continue to hope that our nation will be united behind finding the truth and restoring our democracy.”