Press Releases

“January 6th was one of the worst days in our nation’s history,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester.  “This was more than just an attack on our Capitol – it was an assault on our democracy.  I said in the days following that 6th that the only way our nation could move forward - the only way we could heal and reconcile - was through truth and accountability. This bipartisan commission will allow our nation to do just that. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to act quickly to establish this commission and help our nation move forward.”

On January 6th, the United States Capitol was attacked by hundreds of insurrectionists as the Congress voted to validate the results of the presidential election.  The storming of the Capitol threatened the lives of Members of Congress, staff, workers and Police – resulting in five deaths, more than 140 injuries to law enforcement officers and lasting terror and trauma.  In the wake of the worst attack on our Capitol since the British set the building fire in 1814, many unanswered questions remain.

That is why the leadership of the House Homeland Security Committee worked hard to reach a bipartisan agreement on an independent and impartial commission to investigate the attack and recommend improvements to Capitol security.  This Commission closely mirrors the 9/11 Commission and has the endorsement of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission Chairs, Governor Tom Kean and Congressman Lee Hamilton.

“We very strongly urge House Members to support H.R. 3233, the bipartisan National Commission to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol Complex,” said Governor Kean and Congressman Hamilton.  “The January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol was one of the darkest days in the history of our country.  Americans deserve an objective and an accurate account of what happened.  As we did in the wake of September 11, it's time to set aside partisan politics and come together as Americans in common pursuit of truth and justice.”

The Commission will have ten members: five members, including the Chair, appointed by the Speaker of the House and Majority Leader of the Senate; and five, including the Vice Chair, appointed by the Minority Leaders of the House and Senate.  Commissioners must be experts in law enforcement, civil rights and liberties, law, intelligence or cybersecurity and will be tasked with investigating the facts of the January 6th attack, including the insurrectionists’ operations and motivations as well as the response by local law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

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