As the second anniversary of the deadly January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol approaches and the congressional panel investigating it is dissolved, the Chief of the US Capitol Police has stated that the department is prepared for any potential future attacks on Congress.
USCP Police Chief Tom Manger has released a statement saying that “the current threat climate, particularly against elected officials, will require continued and heightened vigilance.”
The chief also warned that “with the polarized state of our nation, an attack like the one our Department endured on January 6, 2021 could be attempted again. Should the unthinkable happen, we will be ready.”
Two years ago this week, five people died and over 140 police officers were injured when a group of supporters of then-President Donald Trump violently stormed the US Capitol as lawmakers, including Vice President Mike Pence, were set to confirm the victory of Democrat Joe Biden in the election.
Last month, a bipartisan panel of the US House of Representatives investigating the attack on the Capitol determined that former President Donald Trump should be charged with crimes for his involvement in inciting the deadly siege.
As the Republican party assumes control of the House majority on Tuesday, the bipartisan panel investigating the attack on the US Capitol will conclude its 18-month probe. The new House majority has pledged to disband the panel and shift its focus to scrutinizing the Biden administration and the president’s son, Hunter Biden.
On Monday, the Jan. 6 panel released its final collection of documents. Citing security concerns as the transfer of power in Congress takes place, the panel has forwarded some of the records to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security for review, with the intention of eventually transferring them to the National Archives.
Representatives Bennie Thompson, a Democrat, and Liz Cheney, a Republican, who serve as the panel’s vice chairs, wrote: “As of next week when the Committee dissolves, the Committee will no longer exercise control over this material, and thus cannot ensure enforcement of the commitment to maintain the confidentiality of the identity of the witnesses.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the next Democratic leader of the U.S. House, said in a Monday interview with MSNBC that the U.S. Department of Justice now has a responsibility to “follow the facts, apply the law, (and) be guided by the Constitution.”
As of last month, approximately 900 individuals had been charged in connection with the riot, with approximately 470 of them having entered guilty pleas, according to a report released by the Department of Justice, which is conducting its own investigation into the attack on the US Capitol.
Image Credit: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
