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Washington, DC -- Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) voted to pass the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act. This act would create a bipartisan commission to investigate the events of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“The violent attack on our Capitol on January 6th is a dark chapter in our nation’s history. Those of us who were there that day or watched the horrific events unfold live on television are still horrified by the attack that desecrated our Capitol,” said Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. “This bipartisan commission will follow the facts on how this happened, what went wrong, who was involved, and how we ensure sustainable security measures going forward. It will build on the ongoing oversight efforts Congress has been conducting since the attack, including the work that I have been actively engaged in as a member of the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee to provide for the robust security of our Capitol and the well-being of the officers defending it. We must move forward with urgency to address the many unanswered questions that remain and ensure it never happens again.”

The bill establishes a 10-person bipartisan commission with five commissioners, including the Chair, appointed by the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate and five commissioners, including the Vice Chair, appointed by the Minority Leaders of the House and Senate. Commissioners must have significant expertise in the areas of law enforcement, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, intelligence, and cybersecurity. Current government officers or employees are prohibited from appointment. Like the 9/11 Commission, the Commission will be granted authority to issue subpoenas to secure information to carry out its investigation but only upon agreement between the Chair and the Vice Chair or a vote by a majority of Commission members.

A final report with findings regarding the facts and causes of the attack, along with recommendations to prevent future attacks on our democratic institutions, must be issued by December 31, 2021.

The Commission will be charged with:

• Investigating and reporting upon the facts and causes of the January 6th attack on the Capitol as well as the influencing factors that may have provoked the attack on our democracy;
• Examining and evaluating evidence developed by relevant Federal, State, and local governments, in a manner that is respectful of ongoing investigations, regarding the facts and circumstances of the attack;
• Building upon other investigations regarding the attack and targeted violence and domestic terrorism related to such attack; and
• Reporting to the President and Congress regarding its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective measures taken to prevent future acts of targeted violence and domestic terrorism, including against American democratic institutions, improve the security posture of the United States Capitol Complex in a manner that preserves the accessibility of the Capitol Complex for all Americans, and strengthen the security and resilience of nation and American democratic institutions against domestic terrorism.

As a member of the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee, Wexton has been at the forefront of oversight efforts into the security failures surrounding the January 6 attack. In the wake of the January 6 attack, the Subcommittee has questioned Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, then-Acting House Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett, and Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton.

Wexton has also worked closely with the family of U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howie Liebengood, who died by suicide on January 9th, after serving long hours on duty on the day of the riots and in the following days. Earlier today, Wexton’s office released a statement from the Liebengood family expressing their support for a bipartisan commission, saying, “We believe a thorough, non-partisan investigation into the root causes of and the response to the January 6th riot is essential for our nation to move forward.” Their full statement can be found here.

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