Joyce Votes to Follow Facts, Address Capitol Security Vulnerabilities

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 3233, the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act, which would create an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the attack as well as Capitol complex security vulnerabilities:

“What occurred on January 6^th will forever be a stain on our democracy. While we won’t be able to erase it, we can and should have an independent, bipartisan assessment of the attack and the ensuing law enforcement response so that it never happens again. Good men and women had to put their lives on the line that day to confront the violence and chaos that flooded our nation’s Capitol. They – and the American people – deserve to know what happened and how we can fix the failures that occurred. This is about facts, not partisan politics.”

“I thank Ranking Member John Katko and Chairman Bennie Thompson of the Homeland Security Committee for working together to remove the politicization from this important issue. It is because of their hard work that we were able to vote on a fair, bipartisan agreement tonight rather than the hyper-partisan proposal that was initially put forward by the Speaker. In today’s toxic political environment, I know how difficult it is to successfully work across the aisle and commend them for their efforts.”

The functions and purposes of the commission, which would be independent from Congress, would include:

• Investigating the activities of intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and the military with respect to intelligence collection and dissemination.
• Examining the role of technology, including online platforms; financing; and malign foreign influence campaigns in the execution of the attack.
• Evaluating evidence from government agencies regarding targeted violence and domestic terrorism linked to the attack.
• Building on the investigations of other federal, congressional, or independent entities to avoid duplicating conclusions and recommendations.
• Identifying lessons learned and making recommendations to the president and Congress to prevent future violent acts and making security improvements to the U.S. Capitol while preserving public access.

Each party’s leadership would have five appointees on the commission, who would be barred from working as a government officer or employee. The commission would be required to hold public hearings during which it could receive testimony, evidence, and administer oaths. Subpoenas would require bipartisan agreement between the chair (appointed by the Speaker) and vice chair (jointly appointed by the House and Senate Minority Leaders), or by a majority vote. A final report from the commission outlining conclusions and recommendations for corrective measures that have been agreed to by a majority of its members would be required to submitted to the President and Congress by December 31, 2021.

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