Press Releases
Washington, DC – Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) released this statement on the Senate hearing examining the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol:
"The powerful testimony by USCP Captain Carneysha Mendoza brought back painful memories for many and provided a vivid picture to everyone of what our Capitol Police officers went through that day. I never want to see our officers put in a situation like that again. To ensure this, it's clear we need an independent review of what happened. I'm glad to see the Senate take the first step in holding public, bipartisan hearings on this issue.
"There were major inconsistencies in the testimony provided by former USCP Chief Sund, former House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving, and former Senate Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger. I believe the House Sergeant at Arms and Chief Administrative Officer for the House complying with my preservation and document production requests is now more important than ever. Speaker Pelosi should immediately direct her officers to comply with these requests. Understanding the exact timeline and knowing who was involved in making these security decisions are critical pieces of information needed to ensure the campus is better secured and prepared for the future. I believe too many security decisions are being made with politics in mind and the testimony provided today makes a clear argument for reforming the Capitol Police Board as well as forming a bipartisan, bicameral commission to review all aspects of the attack on the Capitol.
"However, what Speaker Pelosi has put forth is not a 9/11-style commission, it's a political bill. Stacking the commission with members of one side or the other is not going to get to the truth or help yield the results we need and the American people deserve. After my conversations with Speaker Pelosi and Chairperson Lofgren the night of January 6th, I introduced a commission bill that is evenly split to require consensus so the commission will work together to uncover the truth and put forth recommendations to ensure this kind of attack on our Capitol never happens again. As I said on the House floor on January 6th, I stand ready to work with them on a compromise, but the commission must be evenly split. Even before the conclusion of a commission, it's critical we enhance physical security improvements, establish agreements with the National Guard, increase security measures for members when they are away from the Capitol, and provide additional training and equipment for our officers."