As chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Capitol Police, I want to offer a few updates on the investigation taking place into Capitol Police and the violent insurrection that took place on Wednesday at our nation’s Capitol.
 
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First and foremost, I am very upset and heartbroken over the murder of Officer Sicknick who passed away after an altercation with violent protesters on Weds. It’s become increasingly clear that rank &file members of the Cap Police were lead into an incredibly dangerous situation.

The vast majority of Capitol Police officers bravely defended our nation’s Capitol and put their lives on the line to protect Members of Congress and our historic Capitol building.

Meanwhile, there was an epic failure of intelligence/ preparation among leadership in the department. The Capitol Police Chief & House Sergeant at Arms have resigned, an important step to fully uncover the failures of this event & reestablish trust in the security on Cap. Hill.

As for disturbing videos we’ve all seen that seem to show some officers letting rioters behind barricades & taking selfies with them: I can assure you these videos are being thoroughly investigated & there will be consequences for any deviations from proper training & protocols.

Additionally, for the entire U.S. Congress, including key figures in the line of succession, to be left so vulnerable to violent insurrectionists is a failure. Plain and simple. It’s unacceptable, and can never be allowed to happen again.

As for the perpetrators: we are working closely with the @FBI and U.S. Attorney offices around the country to identify those who participated, and ensure they are brought to justice.

The evidence we have seen thus far of rioters in possession of zip tie handcuffs, Molotov cocktails, and other weapons is deeply unsettling and is being fully investigated.

We must not ignore that what happened on Wednesday was an act of domestic terrorism that was brought on by incendiary comments and behavior of the United States President.

The defining trait of our democracy for the past 200 years has been the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another. Instead of supporting our democratic values, this President has chosen to plant and sow unfounded conspiracies about a free and fair election.

This unprecedented behavior cannot go unanswered. President Trump must be repudiated. I am calling for his Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment. If they lack the courage to do so, we must file Articles of Impeachment to remove the President.

At least five people lost their lives because of what happened last week, and our national security was put at severe risk. Not only must we get to the bottom of how and why this was allowed to happen, we have a duty to ensure it never EVER can happen again.