Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Torres Opening Remarks at the Oversight Hearing on January 6th Security
Washington, D.C. – Committee on House Administration Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Norma J. Torres (CA-35) gave the following opening remarks at the Oversight subcommittee hearing on January 6th Security failures.
“Thank you Mr. Chairman.
“'Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild.'
“On December 19th, 2020, former President Donald Trump, the leader of the Republican Party, sent those fateful words to his supporters and they complied.
“Following that directive, the National Intelligence Threat Consortium noticed a 1000% increase in violent rhetoric against Members of Congress and law enforcement officers.
“In the weeks and months leading up to the January 6th, Trump continued to incite unrest, accusing Democrats of rigging the election and referring to it as the biggest scam in our nation's history.
“On New Year's Day, he tweeted 'January 6th, see you in D.C.’
“On the morning of the attack, at the stop the steal rally on the ellipse, a member, a Republican member of Congress, told the crowd, 'today is the day American Patriots start taking down names and kicking ass, and our ancestors sacrificed their blood, their sweat, their tears, their fortunes, and sometimes their lives, are you willing to do the same?’
“Rudy Giuliani continued the violence to incite the armed crowd by asking for a trial by combat, while Donald Trump told his supporters, ’We’re going to walk down and I'll be there with you. We're going to walk down to the Capitol.’
“The former President orchestrated a corrupt scheme to overturn the results of a free and fair election. And when that didn't work, he incited his supporters to violence updated via social media and directed by the former president.
“The crowd marched to the Capitol armed with guns, handcuffs, and pepper spray. If they didn't bring a weapon, they found one viciously beating our officers with poles, bearing the American flag, destroying property, and erecting gallows to hang Vice President Pence.
“The former President bears full responsibility for bringing violence to the Capitol.
“I spoke with some of the heroic Capitol police officers who were injured and beaten that day by the violent mob and still face the enduring pain of that traumatic day. If not for the heroic actions of law enforcement officers, some of whom literally gave their lives to protect us, the former president and his supporters would have succeeded immediately.
“Speaker Pelosi engaged with retired United States Army General Russel Honoré, to conduct a complete security assessment of the Capitol to identify vulnerabilities.
“In addition to the work of the Honoré Task force, former Chair, Zoe Lofgren of this committee instructed the U.S. Capitol Police Inspector General to halt all ongoing investigations and devote all resources to investigating the attack.
“House Democrats then directed the Government Accountability Office to perform a government-wide examination of the attack, including a comprehensive review of agency preparation and response.
“Still, after Republicans refused to support legislation to create an independent national commission, the Bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack took up this work.
“In addition to the many investigations, we passed a funding bill to equip the institution with adequate resources to address our security needs.
“The law also establishes the Howard C. Liebengood Center for Wellness named in honor of a US Capitol police officer who tragically took his life following the attack to ensure that his partners on the force have access to care as they continue to heal from the traumatic events of a violent insurrection.
“We are still reckoning with a fallout from January 6th.
“Collectively as a country and as individuals, the American Democratic experiment came dangerously close to ending, if not for the courageous actions of the Capitol and D.C. Police and the person, the person responsible for directing the violence to the Capitol that day in order to undermine a peaceful transfer of power is the favorite to secure the Republican nomination for President.
“Mr. Chairman, I ask for unanimous consent to enter into the record the following an excerpt from the congressional record dated January 13th, 2021 containing then minority leader Kevin McCarthy's remarks during the debate on former President Trump's impeachment for incitement of insurrection.
“Executive summaries of the eight Flash reports, examining the preparation for and response to the January 6th attack prepared by the Capitol Police Inspector General, the Capitol Police Inspector General's testimony from each hearing in a series of hearings convened by this committee examining his Flash Reports, testimony from a hearing convened by this committee in 2021, entitled ‘Reforming The Capitol Police’ and ‘Improving Accountability for the Capitol Police Board’.
“A summary of Lieutenant Honoré’s Task Force one six Capital Security Review and Washington Post article dated September 6th, 2023 entitled ‘Trump's 2020 Crusade has led to 700 years in prison sentences’.
“And I yield back.”