[cid:[email protected]]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 19, 2021

Contact: Brooke Lillard, [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>





Blue Dog National Security Task Force Statement on House Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Establish Bipartisan Commission to Investigate January 6 Attack



Legislation Includes Key Elements that Mirror Rep. Sherrill’s Bipartisan, Blue Dog-Backed Bill



WASHINGTON—Today, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition’s Task Force on National Security, issued the following statement on House passage of the bipartisan National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act:



“On January 6, a domestic terrorist attack was conducted against the United States of America with the political motivation of preventing the certification of the results of a free and fair election—the cornerstone of American democracy. Police officers risked their lives, suffering severe and even deadly consequences to fend off violent and armed insurrectionists and protect our democracy. To better protect our country and secure our democracy, we must get a full accounting of what occurred on January 6 and what led up to the insurrection, taking the same bipartisan approach we did when Congress established the 9/11 Commission.



“Thankfully, the House just passed bipartisan, commonsense legislation that would establish a bipartisan, independent Commission to investigate the January 6 domestic terrorist attack on the United States Capitol and recommend changes to further protect the Capitol. It is deeply concerning and disappointing that Republican Leadership actively worked against House passage of a measured bipartisan solution that would simply allow Congress to gather the facts necessary to protect our nation, and it underscores the need for cooler heads to prevail.”



ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:



The Blue Dogs have continuously called on Congress to address the threat posed by white supremacist organizations and other violent domestic extremist groups since the 2017 attack in Charlottesville, Virginia<[link removed]>. Following the January 6 insurrection, Rep. Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01), the Blue Dog Coalition’s Co-Chair for Communications, called the attack an act of domestic terrorism<[link removed]>. The Blue Dogs backed Rep. Sherrill’s Commission on Domestic Terrorism Act<[link removed]>, which includes key elements that are mirrored in the bipartisan National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act.



In addition to backing a bipartisan Commission to investigate the January 6 attack and the larger issue of domestic terrorism, the Blue Dogs endorsed<[link removed]> two bills to help combat the threat of domestic terrorism and protect our nation’s classified information from those who participated in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and members of the QAnon conspiracy movement. The Coalition endorsed the bipartisan Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021<[link removed]>, which would enhance the federal government’s efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess this threat and provide training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing it. The Coalition has advocated for this legislation since it was first introduced in 2018. The Blue Dogs also endorsed the Security Clearance Improvement Act of 2021<[link removed]>, which would disqualify participants in the violent assault on the United States Capitol and members of the QAnon conspiracy movement from obtaining or maintaining a federal security clearance.



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The Blue Dog Coalition is an official caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives comprised of fiscally-responsible Democrats, who are leading the way to find commonsense solutions. They are pragmatic Democrats, appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to pursuing fiscally-responsible policies, ensuring a strong national defense for our country, and transcending party lines to get things done for the American people. Visit our website<[link removed]> to learn more, and get the latest news updates by following us on Twitter<[link removed]> or liking us on Facebook<[link removed]>.