[cid:[email protected]]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2021

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





Blue Dogs Back Bill to Establish Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol



Endorsement Builds on Coalition’s Efforts to Address Domestic Terrorism Threat



WASHINGTON—Today, the Blue Dog Coalition, which focuses on issues related to national security, announced its endorsement of H. Res. 503, Establishing the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), the Blue Dog Coalition’s Co-Chair for Whip, issued the following statement on the endorsement:



“I worked as a national security specialist at the Department of Defense after 9/11. Our country investigated this foreign terrorist attack and learned from it. Now it is time for us to do the same with the domestic terrorist attack our nation experienced on January 6. The assault on our Capitol exposed our vulnerability to those who wish us harm. We need this commission to investigate the details of exactly what occurred, recommend ways to bolster our defenses, and help prevent future attacks.”



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]>.



In February, 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.



In March, the Coalition endorsed<[link removed]> the bipartisan Commission on Domestic Terrorism Act of 2021<[link removed]>, which would create an independent, bipartisan commission and be modeled after the 9/11 Commission to investigate the federal government’s failure to more broadly respond to the threat of domestic terrorism over the past two decades. The Commission’s work would complement other congressional investigations into the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. By broadening the investigation beyond the January 6 attack, the commission would be able to conduct a more robust investigation and provide better-informed recommendations to ensure the government is fully equipped to counter and prevent acts of domestic terrorism. The Blue Dog Coalition’s endorsement followed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ comments to NBC’s Meet the Press<[link removed]> stating that domestic violent extremism poses the greatest terrorist-related threat to the homeland.



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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]>.