Democratic Leaders: We Have “Grave Concerns” About “Violent Threats” To American Democracy

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Tuesday, Committee on Oversight and Reform Chair Carolyn B. Maloney, Committee on the Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler, Committee on Homeland Security Chair Bennie G. Thompson, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chair Adam B. Schiff, Committee on Armed Services Chair Adam Smith, and Oversight Committee Member Stephen F. Lynch issued the following statement after a briefing from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office relating to the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, which they deemed a “siege of the U.S. Capitol.”

“Based on today’s briefing, we have grave concerns about ongoing and violent threats to our democracy. It is clear that more must be done to preempt, penetrate, and prevent deadly and seditious assaults by domestic violent extremists in the days ahead. We will not discuss specific security measures under consideration, but we will be working closely with our leadership in Congress and all appropriate federal, state, and local authorities.

“We are also troubled by reports about warnings received by law enforcement authorities and the actions taken to share those warnings and respond to them prior to the attack. This is a moment when our entire national security and law enforcement apparatus must be working in complete lockstep. This was not a peaceful protest that got out of hand. This was an attempted coup to derail our Constitutional process and intimidate our duly elected leaders through violence.

“Officials in today’s briefing confirmed that they will prosecute every individual associated with this act, including anyone who entered restricted areas outside the Capitol, as well as those who breached the Capitol itself. We demand full accountability not only to hold those perpetrators responsible, but to send a strong signal that future seditious activity will not be tolerated and will be met with the full force of the law.”