WASHINGTON, D.C. (WKZO AM/FM) — The first Joint Congressional Committee Hearing was held yesterday on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and a Michigan lawmaker was wielding the gavel.
Senator Gary Peters, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, says it’s important they investigate why Capitol Police were not prepared on January 6th.
“Our goal today is to begin to understand where those breakdowns and failures occurred to prevent a future attack of this nature,” Peters said.
In his opening remarks, Peters referred to the rise of violent online groups as a reason why it’s important they follow through with this investigation.
“On January 6, we saw just how quickly they can shift from online communities to committing organized violent attacks in the real world,” Peters said.
He says the hearing was just the first in a series of hearings and investigations that are being planned on the insurrection.
“We will continue to seek testimony and information from a range of agencies and officials who were involved in preparing for and responding to the events of the day,” Peters said.
Capitol Security officials testified that they had no intelligence to suggest that they would face the kind of violent assault that occurred, and that they never saw the FBI report that specifically warned about plans to attack the Capitol.
The next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 3.
Senator Gary Peters spoke with WKZO on the hearings Wednesday morning. Listen to his full interview at this link.
— John McNeil contributed to this report. —
