WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement after the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Oversight and Reform announced an investigation to review the events and intelligence surrounding the white supremacist insurrection on the U.S. Capitol on January 6.

Congresswoman Pressley was the first Member of Congress to formally call for Congressional investigations into the attack.

“Within hours of the violent, white supremacist attack on the United States Capitol, I called on House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney to coordinate with the relevant committees to initiate thorough and transparent investigations into this unprecedented insurrection, which threatened the lives of Members of Congress, Congressional and support staff, and our very democracy. I am pleased that Chairwoman Maloney has heeded our calls and that the Congressional Committees are beginning this important work to deliver the answers and accountability the American people deserve.

“White supremacist violence is an urgent and organized threat to every person in our nation, and we must act with the urgency this threat demands. It is imperative that we understand how these violent and racist extremists were able to breach our Capitol—which has historically been one of the most secure government buildings in the nation—the help they may have had on the inside, and what must be done to ensure an attack like this can never happen again.

“As a member of the House Oversight Committee, I look forward to working with Chairwoman Maloney and my colleagues on the relevant committees to thoroughly investigate what transpired, review the failed response and hold the appropriate individuals and agencies accountable.”

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