The Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats who focus on issues related to national security, endorsed two bills it says will help combat the threat of domestic terrorism and protect our nation’s classified information from those who breached the United States Capitol on Jan. 6.
The group of 18 “fiscally responsible” Democrats say they want to prevent those who participated in the breach of the Capitol and members of the QAnon conspiracy movement to be barred from obtaining a federal security clearance and to bolster the ability of federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and report on domestic terror threats.
Murphy’s bill aims to ban those who took part in breaching the Capitol and those who support QAnon from obtaining or keeping a national security clearance. A prominent aspect of the QAnon theory alleges that global elites are part of a satanic pedophile ring.
Murphy, a former Pentagon official, said she does not want those who breached the Capitol building on Jan. 6 to ever have access to classified information.
“QAnon has spread far beyond the fringes, and we must now take steps to ensure these dangerous conspiracy theories don’t infiltrate our government. Holding a security clearance is a privilege, not a right,” Murphy added.
Schneider’s bill would strengthen the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the FBI’s ability to investigate and report on domestic terror groups and would require the agencies to provide Congress with a biannual threat assessment report, with a focus in particular on white supremacy, which the Illinois Democrat linked to the Capitol breach.
Both Democrat and GOP lawmakers have condemned the the Capitol incident, which occurred during the joint session of Congress, and all are calling on federal agencies to find the answers as to why there was not adequate security that day.
“Not only are we focused on finding those who breached the Capitol, damaged the building, or stole government property but we are also looking to find those who violently assaulted the law enforcement officers who were trying to protect the Capitol and prevent the disruption of our democratic process,” he said.
D’Antuono said that no matter how long it takes, they are committed to “finding out how and why” the Capitol was breached.
“To protect our security, our security, our security, our next step will be to establish an outside, independent 9/11-type Commission to ‘investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to January 6, 2021, domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex,’” Pelosi wrote.
Meanwhile, Republicans including House Administration Committee Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer (R-Ky.), and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), sent a letter to Pelosi demanding answers about what she knew about security requests prior to Jan. 6.
“On January 7th, Speaker Pelosi claimed that the Capitol Police Chief hadn’t called since the attack,” he added. “We now know that’s not true. Chief [Steven] Sund briefed Pelosi’s team twice during the attack!”
Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
