WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee, issued the statement below following the first hearing of the House select committee formed to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol:

“When an angry violent mob staged an insurrection on January 6th and desecrated our Capitol — the temple of our democracy — it was not just an attack on the building, it was an attack on our Republic itself. During today’s hearing, we heard harrowing and painful testimony from the brave Capitol Police officers who performed heroically under unimaginable circumstances. They recounted the impossible decisions they were forced to make while protecting those inside the Capitol, building on what officers shared to inform our bipartisan Rules and Homeland Security Committee report on planning and security failures leading up to that dark day. As Rep. Cheney said today, ‘America is great because we preserve our democratic institutions at all costs.’ It is vital to continue to pursue answers and strive for accountability to ensure this never happens again.” 

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