Senate set to examine Jan. 6 attack on Capitol, grill former officials on security failures

Two Senate committees are set to meet Tuesday in the first public congressional inquiry into the Jan. 6 Capitol security failures that allowed a pro-Trump mob to storm the building as lawmakers were certifying the presidential election results in a joint session.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSCAC) and Rules and Administration Committee will convene at 10 a.m. as they seek information about "preparations and response efforts" to the attack.

Invited to the hearing are Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee and the three former top security officials at the Capitol who have since resigned. Those are former Senate Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper Michael Stenger, former House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving and former U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) Chief Steven Sund.

"This was an attack on our democracy and must NEVER happen again," Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., tweeted last week when the hearing was announced. "As @HSGAC Chairman, I'm planning to get to the bottom of this."

Also leading the hearing will be HSCAG Ranking Member Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Rules and Administration Committee Chair Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Rules and Administration Ranking Member Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

In January, in the immediate wake of the Capitol attack, Peters, Portman, Klobuchar and Blunt announced that they would hold hearings and lead the investigation in the Senate into what happened.

"Let us be clear: An attack on the Capitol Building is an attack on every American," they said. "We plan to conduct oversight and hold bipartisan hearings on these horrific events, and work together to make the necessary reforms to ensure this never happens again."