San Jose lawmaker investigating Capitol attack

Washington, D.C.—House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has tapped Rep. Zoe Lofgren to serve on a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The San Jose Democrat said she was honored to be selected and will work to uncover the truth.

“The fact that there were deficiencies in the management of the Capitol Police did not cause the insurrection,” Lofgren said in a statement. “The select committee will investigate the causes and circumstances leading up to the events that day. The American people deserve answers to these questions and plans to protect our institutions.”

Lofgren has extensive experience with congressional investigations. She most recently served as an impeachment manager during then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial last year.

The House approved the creation of the committee by a 222-190 vote on Wednesday, about a month after Senate Republicans blocked an effort to create an independent and bipartisan commission to look into the Jan. 6 attack.

The House vote fell mostly along party lines, with many Republicans objecting due to concerns the investigation will turn into a partisan attack on Trump.

“The next step for us has always been to seek and to find the truth,” said Pelosi, who announced eight selections for the 13-member panel during a Thursday news conference. “We want to do so in the most patriotic and nonpartisan way so the American people have confidence in the results.”

In addition to Lofgren, the committee includes Reps. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), and Adam Schiff and Pete Aguilar, both California Democrats. Thompson will chair the committee.

Pelosi is expected to consult House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) before naming the final five members.

Reactions to the upcoming investigation appear to be split along party lines in Santa Clara County.

Shane Patrick Connolly, chair of the Santa Clara County Republican Party, believes the investigation is unnecessary. A Senate committee already issued a report examining the attack, he said, and law enforcement is investigating and has made hundreds of arrests.

“It seems like political theater to me just to keep an issue active that Nancy Pelosi thinks will help her and her party,” Connolly told San José Spotlight. “I don’t know what they are going to learn that is new or informative.”

But Bill James, chair of the Santa Clara County Democratic Party, said he supports the new committee and thinks it’s crucial for Congress to learn as much as possible about the insurrection to prevent a recurrence.

Citing her leadership positions and strong communication skills, James said he believes Lofgren is an excellent pick for the panel.

“She knows a lot about what resources should have been available and deployed that day (to help) because she is the chair of the House Administration Committee,” he said.

At Trump’s urging, thousands of his supporters rallied in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election.

About 800 of his supporters stormed the Capitol that afternoon as Congress began tallying Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. They roamed the halls, vandalized the building and broke into lawmakers’ private offices. Some chanted “Hang Mike Pence” as they searched for the then-vice president, who they believed was disloyal to Trump.

Five people died as a result of the attack and more than 100 police officers were injured.

Lofgren previously said she was stunned by the lack of response to the mob. The congresswoman explained she received a security briefing the day before the rally—and was assured security measures were in place to protect the Capitol.

“As time went on, obviously, the mob and the rioters breached the security of the House itself,” she said. “We were on the floor. We could hear the rioters outside of the chamber pounding on the doors.”

The House later impeached Trump for inciting violence, but the Senate acquitted him.

Contact Katie King at [email protected] or follow @KatieKingCST on Twitter.