WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the chair of the subcommittee that funds U.S. Capitol Police, Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan gets regular briefings on how security is handled on Capitol Hill.
But since the deadly attack on Jan. 6, Ryan said he’s been hitting a wall.
“We’re having a hell of a time getting information from Capitol Police leadership,” Ryan (D-13th Congressional District) said in a virtual press availability on Wednesday.
So far, he knows at least two Capitol Police officers have been suspended for their actions during the attack and another 15 to 20 are under investigation.
Ryan said rank-and-file officers have told him communication at the top has been a longtime issue — something on display when they were overwhelmed by the mob.
“The reality of it is they were let down by their leadership,” Ryan said. “They were put in terrible positions, unwinnable positions with confusion and the lack of any kind of direction.”
Despite these concerns, Ryan said he’s confident Inauguration Day will be safe because Secret Service is taking the lead, with Capitol Police playing a supportive role.
But Ryan said the disconnect over intelligence being shared ahead of and on Jan. 6 needs to be thoroughly investigated.
There’s also concern that some members of Congress may have given tours to some of the rioters the day before the attack.
Ryan was familiar with her letter.
“As soon as the morning after Jan. 6, I heard from a member of Congress who talked directly to a couple of Capitol Police people that mentioned this,” Ryan said.
He said the way Capitol Police operates will have to be reimagined and he supports establishing a commission or committee to provide more oversight.
“I actually think it should probably almost be some kind of standing committee that continues as we go to consistently re-evaluate the new normal that we’re going to be in,” Ryan said.
The National Mall is now shut down until at least next Thursday and thousands of National Guard troops have been brought in from across the country.
Ryan said while it’s necessary, bringing these troops here could slow COVID-19 vaccine distribution, which the National Guard has also helped with.
I reached out to Ohio’s 18 members of Congress to see if any of them hosted visitors on Jan. 5.
So far, eight members have responded, saying they did not.
