Blunt, other U.S. senators, release Jan. 6 report, make recommendations

Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) and three of his U.S. Senate colleagues have released a bipartisan report on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Sen. Blunt was joined in unveiling the report by fellow Republican Rob Portman (Ohio) and Democrats Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota) and Gary Peters (Michigan).

In an appearance Tuesday on the television program, “CBS This Morning” Blunt lamented the slowness of the Defense Department to respond to rioters five months ago.

Blunt suggested Americans trust the process in getting to the bottom of the attack, which occurred on the day Congress formally received the 2020 Electoral College votes. Five people died as a result of the riot two weeks before President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

“The Justice Department (is) pursuing prosecutions right now. I think you’re going to find a lot of information you can only find in one way — and that’s to pursue this through the legal system and that will lead you in new places, if that’s necessary to go there,” Blunt said.

Blunt, like Portman, is not seeking reelection to Congress upper chamber and the Show Me State senator was the only one of the four not to vote “yes” on May 28 to authorize a formal bipartisan commission to investigate the attack. Blunt was one of 11 senators who did not vote on the issue.

The vote to authorize the commission was 54-35 in favor, but the measure failed because the tally fell short of the 60% threshold necessary under filibuster rules.

Recommendations

Blunt, Portman, Klobuchar and Peters made 20 recommendations in all, including:

• name a new U.S. Capitol police chief
• institute better cross-

training amongall levels of government

• enhance communication among law enforcement agencies
• improve federal, state and local coordination
• evaluate social media threats.

The report said 75% of Capitol police officers lacked necessary equipment and suggested warning signs were missed of a violent threat against the government.

In the CBS interview, the four senators said most of their recommendations can be adopted almost immediately.

Promised Legislation

Klobuchar and Blunt told CBS they plan to pursue a bill allowing the Capitol police chief to ask directly for National Guard emergency assistance to speed up Guard response.

The senators said at present only the sitting U.S. president can reply to such a request.

Blunt, who is retiring from the Senate in January 2023 after two six-year terms, serves as ranking Republican of the Committee on Rules and Administration, and Klobuchar is its chairwoman.

Peters and Portman are chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.