Six months have passed since the Capitol insurrection. In that time, members of Congress sought to create a bipartisan independent commission to investigate the attack, but they were stymied by the Senate filibuster. Despite that, a House select committee is poised to look into the insurrection, and we must take steps to ensure nothing like it ever happens again.
The first action, to fence the Capitol, may have been necessary for a brief period of time, but I’m glad to see much of the fencing has come down. A walled-off Capitol is not how things should be. It is the people’s place and should have only what is necessary for security. During my three terms in the Senate, the Capitol and adjacent office buildings were open to the American people, so anyone could come see me and my staff about their concerns. I loved seeing D.C. families sled down the Capitol lawn each winter when so many of us were away from our families.