Fifth Anniversary of Capitol Breach: Democratic Hearing vs. GOP Security Probe

House Democrats marked the fifth anniversary of the January 6 Capitol breach with a hearing focused on democratic norms and political violence, while Republicans announced a new investigation led by the GOP that will begin hearings next week and shift attention toward unresolved security failures.

House Democrats convened a forum to reflect on the events of January 6, 2021, the day the U.S. Capitol was breached, framing the riot as a defining threat to democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power.

Democrats used the hearing to revisit the violence at the Capitol and its connection to efforts to disrupt Congress as it certified the presidential election.

Republican lawmakers did not participate in the event, underscoring the sharp partisan divide over how January 6 should be remembered and investigated.

As Democrats held their forum, Republicans moved to advance a parallel investigative effort centered on security and intelligence failures. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., chair of a new GOP-led Jan. 6 select subcommittee, stated his panel would hold its first hearing next week.

Loudermilk said the panel is still finalizing its witness list but expects the initial hearing to focus on pipe bombs discovered near Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters the day before the Capitol breach, an episode Republicans argue remains insufficiently explained.

“It’s gonna be sometime next week,” Loudermilk said. “We’re gonna be really looking at the pipe bomb and the FBI’s previous investigation. Why did it take five years?”

Republicans contend that the new inquiry is intended to examine law-enforcement and intelligence failures before and during January 6, rather than focusing primarily on former President Donald Trump’s conduct.

This approach contrasts with the prior Democrat-led Jan. 6 select committee, which emphasized Trump’s actions and public statements surrounding election certification.

The competing narratives were evident elsewhere on the anniversary. The White House published a website disputing prevailing accounts of January 6 and placing responsibility for security decisions on then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi while rejecting claims that Trump incited the violence.

Democrats criticized the White House website as misleading, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., stating Republicans were trying to “rewrite the history of a violent attack on the Capitol.”

Republicans defended the site as a corrective, with Loudermilk stating that the new inquiry will focus on security failures and unanswered questions that previous investigations “left out,” including the unresolved pipe bomb case.

Lawmakers also clashed over a congressionally mandated plaque intended to honor Capitol Police officers and others who protected the building during the attack. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said installing the plaque is untenable.

Loudermilk stated he has not discussed the issue with Johnson and has not closely followed the dispute but indicated that he is not opposed to displaying the memorial.

“I don’t have a problem putting it up,” Loudermilk said. “I think you need to honor the police. The rank and file police were just trying to do their job.”