Subcommittee on Oversight Ranking Member Torres Opening Remarks at January 6th Pipe Bomb Hearing

Hearing

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I too join you in welcoming our witnesses to our hearing.

Thank you for your many years of service to our communities.

I understand how important and dangerous your jobs truly are—especially when forced to protect us from those who choose to use bombs instead of the ballots to achieve their ends.

I also know from many years working as a 9-1-1 dispatcher that it is usually premature to assess the law enforcement response to a criminal act while a federal investigation is still active and ongoing.

And I’m sure my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know this.

Which leads me to wonder what exactly is it that we’re doing here this morning.

Maybe it’s to peddle crazy right-wing conspiracy theories about the January 6 pipe bombs spreading in the dark corners of the internet.

Or maybe we are here so this subcommittee can, once again, try to muddle our history, villainize law enforcement, and undo the efforts of the bipartisan January 6 Select Committee.

All to distract from the simple fact that the former President and Republican nominee for President orchestrated a corrupt scheme to overturn the results of a free and fair election.

When that didn’t work, he summoned an armed mob, riled them up, and dispatched them to the Capitol. Endangering the lives of everyone working here that day including Members of Congress. Not to mention putting at risk the lives of the outgoing and the incoming Vice President.

I was in the House gallery when the Capitol was breached.

It is imperative that all who committed criminal acts that day be held accountable for their actions – including and especially whoever placed pipe bombs at the DNC and RNC.

Yet, we must remember that this isn’t an episode of CSI or Law & Order. We don’t get to write our own ending according to what may or may not be convenient for our politics.

It’s frustrating, and I agree 100%, but all critical and sensitive investigations take time.

Experts are tasked with not only solving a crime, but also identifying potential characteristics to prevent future threats.

From the church bombings that terrorized black communities throughout the civil rights movement, to the bombing in Oklahoma City—federal law enforcement agencies has always had to work tirelessly, sometimes for years and decades, to put together the pieces needed to fully investigate, identify, and prosecute domestic violent terrorists like whomever placed these bombs.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the Judiciary Committee last year that his agents reviewed 40,000 video files and assessed more than 500 tips.

Law enforcement has spent thousands of man-hours investigating this crime, and I have faith that they’ll continue to do so until the perpetrator is brought to justice.

And, while my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and I disagree on some things, I hope that we can acknowledge and respect the vital work that law enforcement—including federal law enforcement— does on our behalf.

Just last week, House Republicans included cuts to DOJ, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) programs in their appropriations bills for fiscal year 2024.

If they were serious about this investigation and supported law enforcement efforts, then they wouldn’t have cut critical funding for federal law enforcement needed to solve these crimes and others.

This committee should not be used as a platform to feed into internet conspiracy theorists.

Rather, I look forward to discussing and learning more about the responsibilities and complexities of the important work that the FBI and its partners are engaged in from our witnesses.

Thank you once again for taking the time to testify at this hearing.

And I yield back.”

Source