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January 11, 2021

Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Katko Request Briefing from TSA on Efforts to Disrupt Travel of Domestic Terrorist Groups in Run Up to Inauguration

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the Committee, sent a letter to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration requesting a briefing this week in the wake of the domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol. The Chair and Ranking Member request to be briefed on TSA’s efforts to disrupt the travel of domestic terrorist groups who may be planning further attacks and may be targeting next week’s inauguration. They also request the current status of identifying and adding to watchlists the perpetrators of last week’s attack.

Letter excerpt:

“In the aftermath of the attack, its perpetrators have continued to enjoy freedom of movement throughout the country. Only a fraction of the insurrectionists have been arrested, and many of those arrested have been released pending a future court date. To our knowledge, the Federal government has not prevented a single insurrectionist from boarding an aircraft. Several have harassed and threatened to harm Members of Congress, flight crewmembers, and the public while traveling.

“Now, growing online chatter indicates that members of many of the same groups that planned and carried out Wednesday’s attack intend to return to Washington, D.C., to cause further disruption and violence in the coming days, including at the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. Despite this imminent threat, it appears little is being done to disrupt the travel of terrorists who just attacked the seat of the U.S. Government and wish to do so again.”

Link to letter

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Press Contact

(Thompson) Adam Comis at 202-225-9978
(Katko) Dan Kranz at 202-494-9652