Politico by Hailey Fuchs 1/14/2026
GOP members of the panel asked why it took five years for authorities to apprehend a suspect in the related pipe bomb case.House Republicans used the first hearing of the new committee to investigate the Capitol attacks on Jan 6, 2021, to explore the Biden-era investigation into the pipe bombs left at the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters the day before riots — and relitigate conspiracy theories and grievances.
It illustrated how Republicans plan to use their new select subcommittee and how far apart the two parties remain five years later in their accounts of the day a violent mob stormed the Capitol to contest the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), the chair of the new GOP-led panel, questioned why it took nearly half a decade for law enforcement to identify a suspect in the pipe bombs case, when the Trump Justice Department apprehended the alleged perpetrator, Brian Cole, late last year.
More:
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/01/14/congress/republicans-hold-first-jan-6-hearing-00730206
