Valadao Remarks at Oversight Hearing on Capitol Complex Public Safety and Security

I’d like to thank Ranking Member Espaillat, and the Ranking Member of our full committee Ms. DeLauro, for joining us today. I’d like to extend a particularly warm welcome to the new Members of our subcommittee, Rep. Nick LaLota, Rep. Dale Strong, Rep. Celeste Maloy, our new Vice Chair, Rep. Riley Moore, and Rep. Steny Hoyer. I look forward to working together in a bipartisan fashion as we begin the Fiscal Year 2026 process.

The purpose of today’s oversight hearing is to review the status of public safety and security of the Capitol complex, learn about recent breaches to the campus, and hear about new actions the United States Capitol Police Chief of Police and his leadership team are taking to address these lapses. 

I want to begin by welcoming Chief Manger and congratulating him on his upcoming retirement. Thank you, Chief, for your years of leadership and service to the Capitol community. We appreciate your dedication and the work you have done to enhance the safety and security of each Member, our families and staff, and our constituents while visiting the nation’s capital. 

I also want to thank each and every officer in the United States Capitol Police. Each Member of Congress is keenly aware of your diligent efforts and that many of your heroic actions are never made public. Please know that you are seen and appreciated. 

We appreciate your recent successes with multiple back-to-back National Special Security Events such as the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies and the most recent Presidential Joint Address.

While we certainly appreciate and have come to expect these successes, we also recognize that continued success in your mission requires some change, some refocusing and retraining, and especially increased consistency and vigilance. 

As we will learn in more detail from Chief Manger in his testimony, over the past months, the Capitol complex has experienced several security lapses in which members of the public and even staff members have entered our buildings with items that are prohibited but have gone undetected by our officers. These breaches are unacceptable and cannot be permitted continue.

That being said, we do not want a few human errors to wipe out your record of success in keeping the campus safe.

Additionally, I want to note that the safety and security of the Capitol complex does not solely rest on the shoulders of our Capitol police officers.  As Members, staff, and visitors, we have an obligation to understand the safety protocols of the Capitol complex and to follow them. 

Recently, the House Sergeant at Arms shared a communication reminding all of us of our responsibility to cooperate with law enforcement by ensuring that we do not attempt to bring prohibited items onto the premises and following other security practices. We have copies of this document at the hearing today, and I encourage Members and their staff to reinforce these expectations with your colleagues, as well as your constituents.  It is when we all work together that we can ensure the greatest level of safety for all of us. 

Chief Manger, we appreciate your partnership as we have worked to ensure that the Capitol campus remains secure and safe for the Congress’ essential legislative operations and for the millions of visitors who come to see democracy in action in the United States Capitol. I look forward to your testimony.

I now yield to the Ranking Member, Mr. Espaillat for his opening remarks.