Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) is angling to create a House subcommittee in the next Congress to continue investigating the Capitol riot, building on efforts from the last two years that he says found “undue political influence” within the U.S. Capitol Police that affect its security decisions. Loudermilk’s proposal comes as the Georgia Republican has led an Oversight subcommittee looking into the Jan. 6 attack, noting, “There’s still some things that are hanging out there” in terms of what happened on that day. 

“There’s other things that we started uncovering, which are systemic problems within our own security of the Capitol, with Capitol Police — not the front-line officers but within a system that has been heavily politicized,” Loudermilk told the Washington Examiner in a sit-down interview. “That has to be taken care of.”

Loudermilk was tapped by then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy to lead the investigation into the Democratic-controlled Jan. 6 committee shortly after Republicans took control of the House in 2023. That investigation was opened after Republicans decried the initial Jan. 6 committee as being weaponized against the GOP which ultimately resulted in what he considers a “false report.”

Throughout his investigation, Loudermilk claimed to have uncovered evidence that the Democratic committee deleted records and cherry-picked evidence to “fit the predetermined political narrative” that blamed President-elect Donald Trump for the attack. While investigating those claims, Loudermilk said he also discovered a perceived class system among Capitol security that was determined by outside “political influence.”

Loudermilk pointed to disparate examples of how Capitol Police officers were disciplined for different acts, noting some “officers with much lesser offenses have received more severe punishment” than those who committed those that were worse.

“There seems to be a selected class, and a lot of that comes from political influence, and that has to be addressed,” Loudermilk said. 

Loudermilk said the goal of the select committee would be to issue recommendations and legislation to reform security measures, including changes to how top officials in the Capitol are selected. 

Ideally, the subcommittee would comprise both Republicans and Democrats, Loudermilk said, in order to avoid partisanship or political weaponization. Loudermilk noted he has not yet spoken with any Democrats directly to join the panel if it is created but told the Washington Examiner he believes there is interest from both sides to investigate further. 

“This is about political influence, but it shouldn’t be there from either side,” he said. “I think it needs to be a very selective group of people who are not dedicated to going out and trying to get a few political points by leaking something, or being the first to go to the press on something, or trying to get a political advantage.”

Loudermilk said he has spoken briefly with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to approve the creation of a select committee next Congress, telling the Washington Examiner he hopes to speak in-depth about the proposal next week. 

The Washington Examiner contacted Capitol Police for comment.