The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the national security council used by the president of the United States for consideration of national security,military,and foreign policy matters. Based in the White House,it is part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States,and composed of senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials.
The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a senior cabinet-level United States government official,required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and to direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program (NIP). All 18 IC agencies,including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA),report directly to the DNI.
The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States with nationwide jurisdiction charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its territories. It answers to the Capitol Police Board and is the only full-service federal law enforcement agency appointed by the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States.
The sergeant at arms and doorkeeper of the United States Senate is the protocol officer,executive officer,and highest-ranking federal law enforcement officer of the Senate of the United States. The office of the sergeant at arms of the Senate currently has just short of 1,000 full time staff.
Jennifer McLaughlin Safavian is an American lawyer,trade association executive,and former Congressional committee staff member. She is currently the president and CEO of Autos Drive America,a trade association representing the U.S. operations of international auto manufacturers doing business in the United States.
The sergeant at arms of the United States House of Representatives is an officer of the House with law enforcement,protocol,and administrative responsibilities. The sergeant at arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membership of the House.
Terrance William Gainer is a former law enforcement officer and was the 38th Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate and served in that position from January 4,2007,to May 2,2014.
The Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) is an advisory committee established by the United States Congress with the official mandate of promoting the fullest possible public access to a thorough,accurate,and reliable documentary record of significant U.S. national security decisions and activities. The Board is composed of nine individuals:five appointed by the President of the United States and one each appointed by the Speaker of the House,House Minority Leader,Senate Majority Leader,and Senate Minority Leader. Appointees must be U.S. citizens preeminent in the fields of history,national security,foreign policy,intelligence policy,social science,law,or archives.
Dan Gregory Blair currently serves as an independent senior consultant to the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Formerly,Blair served in senior positions in the nonprofit sector. He served as a senior counselor examining and recommending reforms on the presidential appointments process for the Center on Presidential Transition. He also served as Fellow and Senior Counselor at the Bipartisan Policy Center and led a task force of government and private sector management experts charged with examining government oversight issues. He also advises private sector clients on a broad array of government management and postal issues.
Caryn Wagner was the Department of Homeland Security’s Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis from February 11,2010,to December 21,2012. As such,she was DHS's Chief Intelligence Officer (CINT),in charge of the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis with responsibilities over the DHS component intelligence services. She was the first woman to serve in this position,after extensive experience in the U.S. Intelligence Community and on Capitol Hill.
Paul Douglas Irving is an American former law enforcement officer who served as the Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives from January 17,2012,until January 7,2021,succeeding Wilson Livingood in that post. He resigned due to his inability to fulfill his duty during the 2021 United States Capitol attack.
Walter E. Piatt is a United States Army lieutenant general appointed chief executive officer of Wounded Warrior Project on March 18,2024. He last served as the 57th Director of the Army Staff from 2019 to 2024. He enlisted in the army in 1979 and served four years as an infantryman. After graduating from Lock Haven University,he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1987. Prior to assuming his current position,Piatt was the Commanding General,10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum. His other assignments as a general officer include serving as the 52nd Chief of Infantry;Deputy Commanding General-Support,10th Mountain Division;Commander,Joint Multinational Training Command;Deputy Commanding General,United States Army Europe;and director of Operations/director,Rapid Equipment Fielding,Army Rapid Capabilities Office.
Steven A. Sund is a retired American law enforcement official,author and public speaker who served as the tenth Chief of the United States Capitol Police from June 13,2019,to January 7,2021. He led the force during the January 6 Capitol attack,after which he faced widespread criticism for the perceived security failures of that day. However,a December 2024 interim report by the Subcommittee on Oversight of the 118th Congress concluded that Sund had “unfairly shouldered the bulk of the blame”and highlighted systemic failures across federal agencies. The report restored his reputation by exonerating him from sole responsibility for the security lapses.
Michael Conrad Stenger was an American law enforcement officer who served as the 41st Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate from April 16,2018,to January 7,2021.
The January 6 United States Capitol attack was followed by political,legal,and social repercussions. The second impeachment of Donald Trump,who was charged for incitement of insurrection for his conduct,occurred on January 13. At the same time,Cabinet officials were pressured to invoke the 25th Amendment for removing Trump from office. Trump was subsequently acquitted in the Senate trial,which was held in February after Trump had already left office. The result was a 57–43 vote in favor of conviction,with every Democrat and seven Republicans voting to convict,but two-thirds of the Senate are required to convict. Many in the Trump administration resigned. Several large companies announced they were halting all political donations,and others have suspended funding the lawmakers who had objected to certifying Electoral College results. A bill was introduced to form an independent commission,similar to the 9/11 Commission,to investigate the events surrounding the attack;it passed the House but was blocked by Republicans in the Senate. The House then approved a House "select committee" to investigate the attack. In June,the Senate released the results of its own investigation of the attack. The event led to strong criticism of law enforcement agencies. Leading figures within the United States Capitol Police resigned. A large-scale criminal investigation was undertaken,with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opening more than 1,200 case files. Federal law enforcement undertook a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrators,with arrests and indictments following within days. Over 890 people had been found guilty of federal crimes.
Eugene Goodman is an American United States Capitol Police officer who diverted invading rioters from the United States Senate chamber during the January 6 Capitol attack. Goodman is a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Iraq War. He served as the Acting Deputy Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate from January 20,2021,to March 2,2021.
The National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex,known colloquially as the January 6 commission,was an unsuccessful proposal to create a commission that would have investigated the January 6 United States Capitol attack. On February 15,2021,Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi announced that she planned to create a "9/11-type commission". The details were initially negotiated by Republican John Katko,and would have consisted of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. A bill forming the commission passed the House of Representatives on May 19,with all Democrats and 35 Republicans voting in support of it. However,it was blocked by Senate Republicans on May 28,with 54 Senators voting in favor and 35 voting against,failing to clear the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.
Karen H. Gibson is a retired military intelligence officer and former Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate
Law enforcement mounted a response to the January 6 United States Capitol attack,initially failing to maintain security perimeters and protect parts of the building from being breached and occupied,but succeeding at protecting members of Congress,and subsequently,as reinforcements arrived,to secure the breached Capitol.
