Senate Republicans launched an investigation into the Biden and Harris administration’s response after a mob destroyed monuments in the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol last month during the visit by the Israeli Prime Minister.

Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican senator, is investigating how the National Park Service responded to the protests. This included clashes between police and protesters, graffiti pro-Hamas scrawled onto monuments, and the burning of an American flag owned by the federal government.

Mr. Cruz wrote to the director of the Park Service to demand answers regarding the “Biden and Harris administration’s failure” to provide adequate resources to stop the riot.

Their criminal and appalling actions were largely ignored, despite the fact that they damaged property extensively, assaulted U.S. Park Police Officers, and blocked a major thoroughfare as well as access to an important transit hub. He said that this should not have happened.

He claimed that the park service had been notified in advance of the protests by about 5,000 Israeli activists against Benjamin Netanyahu’s July 24 visit, but only 29 police officers were dispatched to monitor the demonstration. The protest became violent in Columbus Circle, outside Union Station.

The Department of the Interior stated that it did not have any comments. The Park Service declined to comment as well on Mr. Cruz’s letter, but stated that no resource requests had been declined by NPS staff or Interior staff. They also said Park Police “had a full-force commitment” and the “specific numbers” were not accurate.

A US flag was burned outside Union Station. Spray-painted messages were spray painted on the Liberty Bell and Christopher Columbus fountain, including “Hamas will come,” “Free Gaza,” and “All zionists a bastards.”

Mr. Cruz stated that the U.S. Capitol Police briefed other agencies. He also praised Amtrak Police for its responsibility for Union Station, where it “quantupled” their presence of officers.

He said that the NPS’s insufficient deployment of resources, despite the fact that they were aware of the protests and their propensity to become violent, was negligent. The Park Police Union is unaware of any efforts to recruit additional officers. Even with all USPP officers in the D.C. region deployed, there were still too few men and woman available for a large protest that could become violent.

He asked for information on the knowledge the park service had of the plans of the ANSWER Coalition – the anti Israel group who requested the permit for protest. He asked about the precautions taken and the number of officers assigned to the Columbus Circle protests, as well as any coordination with law enforcement agencies. He also asked for details about the number of officers assigned to the Columbus Circle protests, and any coordination with other law enforcement agencies.

John Barrasso of Wyoming, a Republican senator, wrote to Deb Haaland, Interior Secretary, demanding that she provide an account of the violence and vandalism committed in the nation’s capitol.

Barrasso wrote: “Your failure of action decisively undermines the safety and security of federal personnel, and the public’s trust in DOI to enforce the law.” The American people deserve assurance that the federal lands they own and those who guard them won’t be neglected or put in unnecessary danger.

He said that the protest in July was “particularly concerning” since he had sent letters to the Interior Department urging them to improve the retention and recruitment rate of U.S. Park Police.

He said that “your failure to act decisively undermines the safety and security of federal personnel, as well as the public’s trust in DOI to enforce the law.”

He asked for answers to questions about accountability, coordination, the support of federal personnel, security, and policy changes.