But even leaving aside the question of impeachment, this is the Congress of the United States. The Article I branch of the Constitution. The people’s representatives. The Article II branch, the executive, is coming apart, with an unstable person still in charge. Might it not be a good idea for Congress to be on the job?

Yes, in part merely for symbolic reasons. But also to oversee, to regulate, to examine, even possibly to pass legislation relevant to what’s going on? Might committee hearings not be useful? If one discovered the president had called a state elections inspector and tried to pressure him to tinker with the results, might it not be useful to call him before a committee to testify? And to at least try to interrogate the White House chief of staff and all others involved?

But more important, perhaps, what about the Capitol itself? Is it secure? What training should members and staff be getting? What about the Capitol Police and other law enforcement bodies? Do they have the authorities and guidance they need? Should Congress itself not be involved in some of the decisions that have to be made prior to mobs potentially reappearing in a week—some of which decisions involve trade-offs of accessibility to citizens and security, for example? Do the authorities in state capitals, or elsewhere, have what they need?