Overview

• Sen. Ron Johnson, chair of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, is pursuing hearings on the September 11 attacks nearly 25 years later.
• Johnson has questioned the official explanation for the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, suggesting it was a controlled demolition.
• He has labeled the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) 2008 investigation into the collapse as 'corrupted' and called for further scrutiny.
• Rep. Mike Lawler, a fellow Republican, publicly criticized Johnson's efforts, calling them disrespectful to 9/11 victims and first responders.
• No formal timetable has been set for the proposed hearings, and Johnson's claims have reignited debates over conspiracy theories in mainstream politics.