Ain’t this something. The House passed a bill that would create a commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol riot, but evidently, Senate Republicans blocked it from happening.
According to CBS News, most Republicans joined together on the bill’s opposition, claiming that a commission would prolong into 2022 and possibly affect the GOP’s chances of retaking Congress during the 2022 midterms.
Six Republicans voted to advance the bill, but it failed by 54 to 35—short of the 60 votes it needed.
Republican Senators Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman, Mitt Romney, and Ben Sasse supported advancing the bill. Everyone but Porter voted to convicted Donald Trump on his impeachment charge of inciting the insurrection at the Capitol that left several dead and others wounded.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed the Republicans for their vote, asking if they had forgotten how the violent mob of Trump supporters had threatened the lives of many, including former Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers, and attacked the police officers who were defending the building.
It’s possible he will force another vote on the bill down the road.
“Shame on the Republican Party for trying to sweep the horrors of that day under the rug because they’re afraid of Donald Trump,” Schumer said, noting that many Republicans continued to embrace Mr. Trump’s false claims that the election was stolen. “Senate Republicans chose to defend the ‘big lie’ because they believe anything that might upset Donald Trump could hurt them politically.”
Senator McConnell has mentioned that there are already ongoing investigations being conducted by congressional committees and the Justice Department, making a bipartisan, independent commission redundant.
“I’m disappointed that we just haven’t been able to acknowledge that an independent commission would be an opportunity for us to have an independent review of this while we do our work,” Senator Murkowski of Alaska said.
The bill would establish a 10-member commission of an even bi-partisan group, giving both sides equal subpoena power. The commission would issue a report with its findings of the January 6 riot.
“I guess now we’ll never know,” Murkowski said Thursday of unresolved questions about the January 6 attack. “Isn’t that part of the problem, that we’ll never know? It’ll never be resolved. It’ll always be hanging out there.”
