House approves specific panel to investigate January 6 rebellion: NPR

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Supporters of Donald Trump attempt to break through a police barrier on January 6 at the US Capitol. The House of Representatives is preparing to consider Wednesday’s law to form a select committee to investigate the rebellion. Julio Cortez / AP Hide Caption

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Supporters of Donald Trump attempt to break through a police barrier on January 6 at the US Capitol. The House of Representatives is preparing to consider Wednesday’s law to form a select committee to investigate the rebellion.

Julio Cortez/AFP

In a largely partisan vote, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a law to create a select committee to begin a new investigation into the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

With a larger percentage of Republicans voting against the plan, this marks the latest twist in a partisan battle to investigate the riots.

When invited members of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police watched from the show, Democrats lashed out at GOP members who opposed the select committee before the vote.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said shortly before the officers who were on duty on the day of the attack were recognized. “Instead of fiddling with facts, we will be devout, patriotic, and respectful of the concerns of the American people by seeking and finding the truth to protect our country.”

The committee was approved by 222 votes to 190.

Last month, Senate Republicans blocked a move to vote on an outside committee, leaving Democratic leaders with plans to move forward with a House select committee instead. But some Republicans who supported the independent committee voted against the select committee.

Among them is Representative John Katko of New York, the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, who helped broker the deal on the bipartisan committee with the committee’s top Democrat, Benny Thompson of Mississippi.

Katko and other Republicans who had previously supported the committee voted against the select committee, which they described as partisan.

“House Speaker Pelosi’s proposal to create a partisan panel of politicians to investigate the events of January 6 will not be viewed as credible by at least half of Americans, nor will it be viewed honestly by her failures to secure the U.S. Capitol that day,” Representative Jaime Herrera said. Butler, Republican of Washington State, said in a statement. “It’s not good enough, it won’t do the job and I’m committed to exploring the truth. It’s what Southwest Washington deserves. I would oppose this partisan select committee and would not serve on it if asked.”

But a few members of the Republican Party are still dissenting from the party to join the Democrats to approve the plan. They include Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois.

In a statement before her vote, Cheney said that while a bipartisan committee was the best path to investigate the blockade, Congress was still obligated to conduct a full investigation into the most serious attack on the Capitol since 1814.

“Since January 6th, the courage of the leaders of my party has waned. But the threat to our republic is no longer. Almost daily, Donald Trump repeats the same statements that provoked violence before,” Cheney said. “His attacks on our constitution are accelerating, and our responsibility is to confront these threats, not to appease and circumvent,” he added.

Cheney also noted that the country and the families of law enforcement officers injured or killed in the riots deserve answers. It called on the commission to issue and enforce subpoenas promptly, to hire skilled advisers and to do its job accurately and quickly.

“I think this select committee is our only option left,” she said. “This investigation can only succeed if it is sober, professional and nonpartisan. The threat to our democracy is far more serious than political swaying.”

How will the painting work?

The committee will face challenges faced by other previous select committees, including the one set up by Republicans to look into the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. Pelosi, D-Calif., has not yet determined which committee chair or Democratic lawmakers she plans to tap into.

The committee will have subpoena power and a total of 13 members, eight to be chosen by Pelosi and the remaining five by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California. But Pelosi has not ruled out vetoing McCarthy’s choices since the committee’s decision directs those appointments in consultation with her.

Pelosi also indicated that she could use one of her eight picks to pick a Republican. And quickly, Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who was recently ousted from McCarthy and others from her leadership role in the House, became a potential contender. Cheney did not rule out the possibility, saying that the final decision is Pelosi.

For now, House Republicans, like Democrats, don’t say who might be on the committee, but they continued to criticize the plan ahead of Wednesday’s vote.

“There is no doubt that what happened on January 6 was a black day, but rather than a good faith attempt to reach an objective conclusion, Speaker Pelosi and members of the House of Representatives put divisive partisan politics before the interests of the American people,” Pelosi said. Representative Michael Fischbach, Republican of Maine.

This, as several congressional committees launched their own investigations into the riots, which took place in parallel with the FBI’s criminal investigations that led to more than 500 arrests linked to the Capitol breach.

How a bipartisan committee failed

Pelosi announced plans to move forward with the committee last week. It was nearly a month after the Senate failed by a few votes to move forward with a House-wide debate to adopt bipartisan legislation to create an independent commission to investigate the rebellion.

Six Republicans joined Democrats to move into the debate, with a final Senate tally of 54 to 35, which was less than the 60 votes needed to move forward. Earlier in May, the House approved the committee’s plan by 252-175 votes, with 35 Republicans joining the Democrats.

The legislation was modeled on the commission set up in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, with a committee of commissioners equally divided between parties and with bipartisan subpoena.

Before the vote, former President Donald Trump criticized the plan and asked Republican Party leaders to reject it. Both McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, followed suit, along with a majority of their party in both houses.

Pelosi and other Democrats have criticized Republicans for blocking the move.

“They had an opportunity, and I don’t think it should be lost on any of us that Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have turned that opportunity away to have a bipartisan and divided committee,” said Representative Pete Aguilar of California. Vice Chairman Whip for House Democrats.

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