The House on Wednesday passed a bill to establish a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, earning relatively little support from Republicans …
The House on Wednesday passed a bill to establish a commission to investigate the Jan.6 attack on the Capitol, earning relatively little support from Republicans as GOP leaders sought to quash a bill negotiated by one of their own members. Lawmakers passed the bill in a 252-175 vote, with 35 Republicans joining all Democrats in support. The legislation’s chances appear increasingly slim in the Senate after both Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) came out in opposition to the bill. The GOP leaders’ refusal to back the bill threatens the chances of the proposed commission becoming law, as many Republicans seek to divert attention from former President Trump ’s role and their own involvement echoing his false claims of election fraud leading up to the insurrection. McCarthy insisted that the legislation should have expanded its scope, arguing it “ignores the political violence that has struck American cities, a Republican Congressional baseball practice, and, most recently, the deadly attack on Capitol Police on April 2, 2021.” Expanding the commission’s focus would dilute the focus on Trump. The GOP leader’s opposition came even though the legislation was negotiated by the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. John Katko (N.Y.), and largely mirrors a GOP bill introduced in January to establish a bipartisan commission focused on the Jan.6 attack that led to the deaths of five people and more than 140 police officers injured. But unlike most of his cohorts, Katko is a moderate who was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the violent mob that tried to forcibly stop Congress from certifying President Biden ’s electoral victory. “I urge all of you in the body, all of you on both sides — not just my side, not just your side, all of us — to set aside politics just this once… and pass this bill,” Katko said in an impassioned floor speech.
