Members of Congress have settled on a plan for a new federal investigation of the January riot at the U.S. Capitol. This agreement was reached by House Homeland Security Committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), who serves as the top Republican on that committee, and the plan is in the form of legislation that Thompson announced on Friday would be imminently introduced. That legislation, a statement from the homeland security committee explains, would create a “bipartisan, independent Commission to investigate the January 6 domestic terrorism attack on the United States Capitol and recommend changes to further protect the Capitol.”
Notably, “current government officers or employees are prohibited from appointment” on the investigative commission, so — assuming that the plan is enacted — the panel is not going to include any current members of Congress. The commission is slated to include ten members, with five appointed by Democratic leaders in the House and Senate alongside five appointed by Republican leaders in each Congressional chamber. The group “will be granted authority to issue subpoenas,” the homeland security committee’s announcement explains, although the chair and vice chair or a majority of the overall commission must agree before issuing any subpoenas.
Upon the announcement of the agreement, Thompson commented as follows:
‘There has been a growing consensus that the January 6th attack is of a complexity and national significance that what we need an independent commission to investigate. I am pleased that after many months of intensive discussion, Ranking Member Katko and I were able to reach a bipartisan agreement. Inaction – or just moving on – is simply not an option. The creation of this commission is our way of taking responsibility for protecting the U.S. Capitol. After all, the Capitol is not just a historic landmark, it is where our constituents come to see their democracy in action. As such, we owe it to the Capitol police and all who enter our citadel of democracy to investigate the attack.’
The commission, according to the homeland security committee’s explanation, “will be required to issue a final report with findings regarding the facts and causes of the attack, along with recommendations to prevent future attacks on our democratic institutions” by December 31 of this year. Tasking the commission with investigating driving forces behind the attack means that it seems safe to assume that the investigation will be including the role of Trump’s incitement. The rioters operated under the explicit pretense of Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential election, which he’s falsely claimed was rigged for Biden.
Check out the full House Homeland Security Committee announcement by clicking on the post below:
Big news – bipartisan deal announced on Jan. 6 commission pic.twitter.com/f1dXKEXSPQ
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 14, 2021
