On Friday, Senate Republicans blocked a bill that was set to create an independent commission to investigate the Trump-inspired riot at the Capitol in January. The bill needed the support of 60 Senators to move forward, but only 54 Senators in the 100-member chamber (including six Republicans) backed proceeding with the proposal. (Two Democrats were absent from the vote.) Ahead of the vote, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) — one of the most conservatively minded Democrats in the Senate — expressed his disapproval of his colleagues who were preparing to help vote the commission down. Later on, he characterized those Republicans as abandoning their oath of office.
Before the vote, Manchin commented as follows:
‘I’m very disappointed, very frustrated that politics has trumped – literally and figuratively – the good of the country.’
A distressed Manchin, as the commission appears headed for defeat in the Senate:
"I'm very disappointed, very frustrated that politics has trumped – literally and figuratively – the good of the country." https://t.co/APn2FluQW1
— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) May 28, 2021
Manchin appears to be referencing the fact that concern about former President Trump seems to have swayed Senate Republicans against the proposed commission. Trump, of course, would no doubt freak out at the existence of another investigation subjecting him to scrutiny, and alongside that issue, POLITICO reported in recent days how Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is keen on letting up with the Trump talk in order to allow the Republican Party to proceed with what the publication called its “midterm election message.” In short, McConnell seems interested in focusing anywhere but Trump while heading into the midterms — but the destruction that the former president wrought and the GOP’s complicity in that can’t be wished out of existence.
After the Senate vote where the independent commission proposal was defeated, Manchin added, in reference to the Republicans who voted against it, that “[choosing] to put politics and political elections above the health of our Democracy is unconscionable,” also observing that “the betrayal of the oath we each take is something they will have to live with.” Most Senate Republicans unfortunately don’t exactly seem inclined towards self-reflection.
Watch Manchin below:
Choosing to put politics and political elections above the health of our Democracy is unconscionable. And the betrayal of the oath we each take is something they will have to live with. My statement on the January 6th Commission vote: pic.twitter.com/tlPme9LMIo
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) May 28, 2021
Going forward, CNN’s Manu Raju reported on Friday that Democrats are contemplating launching a Democrat-led investigation into the riot since the bipartisan proposal failed. Putting Democrats in charge could help circumvent any possible Republican obstruction against the effort. The House has already convened what’s called a select subcommittee to handle issues relating to the COVID-19 crisis, and they could take a similar step to tackle riot-related questions. Select committees operate for more limited time and with more focused areas of interest than ordinary Congressional committees.
#BREAKING: 54-35, Senate Republicans block effort to open debate on bill to create an outside commission to probe Jan. 6 attack. The vote marks their first successful legislative filibuster this Congress. House Dems are now considering opening a Dem-led probe into the attack
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 28, 2021
