House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made headlines today after publicly opposing a bipartisan investigation of the January 6th Capitol riot. After 4 months, politicians are now more than ready to work across the aisle and investigate the cause for the incident through a Congressional commission.
The proposal is a bipartisan piece of legislation, drafted to assign a commission to investigate the January 6th riots, by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Rep. John Katko (R-NY). The creators of the commission intend the investigation to be shaped after the 9/11 Commission.
Before the House was scheduled to vote on the matter, McCarthy voiced concerns with the measure stating that investigations already exist, and offering to look into other violent events instead, such as the intentional shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA).
Although Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has already scheduled the vote to move forward, saying she is "pleased" with the bipartisan support, McCarthy stated in response this week, "Given the political misdirections that have marred this process," adding "given the now duplicative and potentially counterproductive nature of this effort, and given the Speaker’s shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation."
While Democrats have enough to pass the legislation on their own, Republicans only need 10 of their Senators to defeat a potential filibuster in the Senate.
While many Trump loyalists definitely don't see a need for such a commission, other representatives such as Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) have come out in support of the commission, commenting on the insurrection "Congress will consider all options to disqualify those who engaged in insurrection against the United States from ever holding future office."
