Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives voted and passed H.R. 3233, the measure to convene a national 9/11 style commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol riot that took place, but while the 252-175 vote was expected to come down along political party lines, some thirty or so of their members voting alongside Democrats to push the vote through, including two Florida Republicans.
The Floridian spoke to Reps. Byron Donalds and Michael Waltz, who both affirmed their “No” vote against the commission they believe politicizes the riot.
The only two Florida Republicans to vote for the measure were freshman Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez, two freshman members with vulnerable House seats.
Rep. Gimenez, the former two-term Mayor of Miami-Dade County, stated that he voted to investigate the Capitol riot because he believes an in-depth analysis is needed to “produce valuable insight on how to improve” security at the Capitol, even though most Republicans see the commission as a vehicle that will allow Democrats to “politicize” the riot in the 2022 mid-term elections.
“We need to analyze the facts surrounding the assault on the Capitol building on January 6th,” stated Gimenez. “These recommendations from the Commission will produce valuable insight on how to improve our security at the Capitol and what can be done to prevent these events from happening again.
Gimenez’s press release continued:
“I understand the concerns many Members of Congress have about Democrats politicizing this process. However, I trust the parameters of the commission successfully negotiated by my colleague Congressman John Katko, the Republican leader of the House Homeland Security Committee. The approved commission, which has a 50/50 split with Democrats, gives Republicans an equal voice at the table with Republicans needing to approve all subpoenas before they can be issued. Both Republicans and Democrats must also agree on the final version of the report before it is released.
There is no doubt that January 6th left many questions to be asked of those in charge of the security protocols on Capitol Hill. This commission will provide a legitimized mechanism for those questions to be answered. I look forward to reviewing the Commission's findings at the end of the year and getting Capitol Police the resources they need to bolster our security at the People’s House, the Capitol.”
