House Democrats are eager to establish a commission to study the events that led up to the violent Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, but support from most Republicans is unlikely.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Tuesday he expects a bill to establish a commission to be brought to the floor next week, as talks about the commission’s formation continue between House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, and ranking member John Katko, a New York Republican.
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“I’m hopeful that we will get into an agreement that will enjoy bipartisan support,” Hoyer said, describing the discussions between the Mississippi Democrat and the New York Republican committee leaders as “productive.”
Additionally, lawmakers will vote on a supplemental appropriation to secure the U.S. Capitol and the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act sent from the Senate, Hoyer noted.
“In both instances, we are now four months from the Jan. 6 date. Frankly, I would have hoped these both of bills would have passed a month, two months ago,” he said. “But that hasn’t been the case, so, from my perspective, there’s a need to accelerate the consideration of these bills.”
How the Jan. 6 commission should be established, however, has long been a debate between both parties. Democrats wanted seven of their own members to Republicans having four on the panel. In addition, Democrats wanted unilateral power to issue subpoenas.
Republicans fought for changes, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed to a 10-member, evenly split party commission instead, along with changes to how subpoenas can be issued.
Additionally, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy would like to see the commission’s scope expanded to include other political, sometimes violent, incidents that preceded the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, such as the Black Lives Matter and antifa demonstrations around the country.
“I think there’s a lot of things that happened. It’s not just on Jan. 6,” McCarthy said late last month. “We had on Good Friday an officer get killed. I think if you’re going to have a commission, you should look at the whole broad spectrum. We just went through a whole summer of riots throughout this city. We should grasp that as well.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed, telling reporters at a press conference, “The scope of it, they have to deal with a little bit broader than just January the 6th,” he said. “We’ve also had a number of violent disturbances around the country last year. And I think we have to look at this in a broader scope and with a totally balanced, 9/11-style commission. If she were willing to put that forward, I think it would enjoy broad bipartisan support.”
However, Democrats want the 9/11-type commission to stay focused on the groups and individuals involved in the planning of the events of that day to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
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House Administration Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, who leads the panel that will shape the legislative effort to establish the commission, said at a hearing Monday, “I continue to believe Congress must establish a commission focusing specifically on the Jan. 6 insurrection, such a review is necessary.” She added, “I agree with Sen. Mitch McConnell, former Speaker John Boehner, and Rep. Cheney that former President Donald Trump bears ultimate responsibility for inciting the dangerous and deadly insurrection.”
