Senate Republicans on Friday thwarted an effort to create an independent bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, blocking legislation they believed would ultimately be used as a political weapon against them by Democrats.
Most Republicans refused to back the measure, depriving the Democrats of the 60-vote threshold needed to begin debate on the bill.
It was the first GOP filibuster of major legislation since the Democrats reclaimed the Senate majority in January.
Six Republican senators backed the proposal to cut off debate on the bill for a Jan. 6 commission: Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Ben Sasse of Nebraska. All of them were among the seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict President Donald Trump on the impeachment charge that he incited the riot. Additionally, Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, who is retiring after the 2022 elections, voted with the Democrats.
Democrats are now more likely to appoint a special congressional committee, without any GOP participation, which would examine what led hundreds of angry protesters to storm into the Capitol following a rally by Trump, who told them that the 2020 election was rigged in favor of President Joe Biden.
Democrats condemned the GOP filibuster, accusing Republicans of wanting to avoid finding out the truth behind what caused the attack. Democrats also say the protesters were white supremacists motivated by Trump’s claims that the election was stolen from him.
“We have to investigate, expose, and report on the truth,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat. “We need to establish a trusted record of what really transpired on January the sixth and the events that preceded it. That’s what this commission is designed to do — in a bipartisan, straight-down-the-middle manner.”
Republicans said that while the commission would have bipartisan features and appointees would be evenly split by party, the panel would be tilted to give Democrats more power by giving them the authority to pick staff and to overrule the Republicans.
Republicans also opposed a provision in the bill that would keep the commission intact for up to 60 days past a year-end final report.
Collins made a last-minute but failed bid to win GOP support by proposing an amendment to divide the commission staff evenly and to disband the panel 30 days after a final report was issued (instead of 60 days).
Republicans said there is no need for a new commission. The Justice Department is investigating the riots and has made many arrests, they argued, while two separate Senate committees are conducting their own inquiries.
Republicans say much of the blame has been litigated in Trump’s second impeachment trial that charged him with inciting the riot.
Many in the GOP are eager to avoid reviving the matter and Trump’s involvement.
“I do not believe the additional, extraneous commission that Democratic leaders want would uncover crucial new facts or promote healing,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said. “Frankly, I do not believe it is even designed to.”
He argued that the design of the commission “would still lock in significant unfairness under the hood.”
Friday’s filibuster demonstrated for the first time the limits of the new Senate Democratic majority.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Democrats have been mulling over ending the filibuster and requiring only 51 votes to pass legislation, including the commission bill, in order to circumvent GOP opposition.
But they lack support among their own caucus for such a move.
Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, is among party lawmakers who will not vote to end the filibuster.
He criticized the GOP, however, for refusing to vote to bring the commission bill to the floor.
“The Democrats have basically given everything they asked for, any impediment that would have been there, and there’s no reason not to now,” Manchin said. “Unless you just don’t want to hear the truth.”
