Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate will vote on a House bill to create a Jan. 6 riot commission, and leading Republicans are willing to consider it, but not before “pushing the pause button.”
“I will put the Jan. 6 commission legislation on the floor of the Senate for a vote, period,” Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Tuesday. “Republicans can let their constituents know, are they on the side of truth, or do they want to cover up for the insurrectionists and for Donald Trump?”
PELOSI: MCCARTHY OPPOSITION TO JAN. 6 RIOT COMMISSION IS ‘COWARDICE’
Republicans have been divided on the scope of the commission, but Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Tuesday he’d consider the legislation if the House passes it and sends it to the Senate. But he won’t guarantee his support.
Senate passage requires at least 10 Republican votes to avoid a filibuster.
The House is poised to vote on the measure this week and will also consider a $2 billion spending package aimed at bolstering Capitol security, which was unable to stop the Jan. 6 rioters from pushing their way inside the building.
Republicans discussed the commission during a closed-door lunch.
“We are discussing this whole matter in our conference,” the Kentucky Republican said. “We just had a good discussion of this at lunch and are evaluating what is appropriate, given where we are.”
On Tuesday, McConnell characterized his view of the commission legislation and the spending bill as “undecided.” McConnell suggested the spending bill would be premature because “we are not sure what to spend the money on yet.”
Earlier this year, McConnell rejected a commission that examines only the Jan. 6 riot, which was carried out by pro-Trump protesters.
McConnell said the commission should look at other episodes of civil unrest, including summer riots that destroyed billions of dollars in property and left dozens dead.
The House legislation appears to limit the commission to the events of Jan. 6.
McConnell said Republicans “are pushing the pause button” on the legislation, and the two bills “are going to have to make sense in the context of where we are on the investigations that are very much underway.”
Democrats are playing up the Republican division on the commission.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced Tuesday he opposes the commission due to the scope and potential to interfere with current investigations into the riot.
Schumer criticized McCarthy for not backing the House commission measure, which was co-authored by fellow Republican Rep. John Katko of New York.
“It shows how difficult it is to negotiate with Republicans,” Schumer said. “If the Republican leaders are just going to throw their lead negotiators under the bus, why do they even participate in negotiations at all?”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Katko was among 10 Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump in January on the charge he incited the Capitol riot.
Schumer called McCarthy’s opposition “a bogus way to avoid focusing on what really happened on January 6.”
