On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced his opposition to a bill to form a bipartisan commission that would investigate Jan. 6. The events of that day continue to haunt the GOP, but McCarthy’s refusal to support an examination hurts the party much more than helps it.
Most of his objection has to do with a desire to see other forms of political violence investigated as well. To be sure, that is a worthy goal, but an attack on the U.S. Capitol is different.
The reason behind the pushback against the commission has little to do with demanding a broader scope. In reality, most of the resistance centers on loyalty to former President Donald Trump. The truth of this claim can be found in the fact that House Republican Conference leader Rep. Liz Cheney was recently replaced by Rep. Elise Stefanik — only because of an allegiance to Trump. Many in the GOP leadership are still committed to the former president. A commission into the events of Jan. 6 would make those who lend him vocal support uncomfortable.
Before Cheney’s ouster, McCarthy indicated his intention to move beyond the very recent past by writing, “Each day spent relitigating the past is one day less we have to seize the future.” Yet, the only way to move forward is to look at what happened less than five months ago. There are still those in the Republican Party who downplay what took place, and they should be ashamed.
Understandably, conservatives do not like President Joe Biden. He is not a centrist, and his policies are already harming the country. But this does not mean his election was illegitimate. Most of all, it is not license to storm a government building where election certification is happening in an attempt to overturn results. Many who took part are on their way to being prosecuted. Those who disregard or attempt to deflect from the wrong that was done (in Trump’s name) should be deeply ashamed.
There are concerns about the fairness of such a commission. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said as much, stating, “I’m not saying we have decided this should not go forward. But if it’s going to go forward, it needs to be clearly balanced and not tilted one way or the other, so we have an objective evaluation.” Good thing the commission would be made up of five members appointed by Republicans and five appointed by Democrats.
Objectively, Jan. 6 was sad and embarrassing for our country. Objectively, Trump had encouraged, and continues to encourage, the idea of a stolen election. Congressional leadership is still beholden to and fearful of the 45th president. There is no other conclusion.
Refusing to support a Jan. 6 commission is akin to plugging one’s ears and closing one’s eyes. Avoiding the push for a bipartisan group only serves to increase the apparent culpability of Republicans who have diminished what occurred. People are horrified at what they witnessed on Jan. 6. If the tables were turned and Democratic Party sympathizers stormed the Capitol, the public would be horrified then, too.
If McCarthy believes a commission would reflect badly on the GOP, he should take note of how the party is viewed now. What the country as a whole sees is nothing but loyalty to Trump. Opposing this bipartisan commission looks like more of that unfettered, ill-advised commitment. McCarthy would serve his party well by supporting a fair and thorough investigation.
Quite simply, “relitigating the past” will persist for some time, given the unprecedented nature of Jan. 6. McCarthy and many others seem to think the best course of action is to ignore the Trump and GOP connection to that day. But if Republicans want to begin rebuilding credibility (and they should), there must be some sort of public acknowledgment of the wrong that happened on Jan. 6, 2021. More than that, there should be an application of responsibility on the appropriate parties and a vow that it will never happen again.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
