GOP senators block bill to create Capitol riot commission

Senate Republicans blocked a bill Friday to create a commission investigating the pro-Trump riot at the US Capitol, preventing a high-profile probe into the attack that led to the deaths of five people and injured about 140 police officers. 

The vote was 54 to 35. Six GOP senators voted in favor of advancing the bill:

At least 10 Senate Republicans were needed to join all Democrats to advance the bill. Twice as many Republicans as expected voted for the commission, but not enough to save it.

The vote underscored the deeply partisan divide that has emerged over the insurrection earlier this year.

The House passed-bill would have set up a 10-person panel to figure out what happened on Jan. 6, including the law enforcement's preparedness and response, and provide recommendations in order "to prevent future acts of targeted violence and domestic terrorism."

Senate Republicans just blocked a bill that would have created an independent and bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that left five people dead and about 140 officers injured. 

By a vote of 54 to 35, the Senate failed to advance the commission. At least 10 GOP senators were needed to reach the necessary 60 votes to pass the key procedural vote.

The House-passed legislation aimed to create a 10-person panel to figure out what happened, including the law enforcement's "preparedness and response" and then report recommendations in order "to prevent future acts of targeted violence and domestic terrorism."

The refusal of at least 10 Republican senators to vote for the commission underscores the deeply partisan divide that has emerged over the insurrection earlier this year and comes at a crucial time for Capitol Hill where Democrats are struggling to advance President Biden's agenda.

This is how the commission would have worked if it passed:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has strongly suggested that she would approve a select committee in the House to investigate what led to the Jan. 6 insurrection if a vote to form the commission fails in the Senate. Last week, the House passed the bill 252-175, with 35 Republicans joining Democrats.

GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, who voted to advance the Jan. 6 commission bill, handed reporters his statement after leaving the chamber.

Cassidy said the commission he voted to advance ensured GOP had equal power over the panel and set a deadline of Dec. 31, 2021 so it wouldn’t be drawn out.

He expressed concerns about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s role regarding “lack of adequate security” on Jan. 6 and said he doesn’t think a Democrat-run investigation would evaluate that concern.

Cassidy did not state his position on the bill before today's vote. Only Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine had indicated they planned to join Democrats and support the bill.

Sen. Mitt Romney wouldn’t say he agrees with fellow GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski that opposing the Jan. 6 commission is a purely political move by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“I’m not going to make that judgement,” he said.

However, he did say that it was “unfortunate” that the commission would likely not go forward.

He added, “I think it would be appropriate to have further evaluation of what happened on Jan. 6, and who's responsible, and how we can prevent that from happening again." 

The key procedural vote on the Jan. 6 riot commission is underway on the Senate floor, and it is expected to fail to reach the needed 60 votes to move on to the actual bill.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer explained that the deal they’ve made with Republican senators is a “good solution” because they get to vote on the commission, and it occurs “in the light of day, not at three in the morning.” Schumer also said it’s a deal that Democrats proposed.

Schumer said he will speak more on the commission after the vote as well.

The Senate is voting now on whether to advance a bill that would create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that led to the deaths of five people and about 140 police officers injured.

Senate Republicans are expected to block the bill. Only three GOP senators — Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — have expressed their support for advancing the legislation, and Democrats need 10.

Last week, the House passed the bill 252-175, with 35 Republicans joining Democrats.

How the commission would work: The commission would attempt to find bipartisan consensus. The Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate evenly split the selection of its 10 members. A subpoena can only be issued to compel witness testimony if it has the support of the majority of members, or if the commission's chairperson, chosen by Democrats, and the vice-chairperson, chosen by Republicans, come to an agreement.

The commission is also required to submit to the President and Congress a final report by the end of 2021 and dissolve 60 days thereafter — about nine months before the 2022 elections.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer just announced an agreement. The vote on the Jan. 6 commission will happen within the next hour, and the vote on the Endless Frontier Act will be delayed until June 8.

He also said the bipartisan China competition legislation will be delayed until after the Memorial Day recess on Tuesday June 8. This comes after Republicans proposed to have vote today on Jan. 6 commission and delay votes on Endless Frontier Act until Tuesday June 8, as CNN reported. Sen. Rand Paul warned if Democrats didn’t accept the deal, they would drag out the process through the weekend.

As a group of GOP senators hold up votes on the floor, Republicans have proposed to have a vote today on the Jan. 6 commission and delay votes on the Endless Frontier Act until June 8. 

Sen. Rand Paul warned if Democrats don’t accept this deal, they will drag out the process through the weekend.

There needs to be unanimous consent in order to schedule these votes.

Two senators — one Democrat and one Republican — say there is anger and frustration on both sides at their colleagues who are holding up votes and dragging out the Senate voting process, since the votes on both the Jan. 6 commission bill and an unrelated bill (that's currently delaying getting to the commission bill) are inevitable. 

The key vote on the commission was expected as early as Thursday, but due to the order of Senate procedure, that vote had to wait until the previous legislation was cleared. Republican senators have delayed overnight passage of a massive bill designed to increase American competitiveness with China, and that means the key procedural vote on a bill to create the Jan. 6 commission has to wait.

“Horsesh*t,” one senior GOP senator said today.

As he entered the Senate, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said when asked how long today’s session will take: “You’ll have to ask the folks who feel compelled to speak.”

Asked by CNN if he thinks votes on the China bill and Jan. 6 bill will be done today, McConnell answered, "I hope so but we will see how it goes."