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House negotiators agree on an evenly split 9/11-style commission with subpoena power to probe the January 6 Capitol riot

  Republican and Democratic lawmakers have reached an agreement on a bipartisan panel to probe the January 6th   Capitol   riot – more than ...

 Republican and Democratic lawmakers have reached an agreement on a bipartisan panel to probe the January 6th Capitol riot – more than four months after members of a mob penetrated that building, shattered windows, and occupied the legislative chambers.

The commission will be evenly split, after an initial gambit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to maintain a narrow advantage by the Democratic majority. 

'There has been a growing consensus that the January 6th attack is of a complexity and national significance that what we need [is] an independent commission to investigate,' said Reps. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.), the chair and top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee. 

Police were overwhelmed by protesters who invaded the US Capitol on January 6. Negotiators have reached agreement on a bipartisan commission to probe its causes

Police were overwhelmed by protesters who invaded the US Capitol on January 6. Negotiators have reached agreement on a bipartisan commission to probe its causes

The deal comes days after Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde at an oversight hearing on the attack called it a 'bold faced lie' and a 'normal tourist visit,' despite the five deaths and video images of crowd members battling Capitol Police with bear spray, clubs, and poles.


It will be called the 'National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex.' 

The House is expected to vote on legislation to create it soon.

'The commission will be charged with studying the facts and circumstances of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as well as the influencing factors that may have provoked the attack on our democracy,' according to Thompson's statement.

The ten-member panel will be evenly split, with five members appointed by Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, and another five by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. 

'Commissioners must have significant expertise in the areas of law enforcement, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, intelligence and cybersecurity,' according to the committte. 'Current government officers or employees are prohibited from appointment.' 


Speaker Nancy Pelosi took off her mask in public for the first time in months during her Thursday press conference, citing new House Rules requiring members to wear masks on the floor unless they are speaking. The CDC is expected to update its guidelines for the public to say that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors - except in crowded settings like planes and buses.

The commission will be evenly split, after an initial gambit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to maintain a narrow advantage by the Democratic majority 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (C) will get to help select the commission. He earlier pushed for a mandate that included summer street violence, Black Lives Matter, and Antifa

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (C) will get to help select the commission. He earlier pushed for a mandate that included summer street violence, Black Lives Matter, and Antifa

The commission will build on previous investigations, as well as 'influencing factors related to such terrorist attack,' according to legislation to create it

It will issue a final report with 'findings regarding the facts and causes of the attack, along with recommendations to prevent future attacks on our democratic institutions, by December 31, 2021.'

Republicans had earlier pushed to expand the commissions mandate to Black Lives Matter protests and street violence from the summer of 2020 – in a move Pelosi derided as an effort to muddle the causes behind the Capitol riot, which took place as lawmakers met to count the electoral votes submitted by states.

House impeachment managers who argued for Trump's removal following the riot called it an 'insurrection.' 

The commission will build on previous investigations, as well as 'influencing factors related to such terrorist attack,' according to legislation that would create the panel. 

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)

It 'may secure directly from any Federal department or agency information, including any underlying information that may be in the possession of the intelligence community, that is necessary to enable it to carry out its purposes and functions.'

Said Thompson: 'Inaction – or just moving on – is simply not an option. The creation of this commission is our way of taking responsibility for protecting the U.S. Capitol. After all, the Capitol is not just a historic landmark, it is where our constituents come to see their democracy in action. As such, we owe it to the Capitol police and all who enter our citadel of democracy to investigate the attack.'

Cheney issued a statement in response to the commission, two days after losing her leadership post. 

'In the aftermath of national crises, such as Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, or September 11th, our nation has established commissions so the American people know the truth and we can prevent these events from happening again,' she said. 'The same thing is needed for January 6th and this commission is an important step forward to answering those fundamental questions.'

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