On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill to create a bipartisan commission to examine the riot at the U.S. Capitol and January 6 and the events that led up to it. The bill passed by a vote of 252-175, with 35 Republicans bucking party leadership and voting in favor of the commission.
The commission would be made up of ten members, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. They would be given subpoena power and be tasked with investigating "the facts and causes relating to the January 6, 2021, domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex and relating to the interference with the peaceful transfer of power."
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voiced his opposition to the commission. In order to pass the divided Senate, 10 Republicans would have to side with the Democrats and vote in favor of creating the bipartisan commission.
According to CNN, five senators, Mitch McConnell, Roy Blunt, Josh Hawley, Mike Rounds, and Ron Johnson, plan to vote no. Five Republicans, Lisa Murkowski, Bill Cassidy, Pat Toomey, Lindsey Graham, and Mitt Romney, have signaled they may vote in favor of the bill. Fourteen Republicans have issues with the House bill and will fight for changes before deciding if they will vote in favor of creating the commission.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he plans to bring the bill to the Senate floor as early as next week.
Photo: Getty Images