House votes on resolution for Jan. 6 select committee
JUST IN: House votes to create Jan. 6 select committee
The House just voted to create a new select committee that will investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol.
The vote fell mostly along party lines and signaled the political fight to come over the panel’s examination of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
McCarthy won’t say if GOP will name members to select committee
From CNN’s Manu Raju and Ryan Nobles
Asked if he would name members to the select committee, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy responded by asking a question back: “Which select committee? We got a couple.”
CNN’s Manu Raju then said the Jan. 6 select committee.
McCarthy responded: “I have to study them all,” and he walked on to the House floor for the vote.
Under the House’s resolution, Pelosi will appoint eight members to the commission and McCarthy has five slots “in consultation” with Pelosi — meaning she could veto McCarthy’s selections. Pelosi is also considering appointing a Republican among her eight selections, according to an aide.
Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio left open the possibility that he would be willing to serve on the select committee to investigate the Capitol insurrection if McCarthy eventually asks him.
“It’s up to Kevin,” Jordan said, “and I guess the Speaker.”
When pressed by CNN if he would say “yes” if asked by McCarthy — Jordan responded, “It’s totally up to Kevin.”
Read more about today’s House vote here.
Cheney says she will vote to support Jan. 6 select committee and calls it “our only remaining option”
From CNN’s Jamie Gangel
GOP Rep. Liz Cheney issued a statement ahead of the House vote this afternoon saying she supports the establishment of a House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.
“The attack on January 6th was an unprecedented assault on Congress and the functioning of our democratic process. That day, almost all of us recognized immediately the gravity of what had occurred,” Cheney said.
“Since January 6th, the courage of my party’s leaders has faded. But the threat to our Republic has not. On an almost daily basis, Donald Trump repeats the same statements that provoked violence before. His attacks on our Constitution are accelerating. Our responsibility is to confront these threats, not appease and deflect,” she said.
In her statement Cheney noted how she, along with 34 other House Republicans, supported the establishment of a bipartisan, independent commission, to investigate the attack on the US Capitol.
“Although that bill passed the House, it was defeated in the Senate. It is right to be wary of an overtly partisan inquiry. But Congress is obligated to conduct a full investigation of the most serious attack on our Capitol since 1814,” she said.
Our nation, and the families of the brave law enforcement officers who were injured defending us or died following the attack, deserve answers. I believe this select committee is our only remaining option. I will vote to support it,” Cheney continued.
NOW: House voting on resolution to establish select committee to investigate Capitol riot
From CNN’s Annie Grayer, Manu Raju, Kristin Wilson and Jeremy Herb
The House is voting now to create a select committee to investigate the deadly January 6 attack on the US Capitol, while House Republican leaders still aren’t saying whether they will participate in the panel.
No one from House Republican leadership came to outline their opposition to the select committee set to investigate the January 6 insurrection when the House was debating the resolution on the floor.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Minority Whip Steve Scalise and GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik did not give floor speeches.
Although the House Republican conference did not use their formal whip process to influence the results of today’s vote the office of Rep. Steve Scalise sent Republicans members a “leadership recommendation” to vote NO.
Here are key things to know about the committee the resolution would form:
- The committee would be made up of 13 members.
- Eight of those members will be appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
- Five will be picked in consultation with McCarthy.
- While Pelosi did not tip her hand as to who she plans to choose to chair or serve on the committee, an aide tells CNN that she is seriously considering a Republican as one of her eight picks.
- This select committee will have subpoena power and will not be given a strict deadline to finish its work.
Read more about today’s vote here.
What the House’s Jan. 6 select committee would do
From CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Manu Raju, Ryan Nobles and Annie Grayer
Te House is voting soon on whether to create a select committee that will investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol, while House Republican leaders still aren’t saying whether they will participate in the panel.
The House’s vote will formalize the select committee that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last week, which she’s putting in place after Senate Republicans blocked the formation of a bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection. Pelosi’s measure does not need to pass in the Senate.
Here are key things to know about the committee:
- What it will probe: The House’s select committee is expected to investigate both the security failings of the January 6 attack — when pro-Trump rioters breached the Capitol and disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s November 2020 victory — as well as the circumstances leading up to the attack. That’s likely to include an accounting of former President Trump’s role spreading lies about the election being stolen, as well as some Republican lawmakers who supported efforts to overturn the election. The committee could also examine McCarthy’s conversation with Trump by phone as the attack was unfolding.
- How it will be organized: According to the resolution, the committee will be made up of 13 members. Eight of those members will be appointed by Pelosi, five will be picked in consultation with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. While Pelosi did not tip her hand as to who she plans to choose to chair or serve on the committee, an aide tells CNN that she is seriously considering a Republican as one of her eight picks. This select committee will be run by House Democrats, have subpoena power and will not be given a strict deadline to finish its work.
- What Republicans are saying: Most House Republicans have criticized the select committee, accusing Democrats of creating a partisan panel that will be used to attack former President Donald Trump. House GOP Whip Steve Scalise recommended House Republicans oppose the select committee on Tuesday. And several Republicans who voted in favor of the bipartisan commission legislation say they will vote against the select committee.
Read more about today’s vote here.
Here’s who will be in Speaker Pelosi’s box during the select committee vote
From CNN’s Annie Grayer and Kristin Wilson
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill shared who will be in Pelosi’s Speaker box during the debate and vote today to establish a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Among the United States Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department representatives expected to attend today are:
- USCP Officer Harry Dunn
- MPD Officer Michael Fanone
- MPD Officer Daniel Hodges
- MPD Officer Abdulkadir Abdi
- MPD Officer Carlton Wilhoit III
Additionally, Gladys Sicknick, mother, and Sandra Garza, partner, of late USCP Officer Brian Sicknick were both expected to attend.
CNN’s Manu Raju and Jamie Gangel reported this morning that Fanone and Dunn would be there.
CNN reported Tuesday that Pelosi had invited representatives from both the US Capitol Police and the DC Metropolitan Police to be guests.
Biden believes Republicans can act in good faith on Jan. 6 committee, White House says
From CNN’s DJ Judd
President Biden “believes that Speaker Pelosi is acting in an appropriate manner” in forming a select committee to investigate the January 6��Capitol Riot,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Wednesday. However, she stopped short of saying whether or not the President thinks Pelosi should appoint a Republican to the committee.
“The President believes that Speaker Pelosi is acting in an appropriate manner as a follow up to her effort to get a bipartisan commission passed, something that was blocked, as we know, in the Senate by Republicans. And in terms of what the compilation is and what it looks like, he certainly trusts her—her view on this,” Psaki told Kaitlan.
The House is voting Wednesday to create a select committee that will investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol, while House Republican leaders still aren’t saying whether they will participate in the panel.
The House’s vote will formalize the select committee that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last week, which she’s putting in place after Senate Republicans blocked the formation of a bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection. Pelosi is considering appointing a Republican among her eight selections, according to an aide.
Pressed Wednesday if she believes a Republican would act in good faith if appointed to the select committee, Psaki told Collins, “The President believes certainly Republicans can act in good faith, he’s worked with them on a range of objectives, but he is going to of course rely on the decision of Speaker Pelosi and how she wants to see this commission put forward.”
House beginning debate on select committee vote
From CNN’s Annie Grayer
The House has begun up to one hour of debate on the resolution to establish a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 commission.
Lawmakers do not have to use the full hour, but it could be up to an hour of debate.
Our previous guidance was that this vote would happen at 2:30 a.m. ET, but it’s likely to be later now.
How the Jan. 6 commission failed in the Senate
From CNN’s Ryan Nobles, Ted Barrett, Manu Raju and Alex Rogers
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last week that she would aim to establish a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol after GOP senators blocked the formation of an independent commission. The House is set to vote on the Pelosi’s resolution soon in the chamber.
A crucial Senate vote on a bill to create an independent inquiry to investigate Capitol riot failed on May 28, falling short of the 10 Republican votes needed to advance and illustrating GOP efforts to move on from the insurrection that left five people dead and injured 140 police officers.
The vote was 54 to 35, showing the bill had a bipartisan majority of support with six Republicans voting with Democrats. However, the bill needed 60 votes to advance.
The six GOP senators who backed the bill were: Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Rob Portman of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Ben Sasse of Nebraska. Nine Republican senators and two Democrats didn’t vote.
The Republican opposition highlighted the hold former President Trump still has on most of his party, and underscores the deep partisan divide surrounding the fallout of the attack on the US Capitol, a point Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made following the vote.
The tally of Republican supporters was one fewer than the seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial earlier this year.
What the commission would have done: The commission would have attempted to find bipartisan consensus. According to the bill, 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 would have been 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.
Read more about the Senate vote here.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/xUnRypcs1X0/capitol-riot-investigation-vote-06-30-21
