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Bipartisan deal to investigate Capitol attack collapses
A bipartisan deal on a new commission to investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol appeared to collapse Tuesday.
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan deal on a new commission to investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol appeared to collapse Tuesday.
House Republican leaders demanded the commission’s focus be broadened beyond the Capitol attack – perpetrated largely by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The GOP wants it also to investigate urban violence they blame largely on Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D) New York was upset at what he called a GOP flip-flop on a deal announced last week.
"If the Republican leaders are just going to throw their negotiators under the bus, why do they even participate in negotiations at all?" Schumer said.
Rep. Steve Scalise, (R) Louisiana, the Republican whip, said most members of his party would vote against creating the commission as currently proposed.
"There are a lot of our members of our conference that want to see a much broader investigation," Scalise said.
House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ruled out a commission focused on the January 6th attack on the Capitol, referring in a written statement to recent outbursts of urban chaos.
"This political violence in American society cannot be tolerated and it cannot be overlooked," McCarthy said.
Outspoken Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene said on the House floor, "we should have a commission to study the violent BLM and Antifa mobs that have plagued American cities this past summer."
She complained that Trump supporters facing criminal charges in connection with the January 6th attack are being "abused" while behind bars.
Top Democrats vowed to press ahead with a congressional investigation of the January 6th attack.
Sen. Schumer promised to press for a vote on creating the commission.
"Republicans can let their constituents know, are they on the side of truth, or do they want to cover up for the insurrectionists and for Donald Trump," Schumer said.
The Washington Post reported that people close to the former president say Trump believes Democrats would use a congressional investigation of the January 6th attack to go after him and to harm his future political prospects.