WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Dozens of House Republicans broke from GOP leadership and former President Donald Trump to support the creation of a national, bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
However, the bill faces a dim future in the Senate, where it will need the approval of at least 10 Republicans.
“I severely doubt that it will have support in the Senate,” said Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-TN. “This is clearly just a partisan attempt to open up an area where they think it will be helpful to the Democrats in the next cycle of the elections.”
Hagerty argues investigations from the U.S. Department of Justice and congressional committees will already do the job.
“I’m not interested in looking back right now,” he said. “We need to be looking forward as a nation.”
“The process, if we go forward, needs to be out of the political realm,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV.
Capito wants assurances from Democrats that staffing and subpoena decisions will be bipartisan after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi initially tried to put her party in charge.
“So that’s a cautionary flag, but I haven’t made my determination yet,” Capito said.
Senate Democrats are ready to move on the bill. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, put it on the legislative calendar Thursday and said a vote will be “very soon.”
“My Senate Republican colleagues must now ask themselves: are they going to join us in pursuing the truth or are they going to cover for Donald Trump and his Big Lie?,” Schumer asked.
Thirty-five GOP House members supported the measure, including all 10 who voted to impeach Trump after his supporters stormed the Capitol. Ten Senate Republicans would need to join Democrats to establish the commission.
In a statement Thursday, Trump said, “See, 35 wayward Republicans—they just can’t help themselves. We have much better policy and are much better for the Country, but the Democrats stick together, the Republicans don’t. They don’t have the Romney’s, Little Ben Sasse’s, and Cheney’s of the world. Unfortunately, we do. Sometimes there are consequences to being ineffective and weak. The voters understand!”
Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC, who voted to convict Trump, came out against the commission Thursday.
