McCarthy won’t support January 6 commission and sides with Republicans downplaying the insurrection
McCarthy’s opposition to the bipartisan agreement for an independent commission comes ahead of a House vote this week to create the panel modeled after the 9/11 Commission, which would be tasked with investigating the circumstances behind supporters of then-President Donald Trump breaching the Capitol to try to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote for President Joe Biden.
The bipartisan agreement to establish the January 6 commission was reached last week by House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson and the panel’s top Republican, Rep. John Katko of New York, who was one of the 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy opposed legislation Tuesday that would create a bipartisan commission to study the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, which some lawmakers have suggested could subpoena him as a witness.
The leaders of the Homeland Security Committee – Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Rep. John Katko of New York, the top Republican on the panel – unveiled the legislation Friday to create a 10-member commission that would issue a report by Dec. 31.
The House was expected to vote on the legislation Wednesday. The Senate must still consider it. The Biden administration supported the bill.
GOP support for Capitol riot commission in doubt as Mitch McConnell hits pause button Share Updated: 8:02 PM MDT May 18, 2021 By MARY CLARE JALONICK, ALAN FRAM and LISA MASCARO, Associated Press
GOP support for Capitol riot commission in doubt as Mitch McConnell hits pause button Share Updated: 8:02 PM MDT May 18, 2021
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Show Transcript those of you with military experience or who understand the nature of military deployments will recognize how rapid our response was. Criticism of the military response is unfounded and reflects an experience with or a lack of understanding of the nature of military operations or worse is simply the result of politics. I suspect a combination of both these factors used them for domestic law enforcement in any other manner is contrary to the constitution and a threat to the republic. I ask you to consider what the response in Congress and in the media had been if I had unilaterally deployed
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GOP s McCarthy opposes Jan 6 panel; McConnell hits pause
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks to reporters outside the White House after a meeting with President Joe Biden, on May 12, 2021, in Washington. (Photo: AP/Evan Vucci)
19 May 2021 04:25AM Share this content
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WASHINGTON: House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said on Tuesday (May 18) that he won’t support a proposal to form an independent, bipartisan commission to study the deadly Jan 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, almost certainly eroding GOP support ahead of a vote and positioning his party as opposed to investigations of the attack.
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May 18, 2021 | 11:07 AM
FILE PHOTO: A mob of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump climb through a window they broke as they storm the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S., January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Legislation to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the deadly Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters suffered a serious setback on Tuesday when House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy came out against it.
Repudiating a deal announced last week by the top Democratic and Republican members of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee, McCarthy said in a statement: “I cannot support this legislation.”