Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urged fellow GOP senators to vote against a 9/11-style commission largely supported by Democrats that would investigate the origins of the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate Thursday, McConnell argued that the commission, which was passed in the House earlier this month, would create a partisan and slanted investigation against former President Donald Trump. The commission, in its current form, would have the power to issue subpoenas.
“I do not believe the additional extraneous commission that Democratic leaders want would uncover crucial new facts or promote healing,” he said. “Frankly, I do not believe it is even designed to do that.”
McConnell last week signaled that he won’t support the bill, suggesting that it won’t clear the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who voted to convict Trump in February during his second impeachment trial, said he also will not vote for it, arguing that the Department of Justice and other congressional committees are investigating the incident.
“I will continue to support the real serious work of the criminal justice system and our own Senate committees and urge my colleagues to oppose this extraneous layer when the time comes for the Senate to vote,” McConnell also said on the floor.
Several moderate GOP senators, including Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), said they want to create the commission and appeared to want bipartisan support. Romney became the first senator to say he would vote in favor of the bill.