Two moderate U.S. Senate Democrats known for independent streaks on Tuesday urged Republicans to support a bipartisan probe of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, after one in six House Republicans broke with their leadership and backed a bill.
Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema urged Republicans to work with them to reach agreement on a bill to investigate the events leading up to and on Jan. 6, when President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the building, where Congress was certifying Democrat Joe Biden's November election victory, leaving five dead.
Some 35 House Republicans https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-set-vote-commission-probe-deadly-jan-6-capitol-attack-2021-05-19 joined Democrats last week in voting to pass the bill that would create a bipartisan commission modeled on the one Congress passed following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
That, however, was an easier achievement in the House of Representatives, where Democrats hold a 219-211 majority. The Senate is divided 50-50 between the parties and requires 60 votes to pass most legislation, meaning that under current rules 10 Republican votes would be needed to pass the measure.
"A bipartisan commission to investigate the events of that day has passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote," Manchin and Sinema said in a joint statement. "We implore our Senate Republican colleagues to work with us to find a path forward."
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Senate Republicans have spoken out against the House bill, saying that ongoing probes by two Senate committees are sufficient investigation.
Republicans are concerned that the commission will keep public attention on Trump and his continued false claims that his election defeat was the result of fraud, which could hurt them in the 2022 midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.
Some Republicans have begun to downplay the violence of Jan. 6, when rioters smashed windows, fought with police and sent lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence scrambling for safety. For instance, Representative Andrew Clyde, who was photographed on Jan. 6 helping to barricade the House chamber door against attackers, has since compared the mob to "a normal tourist visit."
Just three of the seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump of inciting insurrection in his January impeachment trial have so far come out in favor of the idea.
Senator Lisa Murkowski told reporters on Tuesday, "I'm going to support it," the day after Senator Mitt Romney also voiced support.
Another Republican, Senator Susan Collins, has said she favors a commission but favors amending the House-passed bill to ensure bipartisan staffing.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said the Senate will take up the bill, but has not yet set a date for it. Republican refusal could re-ignite Democrats' debate about whether to at least temporarily suspend the 60-vote filibuster rule and pass the measure with just a simple majority vote.