June 29 (UPI) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has introduced legislation to create a House select committee of 13 members to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Pelosi introduced H. Res. 503 on Monday to create a committee to “investigate and report upon the facts, circumstances and causes relating to” the riot at the Capitol, which was led by radical supporters of former President Donald Trump and intended to stop the Electoral College vote count for President-elect Joe Biden.
Pelosi for months has been urging the creation of a 9/11-type commission to investigate the attack. She introduced the bill on Monday a month after Republican senators blocked the creation of a bipartisan commission in a procedural vote last month.
According to Pelosi’s bill, eight of the 13 seats on the panel would be appointed by Democrats and the remaining five seats will be filled “after consultation” with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy. Pelosi would name the chairperson.
Pelosi said Democrats are “determined to find the truth” and criticized Senate Republicans for doing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell a “personal favor” by voting against last month’s bipartisan commission.
“Jan. 6 was one of the darkest days in our nation’s history,” she said in a statement. “It is imperative that we establish the truth of that day and ensure such an attack cannot again happen.”
Five people died during the attack, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer, and some 140 law enforcement personnel were injured when rioters stormed the building in a failed attempt to prevent Biden’s certification.
More than 500 people have since been arrested in connection to the attack, including at least 100 people on charges of assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, Attorney General Merrick Garland said late last week.
Federal authorities are still looking for suspects who have not yet been located and have asked for help from the public.
Pelosi’s legislation is expected to be considered on the House floor Tuesday, with a debate on the resolution Wednesday.
Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., chairman of the House rules committee, urged lawmakers Monday night to pass the bill.
“Make no mistake: We will get to the bottom of what happened. That is what we owe to the staff here, to the police that risked their lives defending all of us — especially those who lost their lives — and to those who were injured,” he said. “And we owe it to the American people.”
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