House Approves Commission to Investigate Jan. 6 Breach of US Capitol

Mimi Nguyen Ly
By Mimi Nguyen Ly
May 19, 2021Politics
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House Approves Commission to Investigate Jan. 6 Breach of US Capitol
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) answers questions at a press conference on the establishment of a commission to investigate the events surrounding January 6 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on May 19, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The U.S. House of Representatives voted late Wednesday to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

The vote was 252-175, with all 217 Democrats in favor of the measure and 35 Republicans joining.

The National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act, also known as HR 3233, is modeled after the investigation into the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The proposed measure would create in the legislative branch a commission to investigate “relevant facts and circumstances relating to the attack on the Capitol,” and “evaluate the causes of and the lessons learned from this attack.”

The commission must also submit reports of their findings, alongside recommendations to “improve the detection, prevention, preparedness for, and response to targeted violence and domestic terrorism and improve the security posture of the U.S. Capitol Complex.”

The bill will grant the commission powers such as the authority to hold hearings, receive evidence, and issue subpoenas. It also enables the commission to appoint staff.

The bill now goes to the evenly-divided Senate for a vote.

On Jan. 6, lawmakers gathered at the U.S. Capitol for a joint session of Congress to count and certify Electoral College votes for the 2020 presidential election. But proceedings in the chambers were interrupted in the afternoon when a small group of rioters lead a breach of the Capitol building as thousands of protesters, mostly peaceful, remained outside.

It remains unclear who instigated incident around 2:15 p.m. By 6 p.m. that day, officials declared the building had been secured. Congressional proceedings continued and lawmakers in the early hours of Jan. 7 certified the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden.

From The Epoch Times

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