WASHINGTON — The House is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a bill to create a 9/11 Commission-style panel to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Democratic leaders decided to move forward with the vote despite House GOP leaders declaring their opposition to the proposal on Tuesday. The Republican leadership has formally urged their rank-and-file members to vote “no” on the measure.
The bipartisan bill, however, is expected to pass the House with some support from moderate Republican members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, whose 58 members are equally divided between both parties and have endorsed the commission. The group announced Tuesday evening that the proposal won the support of more than 75 percent of its members.
May 19, 202108:24
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced his opposition to the legislation on Tuesday morning.
In the Senate, the bill could face an uphill climb, with Democrats needing at least 10 Republicans to join them in supporting the measure in order to overcome a filibuster. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not close the door on the commission in remarks to members Tuesday, but he didn’t directly support it, either.
McConnell told his conference during a closed-door lunch that he has concerns about the scope of the commission, the role of its staff, the end-of-year deadline for its findings, and the possibility that its work could interfere with the FBI investigation, according to two sources familiar with his remarks.
“So I think it’s safe for you to report that we are undecided about the way forward at this point, we want to read the fine print,” McConnell said at a press conference after the lunch Tuesday. “And if the majority leader puts it on the floor, we will react accordingly.”
The legislation is the product of a compromise announced Friday by the top Democrat and Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, Reps. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and John Katko, R-N.Y.
Under the bill, the commission would include five members, including a chair, appointed by Democratic leaders in Congress, and another five, including a vice chair, appointed by Republican leaders.
Commissioners would need to have “significant expertise in the areas of law enforcement, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, intelligence, and cybersecurity,” and current government officers or employees are prohibited from appointment, the announcement said.
The commission would also have the power to issue subpoenas upon agreement between the chair and the vice chair or a vote by a majority of commission members.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
