House votes to approve Jan. 6 commission. All Republicans in NC delegation opposed.
The Republicans in North Carolina’s congressional delegation unanimously opposed House-passed legislation establishing a January 6th commission to investigate the deadly breach of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
The U.S. House voted 252-154 Wednesday to create the commission. None of North Carolina’s eight Republican members voted for the bill. And both of North Carolina’s senators came out against the bill Thursday.
All five North Carolina Democrats in the House supported the measure.
Thirty-five House Republicans voted in favor of the commission, which is styled after the Sept. 11 commission that produced a report and recommendations after the deadly terrorist attacks in 2001.
“All members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation, take the same oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” said Rep. Deborah Ross, a Wake County Democrat, in a statement. “As public servants and as leaders, my colleagues and I have a responsibility to seek greater understanding and accountability for what happened on January 6th. An independent, bipartisan Commission can provide much-needed clarity.”
But many Republicans said they believe Democrats want to use the bipartisan commission to attack their party in the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections.
Rep. Greg Murphy, an Eastern North Carolina Republican, called the “shocking events” of Jan. 6 “a disgrace” and said he has “unequivocally condemned the riot” that took place at the Capitol. But Murphy voted against the measure.
“Make no mistake, Democrats are planning to use what should be a bipartisan effort as a political weapon to smear Republicans. They will use innuendo and hearsay to push forth a narrative that furthers their political goals. That is not what our nation needs at such a critical juncture when emotions and polarization are near all-time highs,” Murphy said in a statement after the vote.
“I voted against this measure (Wednesday). Not because I don’t want what happened fully investigated, but because we need it to be a fair and broad investigation and that is not how this legislation is crafted,” he said.
Hundreds of rioters have been arrested and face federal charges for their actions on Jan. 6, including about a dozen from North Carolina.
The 10-member commission would be evenly split among Democratic appointees and Republican appointees. A Democratic appointee would chair the panel, while a Republican appointee would serve as vice chair. The commission would have subpoena power, but using it would require both the chair and vice chair to agree or by a majority vote of the commission. A final report would be due by the end of 2021.
Rep. Kathy Manning, a Greensboro Democrat, said the nation needs an “independent, bipartisan commission to examine and report upon the facts, causes and security.”
“We owe it to our nation, and members of the Capitol Police and National Guard who protect our Capitol, to investigate this attack and to ensure that this stain on our democracy is never repeated. It’s imperative we seek the truth,” Manning said in a statement.
The Senate does not seem likely to pass the bill. The chamber’s top Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, came out against the measure Wednesday.
In an evenly divided Senate, Democrats need at least 10 Republicans to support the legislation in order to pass. North Carolina Republicans Richard Burr and Thom Tillis said Thursday they are opposed to the commission.
Burr wants Congress to investigate, citing his experience with his Senate intelligence committee’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He called the Capitol “assault ... a grim day for our nation.” But he said investigations by the Justice Department and Congress are ongoing.
“These investigations are being led by the committees with jurisdiction, and I believe, as I always have, this is the appropriate course. I don’t believe establishing a new commission is necessary or wise,” Burr said in a statement.
“Many called for the creation of a joint committee or commission to investigate Russian interference following the 2016 election. Leader McConnell kept the investigation with the Senate Intelligence Committee, where we already had the staff, relationships, and expertise to conduct a thorough and fact-based review. It was the right call. The investigation would not have had the same success and bipartisan support if Senate leadership had not trusted the Committee to do its job. I hope Senate Democrats have the same faith in their colleagues.”
Tillis offered a similar sentiment. He said every person who broke the law on Jan. 6 “should be held responsible,” but the commission proposal from the House “appears to be a platform to score partisan political points instead of facilitating a good faith, bipartisan review of the facts.”
“While I have full confidence in the current DOJ investigation and Senate efforts that appear to be on a bipartisan track, I have no confidence in Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi’s proposal, which is why I will vote against it,” Tillis said in a statement.
On Jan. 6, Congress was set to certify the 2020 presidential election results, one of its constitutional obligations after an election. For weeks before, Trump called on Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, to return the results to the states, citing repeatedly disproved allegations of fraud in certain states that voted for now-President Joe Biden.
Trump and other politicians, including Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, spoke at a rally for supporters in the morning. Some rally-goers and others marched to the U.S. Capitol, overran police and breached the building — forcing members of Congress and Pence to rush to safety.
Several protesters were killed, including one who was shot outside the House chambers. Several police officers died in the days and weeks after the event.
Hours later, members of Congress returned to certify the election results, voting down Republican objections to the counts in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Seven of eight GOP members in the House from North Carolina voted to reject the results from at least one of those states. McConnell was among those who called Trump “practically and morally responsible” for what happened that day.
Trump was impeached by the House for his role in the event, but acquitted in the Senate. Ten House Republicans voted for impeachment and seven Senate Republicans, including Burr, voted to convict.
For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Under the Dome politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it on Pandora, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Megaphone or wherever you get your podcasts.
This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 8:43 AM.
