Representatives Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, and Barry Moore, R-Alabama, on Wednesday both released statements after the House passed a bill to create a commission to look at the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
“I cannot vote in favor of a partisan commission that will not look at all political violence against Members of Congress and Capitol Police,” Rogers said. “For example, on June 14th, 2017, several of my colleagues, including Steve Scalise, were nearly assassinated at a Republican Congressional baseball practice by a radical ideologue. On April 2nd, 2021 Police Officer Billy Evans was killed in an attack at the Capitol by another extremist. Yet neither of these horrific attacks of political violence would be investigated under this legislation.”
“As with the militarization of the Capitol complex, Speaker Pelosi is only interested in political theater – this useless legislation only adds to it,” Rogers said.
“For months, Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have gleefully politicized this dark day in our nation’s history and have proven that they are incapable of conducting a nonpartisan investigation into the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol,” Moore said. “Democrats’ blatant acts of partisanship have irreparably tarnished the effort to hold lawbreakers accountable and demonstrated their unwillingness to address the countless other instances of political violence that have taken place over the last several years. I am not confident in the Democrats’ ability to conduct a fair investigation, and I could not support this legislation.”
The bill passed out of the House, but its path forward appears to be dimming in the Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said that the current federal investigation is sufficient to investigate the events on Jan. 6.
“After careful consideration, I’ve made the decision to oppose the House Democrats’ slanted and unbalanced proposal for another commission to study the events of January the 6th,” McConnell said. “As everyone knows, I repeatedly made my views about the events of January the 6th very clear. I spoke clearly and left no doubt about my conclusions.”
“Federal law enforcement have made at least 445 arrests and counting relating to crimes committed that day,” McConnell said. “Hundreds of those people have been charged. Law enforcement investigations are ongoing and federal authorities say they expect to arrest at least 100 or so more. Bipartisan investigations are also already underway, and have been for months, at the committee level in the Senate.”
“So there is… there have been… and there will continue to be no shortage of robust investigations by two separate branches of the federal government,” McConnell said. “It’s not at all clear what new facts or additional investigation yet another commission could lay on top of the existing efforts by law enforcement and Congress. The facts have come out and will continue to come out.”
“What is clear is that House Democrats have handled this proposal in partisan bad faith from the beginning,” McConnell said. “From initially offering a laughably partisan starting point; to continuing to insist on various other features under the hood that are designed to centralize control over the commission’s process and its conclusions in Democrats’ hands.”
“I’ve been an outspoken critic about all the episodes of political violence that our nation has seen over the past year. I support the strong existing investigations and justice for any American who has broken the law,” McConnell concluded in his remarks on the Senate floor.
Rogers is serving in his 10th term representing Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. Moore is in his first term representing Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District.
