House Votes to Establish Select Committee to Investigate January 6th Insurrection

Statement of Karen Hobert Flynn, President of Common Cause 

Americans deserve to know the full truth about the attack on our democracy January 6th at the U.S. Capitol when a violent, racist mob attempted to overturn the result of the 2020 election. The select committee established today by the U.S. House of Representatives will get to the bottom of what happened and the causes behind the attack that left fatalities and scores of seriously injured in its wake. The truth is vitally important to establish at a time when many – even some Members of Congress – are trying to whitewash the vicious attack by a mob bearing Confederate flags, bear spray, cudgels, and zip ties with bombs and weapons caches hidden nearby. 

The insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol that day were hunting for Members of Congress, yet only 2 Republicans voted today to establish a select committee. This vote followed a Senate Republican filibuster after only 6 GOP Senators voted in favor of a bipartisan House-passed measure to create a 9-11-style independent commission to investigate the attack. These votes were votes against democracy. Congressional Republicans who voted against the select committee today and previously against the commission chose to put their political party before their country. History will not look kindly on them. We commend Speaker Pelosi’s leadership in bringing this measure to the Floor and a path to finding the truth.