By Jon Evans | May 20, 2021 at 1:02 PM EDT – Updated May 20 at 3:46 PM
WASHINGTON, DC (WECT) – Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Carolina do not support the idea behind the bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, which would create an independent commission to investigate the January 6th riot at the Capitol Building in Washington, DC.
WECT received this statement from Sen. Tillis after inquiring on whether he supports the bill:
“January 6th was a dark day in American history that should never be repeated, and every single person who broke the law should be held responsible. The Department of Justice has already charged more than 400 individuals, and I fully support this ongoing investigation.
“The committees of jurisdiction in the Senate are currently conducting their own investigations and preparing reports on the January 6th attack, and to date these efforts have been bipartisan. On the other hand, the current commission proposed by Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats appears to be a platform to score partisan political points instead of facilitating a good faith, bipartisan review of the facts. The antics we have seen from House Democrats over the last few days, including their attempt yesterday to politicize the Capitol Police and mislead the media and public, made their motivations very clear.
“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 Pelosi’s proposal, which is why I will vote against it.”
Sen. Burr released the following statement about the bill:
“As I’ve said before, the Capitol assault on January 6th was a grim day for our nation. In its aftermath, the Senate held the unprecedented impeachment trial of a former U.S. president. The Justice Department is currently conducting one of the largest federal criminal investigations in history and has already made hundreds of arrests. Congress has also been conducting multiple ongoing investigations.
“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.
“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.”
The bill would establish an independent commission comprised of ten members, charged with making recommendations for securing the Capitol and preventing any similar incidents. The bill passed the House by a 252-175 margin, with 35 Republicans joining Democrats to support creating the commission.
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