McCarthy won't support January 6 commission and sides with Republicans downplaying the insurrection

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy announced Tuesday he opposed a bipartisan agreement for an independent commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the Capitol, siding with Republicans who have tried in recent days to downplay and move on from efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

McCarthy's opposition comes ahead of a House vote this week to create the panel modeled after the 9/11 Commission, which would be tasked with investigating the circumstances behind supporters of then-President Donald Trump breaching the Capitol to try to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote for President Joe Biden.

The bipartisan agreement to establish the January 6 commission was reached last week by House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson and the panel's top Republican, Rep. John Katko of New York, who was one of the 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

But McCarthy and other top Republicans did not endorse the agreement Katko had reached, which would give McCarthy much of what he'd sought from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, including an even number of Democrats and Republicans and sign-off from both sides for subpoenas.

The agreement raised questions about McCarthy's role in the January 6 attack, as he had a heated phone conversation with Trump as the insurrection was unfolding. Katko on Monday said it would be up to the commission to decide whether to subpoena McCarthy, noting that both sides would have to sign off.

In a statement explaining his opposition, McCarthy accused Pelosi of failing to negotiate in good faith, while saying that the scope of the proposed legislation needed to also look at other episodes of political violence beyond January 6.