US House Passes Bill to Create Commission to Probe Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

On Wednesday, the House passed a bill that would create a bipartisan commission into the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. The bill passed 252 -175, with 35 Republicans joining all Democrats in support. The bill was authored by Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson and New York Republican Rep. John Katko, the top lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee, who said in a joint statement that, "there has been a growing consensus that the January 6th attack is of a complexity and national significance that what we need [is] an independent commission to investigate." The bill faces opposition from several GOP leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. McConnell said Wednesday that he opposes the legislation because it is a “slanted and unbalanced proposal.” Former President Donald Trump released a statement Tuesday evening describing the bill as a “Democrat trap," and urging McConnell and other GOP leaders to start “listening.”

Coverage from across the political spectrum tended to focus on the details of the bill, highlight Republican opposition, and provides peculation as to the bill's likelihood of passing.