House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said Thursday on CNN’s “The Situation Room” if Senate Republicans block the House bill to establish an independent commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol riots, Democrats “are going to insist on getting answers one way or the other.”
Blitzer said, “Is this commission dead on arrival?”
Schiff said, “No, it isn’t. But it’s clear that Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy are going to try to kill it any way they can. I have to say, watching that clip of Mitch McConnell saying that after giving careful consideration, he’s decided to oppose it. That careful consideration was no more than reading Donald Trump’s statement saying you need to oppose this.”
Blitzer said, “The House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says if this bipartisan commission fails in the Senate, it’s no secret the backup plan could be what’s called a select committee in the House to investigate the January 6th attack. Do you risk Americans dismissing the findings if this investigation isn’t done in a bipartisan way?”
Schiff said, “The ideal outcome here would be a bipartisan commission that has the kind of stature that the 9/11 commission did because its recommendations have brought about significant reforms. That’s what we’re aiming for here. That was a time in 2001 and 2002 when there was a much greater willingness of the parties to work together. Here Democrats are working in good faith, and indeed some Republicans are working in good faith, but that doesn’t get very far with Kevin McCarthy or Mitch McConnell.”
He added, “If they’re unwilling to establish what would be in the best public interest, we are not going to let the events go uninvestigated. So there are other alternatives. They are not as ideal as a bipartisan commission. So we’ll make every effort to get that done, but we are going to insist on getting answers one way or the other.”
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