Nancy Pelosi Unveils Legislation Creating Select Committee On U.S. Capitol Riot

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) introduced legislation Monday to establish a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“January 6th was one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. It is imperative that we establish the truth of that day and ensure such an attack cannot again happen,” Pelosi said in a statement. “The Select Committee will investigate and report upon the facts and causes of the attack and report recommendations for preventing any future assault.”

The committee, which will have subpoena power, will be comprised of 13 members: Pelosi will name eight, and the other five will be made after consultation with GOP leadership. The speaker is considering tapping a House Republican as one of her selections, although it’s unclear whom she would name. It’s also unclear who would chair the committee, a role also chosen by Pelosi.

The House Rules Committee will consider the resolution on Monday night before it heads to the full chamber for a vote, likely on Wednesday.

The investigation comes nearly six months after the Jan. 6 riot, which saw a mob of Donald Trump supporters, angry over his election loss, storm the halls of Congress in an attempt to interrupt the certification of the Electoral College vote in the 2020 election. Democrat Joe Biden won the Electoral College and the popular vote, but Trump inflamed his supporters with lies about widespread voter fraud, claiming his reelection was stolen from him.

Trump was later impeached for a second time for inciting the insurrection. Ten House Republican senators voted for his impeachment, but he was acquitted in the Senate, 57-43, short of a two-thirds majority.

Pelosi said last week she would pursue the select committee with “great solemnity and sadness,” following Senate Republicans’ effort last month to block legislation to create a 9/11-style bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection. While initially supportive of a probe that straddled party lines, the GOP has largely worked to move past insurrection of Jan. 6 in the intervening months. 

Pelosi directly pointed at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for filibustering the legislation, but she vowed her party would not ignore the unprecedented attack.

“Senate Republicans did Mitch McConnell a ‘personal favor’ rather than their patriotic duty and voted against the bipartisan commission negotiated by Democrats and Republicans,” she said. “But Democrats are determined to find the truth.”