Today, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) voted with a bipartisan majority to establish an independent commission that will investigate the January 6 domestic terrorism attack on the United States Capitol and recommend changes to further protect the Capitol.
The National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act establishes a 10-person bipartisan commission, with five commissioners each appointed by the majority and minority parties in Congress.
This structure replicates the size and membership of the 9/11 Commission, as well as the scope of the commission’s authority to issue subpoenas, in order to secure information to carry out its investigation.
“The destruction and death we saw on January 6th was unacceptable, and I’m committed to seeing Congress do everything in its power to prevent another attack on the seat of our democracy. Today, I voted with a bipartisan majority to establish an independent commission to confirm the facts and investigate the disinformation that led to that dark day in our country’s history,” said Rep. Axne. “Just as Congress created a commission after 9/11 to learn what went wrong and what warning signs should be seen to prevent attacks in the future — so too must we gain a thorough understanding of the facts and root causes of January 6th in a bipartisan fashion to protect our democracy and prevent further violence.
“I owe it to my constituents to back any effort to document the full truth behind January 6th, and all of us in Congress owe it to the Capitol Police officers and others who put themselves in harm’s way that day, and in some cases gave their lives, to protect our very democracy to prevent a repeated attack.”
Commissioners, who will be appointed by Congressional leadership, will have significant expertise in the areas of law enforcement, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, intelligence, and cybersecurity. Current government officers or employees are prohibited from appointment.
The Commission will be required to issue a final report with findings regarding the facts and causes of the attack, along with recommendations to prevent future attacks on our democratic institutions, by December 31, 2021.
The legislation to create the Commission was led by Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Committee, and John Katko (R-NY), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
