Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday she would create a new committee to investigate what she said are “many questions” about the events leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and the federal response to that day.
After Senate Republicans filibustered legislation establishing an independent Sept.-11-style commission, some Democrats have pushed for a select committee to investigate despite private fears that a party-line probe could inflame partisan tensions, as a small but vocal faction of the GOP downplayed the violence of the Jan. 6 attack.
A select committee allows Democrats to combine existing investigations but risks being perceived as partisan. Democrats heavily criticized Republicans’ select committee to investigate the 2012 attacks in the Libyan city of Benghazi, for example.
Pelosi did not announce who would lead the commission, adding: “I will make those announcements later.” / politico
