Three House members from central Illinois voted Wednesday for a bipartisan plan to create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger were among the 35 House Republicans to vote in favor of the commission, which passed 252-175. Davis represents parts of Bloomington-Normal. Kinzinger is a Bloomington-Normal native who now represents parts of northern Illinois.
Davis spoke favorably of creating a commission in the past. He is the ranking member of the House Administration Committee, which has an oversight role in Capitol security.
Kinzinger explained his vote in a statement.
“This should not be about party politics; this should not be a partisan fight. The insurrection on January 6th was an attack on all who work at the Capitol—both Democrats and Republicans were hiding out and fearing for their lives that day,” Kinzinger said. “It was an attack on our democracy, and a violent attempt to stop us from fulfilling our legislative duties. It was an attack on our Constitution, and now, it is our responsibility to get a full accounting of what led to it and what improvements we must make to prevent future violent acts from happening again.”
I support a bipartisan January 6 commission. This should not be about party politics or become a partisan fight. It needs to be focused on truth and accountability. https://t.co/IL9oCYs2WL pic.twitter.com/EeHnxJbTBz
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) May 18, 2021
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, who also represents parts of Bloomington-Normal and Peoria, voted against the commission Wednesday, along with most House Republicans. He emailed a statement Thursday explaining his vote.
“On January 6 and since then, I have been clear in my condemnation of the shameful events that occurred at the Capitol and have stated that individuals who violated the law should be held accountable. There are currently ongoing robust investigations into the events of January 6 and the crimes committed,” said LaHood. “To date, the U.S. Department of Justice has announced 445 arrests related to January 6 events, with over 100 more expected to come.
”The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration are conducting bipartisan investigations into every aspect of the January 6 events. Additionally, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol has received $10 million to conduct an apolitical review into ways to improve security vulnerabilities identified within the Capitol complex. The (House) legislation would undermine and potentially stall current investigations by the FBI, federal law enforcement, and Congress. I support the ongoing efforts of the FBI and federal law enforcement and am confident in their ability to conduct fair and thorough investigations.”
The vote came the same day that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his opposition to the commission, dealing a setback to the proposal's chances in the U.S. Senate.
McConnell pointed to ongoing law enforcement investigations that have resulted in hundreds of arrests as well as bipartisan investigations into the events of Jan. 6. He said a commission would result in duplicative efforts. He called the House Democrats’ proposal “slanted and unbalanced.”
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat who represents part of the Peoria area, voted in favor of the commission, as expected.
“Only by embracing the truth can we heal. That’s why this commission is so needed,” said Bustos. “The officers who were injured or killed, the American people and our democracy deserve to know just what happened on that day, and how we can make sure it never happens again. I was proud to vote in favor of this bill to help shine a light on the horrific actions of that day and honor the sacrifices made by Officer Sicknick and those who protected our Capitol.”
In a letter to members of Congress, members of the U.S. Capitol Police expressed "profound disappointment" with House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy and McConnell over their opposition.
"On Jan. 6th, where some officers served their last day in a US Capitol Police uniform, and not by choice, we would hope that the Members whom we took an oath to protect, would at the very minimum, support an investigation to get to the bottom of EVERYONE responsible and hold them 100 percent accountable no matter the title or position they hold or held," their letter reads.
