https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/19/why-republican-opposition-jan-6-commission-could-be-blessing-disguise/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F327cdb5%2F60a68d369d2fdae30257e42f%2F597699919bbc0f6826b843cc%2F15%2F70%2F60a68d369d2fdae30257e42f
Opinion: Why Republican opposition to a Jan. 6 commission could be a blessing
in disguise
Max Boot
The stated reasons for the GOP opposition to a 1/6 Commission are incoherent
and implausible. Both Republican leaders denounced the commission as a partisan
Democratic plot. McCarthy accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) of not
negotiating “in good faith” and wasting “time playing political games.”
McConnell chimed in to accuse House Democrats of having “handled this proposal
in partisan bad faith going back to the beginning.”
Story continues below advertisement
This will play well on Fox “News” but, like much of what the right says these
days, it simply isn’t so. The bill to establish a January 6 commission was
negotiated in good faith between Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman
of the Homeland Security Committee, and the ranking Republican member, Rep.
John Katko (N.Y.).
The proposed version of the 1/6 Commission is scrupulously bipartisan with five
members, including the chair, appointed by Democratic leaders, and five
members, including the vice chair, appointed by Republican leaders. While the
chairman would be allowed to appoint senior staff members and demand
information from the federal government, the panel could only issue subpoenas
if both the chair and vice chair agreed, or if a majority of the members voted
to do so. The bill also set Dec. 31 as a deadline to issue a report — far too
little time to litigate subpoenas if potential witnesses (such as Trump and
McCarthy) refuse to voluntarily testify.
Even if this bill were passed — which now appears unlikely — it would have
still allowed considerable room for Republican obstructionism if all of the
GOP-appointed commissioners voted in lockstep. There would have been nothing to
stop McCarthy and McConnell from appointing rabid Trumpkins for precisely this
purpose. (Imagine if, say, former Trump White House aide Stephen Miller were
the vice chair.)
Story continues below advertisement
That McConnell and McCarthy are opposing even this balanced approach suggests
they are intent on simply covering up what was arguably the worst attack on our
democracy since the Civil War. Both Republicans, while voting not to impeach
Trump, also strongly indicted him. Just days after the assault, McCarthy said:
“The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob
rioters.” McConnell later called Trump’s conduct “a disgraceful dereliction of
duty.”
But now, the Republican leaders have become Trump’s collaborators in a coverup.
Without a thorough investigation, we will never learn exactly what Trump did
prior to, and during, the riot. There was a gap of three hours and 19 minutes
between the time Capitol Police requested military assistance and the time when
the military was finally ordered to respond. Was Trump responsible for the
delay? What did the president know and when did he know it?
And what about the role of Republican members of Congress in fomenting this
insurrection? We know the disgraceful things they have said in public. For
example, Rep. Paul A. Gosar (Ariz.) accused Democrats of staging a “coup
d’etat” and told his followers: “Be ready to defend the Constitution and the
White House.” But what links did GOP members of Congress have behind-the-scenes
with the insurrectionists?
Story continues below advertisement
These are only a few of the many questions that remain unanswered despite
ongoing congressional hearings and law enforcement investigations. McConnell
and McCarthy must be concerned that the answers would prove embarrassing to
their party. But Democrats can get the truth out by following the example that
Republicans themselves set.
In 2014, the Republican House majority voted to create a select committee to
investigate the Benghazi attack — a terrorist assault that killed the U.S.
ambassador to Libya and three other Americans. Republicans treated this as a
scandal akin to Iran-contra or Watergate — largely, as McCarthy later boasted,
because they wanted to hurt the presidential prospects of then-Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton.
The committee was heavily stacked for the majority party: It had seven
Republican members and only five Democrats. Republicans were able to do what
they wanted — and they did. The Benghazi Committee spent 2½ years and $7.8
million in its investigation — and still did not find any wrongdoing by Clinton.
Story continues below advertisement
The Republican refusal to agree to the bipartisan 1/6 Commission bill could
actually be a blessing in disguise. It will free Pelosi to set up a January 6
Select Committee in which Democrats will be more firmly in charge — as
Republicans were on the Benghazi committee. The Benghazi investigation was a
political stunt, but this investigation is deadly serious. We must get a full
accounting of the events of Jan. 6 despite Republican attempts to bury the
truth. If we do, Republicans may come to regret their opposition to the
bipartisan 1/6 Commission.
The Post’s View: Kevin McCarthy plumbs new depths of political cowardice
Greg Sargent: A cop’s anger at GOP lies about Jan. 6 should put Republicans on
the defensive
Jennifer Rubin: Distinguished pol of the week: Finally, we will get the truth
about Jan. 6
Catherine Rampell: Almost half of Republicans admit they’re ready to ditch
democracy
Greg Sargent: Don’t give Republicans another inch on the Jan. 6 commission,
Democrats
