House Lawmakers Reach Bipartisan Deal On Panel To Investigate Jan. 6 Attack

House lawmakers have a reached a deal on a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump and to recommend changes to further protect the complex.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., the panel's ranking member, will introduce legislation Friday to set up the commission.

The 9/11-style panel would comprise 10 bipartisan members: five of them, including the chair, would be appointed by the House speaker and the Senate majority leader; the other five, including the vice chair, would be appointed by the minority leaders of the House and Senate. The panel would, among other things, study the "facts and circumstances of the January 6th attack on the Capitol as well as the influencing factors that may have provoked the attack on our democracy."

The commission would have the power to issue subpoenas to carry out its investigation, but these would require "agreement between the Chair and the Vice Chair or a vote by a majority of Commission members." Under the deal, the panel will be required to issue a final report along with recommendations by Dec. 31.

The establishment of a commission to investigate the attack has been the subject of a partisan fight — first over the panel's composition and then over its scope: Some Republicans wanted to use the commission to look into antifa protests last summer. Democrats have wanted the panel to solely focus on the events of Jan. 6. [Copyright 2021 NPR]