While former President Donald Trump was acquitted on Saturday of charges that he incited the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill, there is still a push to investigate exactly what happened that day.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Monday that an investigation modeled after the 9/11 commission will be established to investigate the riot and the events surrounding it, Reuters reported.
Pelosi wrote a letter to fellow lawmakers in which she promised that a commission would examine the “facts and causes” tied to the riot, including a review of “the preparedness and response of the United States Capitol Police and other federal, state, and local law enforcement.”
Some Republicans, however, are asking questions that the speaker doesn’t seem eager to answer.
Republicans have questions for Pelosi
Pelosi has appointed U.S. Army Lieutenant General Russel Honoré to examine the security needs of the Capitol, and said that his interim findings indicate additional funding is needed “to provide for the safety of members and the security of the Capitol,” according to Reuters.
This announcement comes following a letter to Pelosi from Administration Committee Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jim Jordan (R-OH), House Oversight Committee Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY) and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA), demanding to know whether the speaker’s security decisions leading up to the incident may have contributed to the day’s tragic events.
“As you are aware, the Speaker of the House is not only the leader of the majority party, but also has enormous institutional responsibilities,” the lawmakers wrote, Fox News reported.
“The Speaker is responsible for all operational decisions made within the House,” they continued.
Requests denied
According to former United States Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund, he approached former Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving two days before the riot to seek support from the National Guard but claims that he was rebuffed due to concerns over “optics.”
“When then-Chief Sund made a request for national guard support on January 4th, why was that request denied?” the Republican members asked Pelosi.
“Did Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving get permission or instruction from your staff on January 4th prior to denying Chief Sund’s request for the national guard?” they continued.
The leading Republican lawmakers also took issue with Pelosi’s decision to appoint Honoré, saying, “While there is wide-spread support to conduct an independent security review of the campus, General Russel Honoré was appointed solely by you, without consultation of the minority.”
The post Pelosi announces 9/11-style commission to investigate Capitol riot first appeared on Conservative Institute.
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