Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday praised Republicans who voted to form a bipartisan, 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The House on Wednesday passed a bill to form such a commission on a 252-175 vote, with 35 Republicans joining all Democrats in support.
When asked at her weekly press conference what the vote says about the GOP, Pelosi implored Republicans to “take back your party.”
“This is the Grand Old Party, the party’s done so much for our country. And quite frankly, many Republicans have courageously withstood the — shall we say — the assault on our democracy that is going forth,” Pelosi said.
“When you think of the Republicans and you think courage that they’ve had in the electoral system in our country and election decisions that have been made to support the fact that the election was legitimate. Many Republicans were the ones who came forward,” she continued.
The measure, negotiated by House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and ranking member John Katko (R-N.Y.), focuses only on the Jan. 6 commission, and no other acts of political violence.
Democrats and Republicans would each have five members on the panel and coequal subpoena power.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) came out against the measure Tuesday. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) expressed his opposition Wednesday, likely leading to an uphill battle for the measure to pass the upper chamber.
Republicans wanted the commission to be expanded in scope and investigate other instances of political unrest beyond Jan. 6, effectively taking the focus off former President Trump’s role and their own involvement in echoing the false voter fraud claims that led to the riot.
Pelosi said it was “interesting to see that 35 members coming forth,” adding “I’m very proud of them.”
“It is a recognition that this was a bipartisan product negotiated in good faith,” Pelosi said. “That all of a sudden they wanted to say ‘well, if isn’t Black Lives Matter’ or something like that, taking the eye off the ball: Jan. 6.”