Republican senators have delayed the vote on a bipartisan commission that would investigate the deadly January 6 Capitol insurrection. The vote was expected to happen sometime late Thursday night. However, GOP senators created a backlog in the Senate when several objected to elements in another bill concerning American competitiveness with China. Because of Senate procedural rules, the vote on the commission bill can’t take place until the China legislation, known as “the US Innovation and Competition Act,” is resolved. And overnight, at least eight Republican senators requested to speak on the floor. If all do so, then a vote on the commission likely won’t happen until later in the day on Friday.
Among the Senators known to be bogging down the process: Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and John Kennedy of Louisiana.
Regarding the Jan. 6 commission bill, there does not appear to be enough GOP defections to reach the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s 11th-hour jockeying of his Republican colleagues to vote against the bill may have something to do with that. McConnell went as far as telling other senators that he would consider a ‘no’ vote “a personal favor.”
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski criticized McConnell while talking with reporters, saying he’s blocking the commission strictly for political purposes. While she spoke, Capitol Officer Eugene Goodman, who heroically diverted the mob away from Senators on Jan. 6, stood guard behind her.
Not even a visit from Gladys Sicknick, mother of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, appears likely to have convinced other Republicans to vote in favor of the Jan. 6 commission. Her son died the day after he and 140 other police officers were injured fighting the mob that swarmed the Capitol.
