Lawmakers reach deal to form 9/11-style commission to investigate Jan. 6 US Capitol attack

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lawmakers have reached a deal to form a bipartisan 9/11-style commission to review the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol and will soon introduce legislation to form the independent panel.

The commission will be made of up ten members who are not government officials.

Half will be selected by Democrats and half by Republicans.

The Democratic and Republican leaders on the House Homeland Security Committee will introduce the bill to establish the new commission.

It comes after some Republican lawmakers this week downplayed the attack.

“If you didn’t know the TV footage was a video from January the 6th, you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit,” said Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia).

Those comments led to backlash from Democrats and from police officers injured in the attack.

“An assault on every officer that fought to defend the Capitol,” said DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was injured on Jan. 6. “It’s disgraceful.”

Members of Congress have been holding hearings since February looking into the attack.

“That attack, that siege, was criminal behavior plain and simple,” FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before a Senate panel on March 2.

Republicans have said they want to broaden the scope of the commission to also cover left-wing extremist groups like Antifa.

The House is expected to vote on the legislation to form the commission next week.

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