June 30, 2021

Rep. Takano votes to Establish a Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Insurrection

Washington, DC – Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) voted to establish a Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attack at the U.S. Capitol. H.Res. 503 will create a Select Committee charged with investigating and reporting upon the facts and causes, as well as making recommendations to prevent similar domestic terrorist attacks.

“On January 6, 2021, Americans across the country watched as the U.S. Capitol was overrun by a violent mob of Trump supporters on a mission to stop the certification of the Electoral College votes,” said Rep. Mark Takano. “This was an attack on our democracy – that is why I voted to establish this select committee. We must shine a light on the truth to prevent something like this from ever happening again and to hold those responsible for inciting this insurrection accountable.”

On January 6th, the United States Capitol Complex was attacked by insurrectionists attempting to impede Congress’s constitutional mandate to validate the results of the presidential election.  The storming of the Capitol threatened the lives of Members of Congress, staff, institutional employees and D.C. and Capitol Police – killing five people, injuring more than 140 law enforcement officers, and instilling terror and trauma among the Capitol Hill community.  In the wake of this domestic terrorist mob attack, many unanswered questions remain about its origins and the response to it.

The Committee will have thirteen members appointed by the Speaker, five of whom will be appointed after consultation with the Minority Leader.  This House-passed resolution does not require Senate approval or a Presidential signature in order to take effect.  This step comes after Senate Republicans, at the request of Mitch McConnell, blocked a popular and bipartisan bill to establish an independent 9/11-type Commission to investigate the January 6th insurrection.  That proposal was negotiated and agreed upon by the bipartisan leadership of the House Homeland Security Committee and was endorsed by the bipartisan 9/11 Commission Chairs, Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, as well as 140 national security experts.

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