U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) said that while she voted today for a Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, it isn’t the type of panel she was hoping to see review the events of that day.
“In May, I voted enthusiastically in favor of forming a truly independent, bipartisan commission — in the exact model of the 9/11 Commission — to investigate the attack on the Capitol,” Slotkin said in a release. “Unfortunately, Senate Republicans decided to block that effort. But getting to the bottom of one of the most egregious assaults on our democracy demands a thorough review, so today we voted on a second-best option.”
Slotkin said the audience for the report of the committee isn’t inside the DC beltway.
“This has to be an effort to inform the American people, so the public and future generations understand what happened, and how we can make sure it never happens again.”
Slotkin said that an independent commission and a Select Committee are not mutually exclusive.
“The 9/11 Commission was only stood up in 2002 after a joint House and Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, and both made valuable contributions – so I continue to hope we can still open an independent inquiry down the road.
“But in the meantime, we can’t simply sweep Jan. 6 under the rug. This was one of the most disturbing chapters in our nation’s history — the first time the U.S. Capitol itself has come under attack in more than 200 years — and we have to respond accordingly. This Select Committee has a critically important task ahead of it, and I hope this work will be approached with the diligence and seriousness of purpose the moment demands.”
