Kinzinger supports bill on Jan. 6 commission: ‘We cannot let fear stop us’

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Tuesday said he supports a national commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

“I fully support a national commission to investigate the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol Complex. Making this effort bipartisan is critical to ensuring we find out what led to this insurrection and what security measures are needed moving forward,” Kinzinger wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.

I support a bipartisan January 6 commission. This should not be about party politics or become a partisan fight. It needs to be focused on truth and accountability. https://t.co/IL9oCYs2WL pic.twitter.com/EeHnxJbTBz

— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) May 18, 2021

Kinzinger’s support for a commission to look into the Jan. 6 riot comes hours after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he would not support such an effort, even after the top Democrat and Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee reached an agreement last week on legislation to establish a 9/11-style commission to investigate the events of that day.

McCarthy said he would not support the bill because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) “refused to negotiate in good faith” on the parameters of the commission and because Democrats’ “renewed focus” does not include “political violence” in American cities, the 2017 shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice or the fatal attack on Capitol Police on April 2.

Kinzinger, however, said the establishment of a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack “should not be about party politics,” writing that the insurrection affected both Democrats and Republicans.

“The insurrection on January 6th was an attack on all who work at the Capitol – both Democrats and Republicans were hiding out and fearing for their lives that day,” said Kinzinger, a vocal critic of former President Trump.

The Illinois Republican continued, writing that the insurrection was an attack on American democracy, the Constitution and was a “violent attempt” to stop Congress from fulfilling its legislative duties.

“Now, it is our responsibility to get a full accounting of what led to it and what improvements we must make to prevent future violent acts from happening again,” Kinzinger wrote.

“We cannot let fear stop us from doing what is right,” he added.

While Kinzinger has now come out in favor of the commission, McCarthy’s refusal to get behind the legislation may make it difficult for Democrats to secure the support of at least 10 GOP senators needed to pass the bill in the upper chamber.

The break between Kinzinger and McCarthy on the Jan. 6 commission is one in a series of disagreements between the two lawmakers. Most recently, McCarthy called for the ouster of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) from leadership because of her anti-Trump stance, while Kinzinger supported Cheney.

The congressmen butted heads throughout the Cheney battle. Last week, Kinzinger revealed that he huddled with some GOP colleagues after the Jan. 6 attack to discuss forcing a vote of no confidence in McCarthy.