Former President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed the nearly three dozen House GOP lawmakers who voted in favor of establishing a commission to further investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The measure, which passed 252-175 on Wednesday with substantial GOP support, calls for a 10-member panel appointed evenly by Republicans and Democrats, which would also share the power to issue subpoenas in order to examine the causes and responses to the incident that left several dead or injured. A total of 35 Republicans voted in favor of the proposal, despite opposition from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“See, 35 wayward Republicans—they just can’t help themselves. We have much better policy and are much better for the Country, but the Democrats stick together, the Republicans don’t,” Trump said in his latest tweemail statement.
The former president also took the time to slam Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, and Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, all of whom have been outspoken Trump critics in the aftermath of the Capitol unrest.
“[Democrats] don’t have the Romney’s, Little Ben Sasse’s, and Cheney’s of the world. Unfortunately, we do,” he added. “Sometimes there are consequences to being ineffective and weak. The voters understand!”
A day before, Trump referred to the commission as a “trap.”
“Republicans in the House and Senate should not approve the Democrat trap of the January 6 Commission,” he said.
McConnell has referred to the proposal, which was spearheaded by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as “slanted and unbalanced,” while McCarthy railed against the bill because it did not address prolonged unrest caused by Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
“What about all the riots that have let up throughout the summer? The unrest from [Black Lives Matter], antifa, and others?” McCarthy said Tuesday on Fox News. “This is driven solely by politics and Nancy Pelosi, but we should not be a part of that.”
On Thursday, the House voted 213-212 to pass a $1.9 billion bill that would make the National Guard presence at the Capitol permanent. The legislation would also bolster the funding of the U.S. Capitol Police, provide millions in funding for the construction of fencing, and set aside additional funds to harden windows and doorways that lead to the rotunda.
All House Republicans voted against the measure, with a few Democrats joining them as they cited policing concerns.
More than 400 suspected Capitol riot participants have been arrested and charged in connection to the unrest earlier in the year.
