Some GOP House Members Show Signs of Growing Spines

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

Yesterday the US House of Representatives voted 252-175 in favor of creating a non-partisan commission to investigate the terrorist insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6th.  All Democratic representatives voted to form the commission along with thirty-five House Republicans.  The remaining Republicans cast the "no" votes.  House Republican leaders Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise lobbied against the measure and encouraged their members not to support it, so the thirty-five Republicans who voted in favor of forming the commission showed a fair amount of personal fortitude in standing up against their party's leadership.

Republicans who opposed the creation of a special commission to investigate the riots at the Capitol argued that it was unnecessary because various police agencies are already looking into it.  Democrats countered that a special commission was necessary in order to compel certain people to testify, particularly members of Congress - some of whom may either have particular knowledge of what went on that day, and others of whom may have even had some involvement in the day's anarchy.

Even though the motion to form a special commission passed the House by a substantial vote margin, it is likely to fail in the Senate where the Senate's arcane rules will require sixty votes (of 100) for it to pass, and the Republican Party controls fifty seats.  The GOP Minority Leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, yesterday came out in opposition to the formation of the commission, a move that will likely kill it.   McConnell, who had been observed as visibly angry with the events of January 6th, and whose wife resigned early from her post as Secretary of Transportation as a direct result of the riots, now seems to sense a political advantage in throwing up roadblocks to a thorough investigation of the matter.

And if Mitch McConnell, a notorious impediment to democracy, doesn't want something to happen, chances are fairly good that it will not.  Thirty-five House members showed signs of growing spines yesterday.  It would be great if ten senators could do the same!

For the record, the thirty-five GOP House members who had to courage to stand tall for democracy were:  Don Bacon (NE), Cliff Bent (OR), Stephanie Bice (OK), Liz Cheney (WY), John Curtis (UT), Rodney Davis (IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Jeff Fortenberry (NE), Andrew Garbarino (NY), Carlos Gimenez (FL), Tony Gonzales (TX), Anthony Gonzales (OH), Michael Guest (MS), Jamie Herrera Beutler (WA), French Hill (AR), Trey Hollingsworth (IN), Chris Jacobs (NY), Dusty Johnson (SD), Dave Joyce (OH), John Katko (NY), Adam Kinzinger (IL), David McKinley (WV), Peter Meijer (MI), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA), Blake Moore (UT), Dan Newhouse (WA), Tom Reed (NY), Tom Rice (SC), Maria E. Salazar (FL), Mike Simpson (ID), Chris Smith (NJ), Van Taylor (TX), Fred Upton (MI), David Valadao (CA), and Steve Womack (AR).

My Republican Representative in Congress, Jason Smith (MO), didn't rise to the occasion.  No surprise there!