The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday to assemble an independent committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Of the 35 Republicans who voted in favor of the committee, two of them from Michigan were included: Fred Upton and Peter Meijer.
Both spoke during the debate and emphasized that the Jan. 6 riot should not be politicized.
“We need the answers, not political rhetoric. That's what this bipartisan commission can provide for all of us, for our country,” said Upton. “Let the truth shine in.”
“If we avoid confronting what happened here just a few short months ago, we can be sure that intimidation, coercion and violence will become a defining feature of our politics,” said Meijer.
Bill Huizenga voted against the legislation, one of five Michigan congressmen to do so. He issued a statement after the vote criticizing the bill.
“While the narrative surrounding this commission has been that it will be bipartisan, the fine print tells a different story. Democrats alone would control the process for requesting information from federal agencies as well as selecting key staff positions within the commission,” Huizenga said. “With one party controlling the information as well as senior staff, I don’t believe an objective, non-partisan conclusion can be delivered by the commission as the legislation is currently written.”
He added that if those concerns are addressed in an amended bill, he would consider supporting it.
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