ToplineOn Thursday, Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker, announced the formation of a select panel to investigate the attack on January 6th on the U.S. Capitol. She stated that there is no reason to believe the Senate will grant her wish and create an independent commission.Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker from California, speaks at a media event at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday June 24, 2021. Pelosi declared on Thursday that she is creating a special commission to investigate the Jan. 6, attack on Capitol. She stated that it was "imperative that truth be sought." (AP Photo/Alex Brandon). ASSOCIATED PRSThe Key FactsPelosi did not provide any details about the composition of the committee at a press conference, but many influential Democrats have advocated for Rep. Bennie Thompson to be the chair. Pelosi indicated that the committee would be bipartisan, despite objections by Kevin McCarthy, and expressed hope that he will appoint responsible individuals to the committee. She also said she didn't worry about the possibility of GOP opposition to the probe. Pelosi suggested that the committee would be more open-ended than the commission, and told reporters that the timeline will be as long as possible. Forbes reached out to McCarthys office for comments.Important BackgroundAlthough seven Republicans and five Democrats made up the Benghazi select panel, Democrats hold a much smaller majority than Republicans in 2014. When they voted together, the committee's composition gave Republicans control over witnesses as well as subpoenas.Important QuotePelosi stated that it was crucial that we find the truth about that day and prevent an attack of this nature when we announce the committee.Large Number10. This is how many Republican votes were needed for the independent commission to pass the Senate. Only six Senate Republicans supported it, while Sen. Pat Toomey (R. Pa.), was absent and claimed he would also have voted in favor.
