Pelosi Signals Support for 9/11-Style Commission to Investigate Capitol Riot

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:26 pm

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in an interview with USA Today she supports establishing a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Capitol riot of January 6 if Republicans don’t budge on their demands to narrow the scope of the investigation into the deadly attack.

“The one thing among our members that is consistent is – we must find the truth,” Pelosi said, pointing out that an investigation could be spearheaded by the standing committees of Congress or by a select committee like the one Republicans established in 2012 to investigate the attack in Benghazi.

It’s always an option,” she said. “It’s not my preference in any way. My preference would be to have a commission.” 

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The riot, which kicked off after a mob of former President Donald Trump‘s supporters, spurred by his falsehoods about the election being fraudulent, stormed the United States Capitol in a bid to delay the electoral certification of President Joe Biden‘s win. Five people died as a result of the attack, including a Capitol Police officer who later died of his injuries.

Since then, another Capitol Police officer has died after a driver rammed his vehicle into the north barricade of the Capitol complex and the debate over security and fencing at the Capitol has continued. Congress has yet to act on the recommendations outlined in the security review headed by retired Army Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, who, among other things, recommended installing mobile fencing around the Capitol and increasing security for legislators in their district offices and in their homes.

For her part, Pelosi says she will “never forgive” the trauma caused by the rioters.

“I was never personally afraid because I had so much security for myself,” she said. “I was afraid for everybody else, and I’ll never forgive them the trauma that they caused to the staff and the members. I do think it will have an impact on how people decide to come to work here or stay to work here and the rest.”

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.