Republican Richard Burr Voted to Convict Trump But He Opposes 1/6 Commission

The GOP enabled Donald Trump for 4 years. But following the end of his term, 7 Republican senators crossed party lines to convict Trump of impeachment.

The senate will soon vote on holding a 1/6 commission to investigate the lead-up to the Capitol insurrection. And in order for the commission to happen, 10 GOP senators would have to support the message. The odds of that happening took a hit today when Richard Burr said he would vote against the measure.

Burr had voted to convict Trump of impeachment in February. He said at the time, “As I said on January 6^th, the President bears responsibility for these tragic events. The evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection.”

But in regards to the 1/6 commission, the North Carolina lawmaker remarked, “These investigations are being led by the committees with jurisdiction, and I believe, as I always have, this is the appropriate course. I don’t believe establishing a new commission is necessary or wise.”

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Of the other 6 Republicans who voted for impeachment, only Bill Cassidy seems to be fully willing to support the commission. Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey say they are undecided and Lisa Murkowski hasn’t made a statement either way. Susan Collins and Mitt Romney are still hoping to negotiate terms.

Now that the insurrection is months away, Republicans have become less willing to punish or blame Trump. Burr’s decision is a good example of that, especially for a lawmaker who is planning on retiring.

Todd Neikirk

Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey based politics and technology writer. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com and hillreporter.com. He enjoys sports, politics, comic books and spending time at the shore with his family.