Republicans block Capitol riots probe

Displaying loyalty to Trump, GOP foils bid to create 9/11-style panel to investigate Capitol Hill violence

Senate Republicans blocked creation of a bipartisan panel to investigate the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol, displaying continuing party loyalty to former President Donald Trump and firm determination to shift the political focus away from the violent insurrection by his GOP supporters. The Senate vote on Friday was 54-35 — six short of the 60 needed — to take up a House-passed Bill that would have formed an independent 10-member commission evenly split between the two parties. It came a day after emotional appeals for the commission from police who fought the mob, the family of an officer who died and lawmakers in both parties who fled Capitol chambers in the worst attack on the building in two centuries. The Republicans were mostly but not totally united: Six voted with Democrats to move forward. Eleven Senators — nine Republicans and two Democrats — missed the vote, an unusually high number of absentees for one of the highest-profile votes of the year. At least one of the missing Republicans would have voted in favour of considering the commission, according to his office.