May 24, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Romney first Senate Republican to express support for Jan. 6 commission bill

Axios

Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, April 27 — Sen. Mitt Romney at an April Senate hearing in Washington, D.C. Photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told reporters Monday he "would support" a House-passed bill to create a commission to investigate the deadly Capitol riots.

Why it matters: Romney is the first Republican senator to publicly support the bill to set up a bipartisan 9/11-style commission looking into the Jan. 6 insurrection.

10 Republicans are needed for the bill to pass the Senate.

The big picture: The House passed the bill last week with 35 Republicans voting for the measure, despite opposition from Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and GOP leadership.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has promised to hold a vote on the bill soon, but it's unclear whether it will gain enough Republican support to pass.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said told he could not support the measure in its current form.

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Romney first Senate Republican to express support for Jan. 6 commission bill

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