National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 3233, which would create an independent, bipartisan ``National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex.''

The attack on the Capitol was one of the darkest days in our Nation's history--an assault on the foundation of our democratic system, and an attempt to stop Congress's work through violence. I am proud that we didn't let the attempt succeed: thanks to the heroism and incredible sacrifices of the U.S. Capitol Police that day to defend the heart of our democracy, both houses of Congress returned to the Capitol and worked through the night to certify and uphold the will of the American people.

Now, it is our duty to ensure that such an attack on our democracy is never able to happen again. That work begins with ensuring that we have an honest, independent investigation of what happened that day and how it was possible--a task perfectly suited for the commission the House has voted to create today, with bipartisan support. This bill creates a 1/6 Commission that follows the model set by the 9/11 Commission, whose landmark investigation wasn't just for Washington insiders or policy wonks, but the American people.

The 9/11 Commission's final report was written in easily accessible prose, and published as a bestselling paperback which was available in bookstores and newsstands across the country. It helped ordinary Americans understand how such an appalling attack had been possible, who needed to be held accountable, and what we as a nation had to do to ensure it would never happen again.

And two decades later, its impact hasn't faded: even today, a whole generation of Americans who were just children on 9/11, or were even born after the attacks, have looked to the Commission's work to help them make sense of that dark chapter in our history.

The Commission also delivered a vital wake-up call to our national security establishment. As one of the first dozen staff members at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which grew out of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, I saw firsthand how the Commission's independent investigation pushed our government to meet the serious challenges we faced. I keep my original, dog-eared copy of the 9/11 Commission report in my congressional office as a constant reminder, because it drove systemic change where systemic failures had occurred.

The 1/6 Commission that the House has approved today is built on the same principles that enabled the success of the 9/11 Commission: It has a bipartisan structure--five Republicans, five Democrats--and bipartisan support in Congress.

It will operate by consensus and will have the subpoena power, budget and staff needed to conduct a proper investigation.

And it has a mandate to look at the full scope of facts and causes that led to or influenced this specific, unprecedented attack on our democracy. As those of us from Michigan are well aware, this attack didn't happen in isolation. It was the result of months, if not years, of escalating rhetoric and activity--which is why it's vital that this commission has a strong, focused mandate.

But even beyond its structure, what characterized the 9/11 Commission's work was a commitment among its members to work together in good faith, to uncover the truth behind what led to the attack on our Nation, no matter how disturbing or painful.

As Governor Tom Kean and Congressman Lee Hamilton, the bipartisan leaders of the 9/11 Commission, said in a statement today, it was their commitment to ``put country over party, without bias'' that led to the ``unity of purpose [that] was key to [its] effectiveness.''

The Commission's findings and work were seen as objective and legitimate because of that combination of structure and patriotic, good faith commitment--the model only works if we have both.

That's why it's so important that this is, from its very design, a bipartisan initiative. To that end, I want to take a moment to thank Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Katko for their leadership and their commitment to finding this consensus.

As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and as Chair of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism, I have been honored to work alongside them both over the past few years. Their collaboration sets an example that we would all do well to follow.

We cannot allow this vital inquiry to turn into a political football--it's simply too important to our country. That's why I opposed an early proposal for this bill that skewed the number of commissioners towards Democratic appointees.

I'm committed to ensuring that this commission has the credibility it needs to take on this investigation, and I am pleased that the bill we passed today gives it the structural integrity it needs. That's why I urge my Republican colleagues in the Senate to take the time, and do what I did last week: actually sit down and read this bill.

Print out a copy of it, as well a copy of the bill from 2002 which created the 9/11 Commission. Put them side-by-side, take out a pen and mark up the similarities.

You'll see that in so many cases, this bill uses the exact same language on scope, participation and authorities as the 9/11 Commission authorization, which was approved by a Republican-led House, and signed into law by a Republican president.

Because, let's be clear: if you oppose this bill and the commission it creates, you would have opposed the 9/11 Commission twenty years ago. The American people deserve the truth, and we owe it to them as their elected representatives to ensure they hear it in its entirety from an independent and objective body they can trust. And if you oppose this bipartisan legislation, you are choosing political expediency over ensuring that our citizens hear the truth they deserve.

The 9/11 attacks took place during my first week of graduate school, and I joined the CIA because I wanted to help make sure nothing like it ever happened again--a motivation that was informed by a clear understanding of what had happened and of our own failures, made possible by the 9/11 Commission.

Today, I will cast my vote in support of taking the next step that will help us understand this attack on our Nation--no matter how disturbing or painful that truth may be.

Its work will be vital to meeting the new security challenges we face, and to beginning to heal the divisions across our country. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join the House in passing this bill and starting an honest conversation with the American people.

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