Congressman Tim Ryan Helps Create Bipartisan Commission to Investigate Capitol Insurrection

Press Release

Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) today voted on legislation to create a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate the January 6th domestic terrorism attack on the United States Capitol and recommend changes to further protect the Capitol, the citadel of our democracy. The commission will build upon other investigations regarding the attack and report to the President and Congress regarding its findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective measures taken to prevent future acts of targeted violence and domestic terrorism.

"There are big challenges we face as a country, and I believe Democrats and Republicans can join together and solve those challenges -- but only if we're starting from the same set of facts. I look forward to this bipartisan, non-biased commission helping us establish a common foundation that we can build upon in Congress as we work together to heal this country and move forward," said Congressman Tim Ryan. "The findings of this report will be key to opening the Capitol Complex again to the American public -- as it should be -- and reaffirming the sanctity of our democratic process."

Congressman Ryan delivered a fiery speech on the House floor admonishing a majority of Republicans for refusing to work together to establish the commission. The full version of his speech can be viewed here.

Commission details:

The Commission will be charged with studying the facts and circumstances of the January 6th attack on the Capitol as well as the influencing factors that may have provoked the attack on our democracy.
Like the 9/11 Commission, the measure establishes a 10-person bipartisan commission with five commissioners, including the Chair, appointed by the Speaker of the House and Majority Leader of the Senate and five commissioners, including the Vice Chair, be appointed by the Minority Leaders of the House and Senate.
Commissioners must have significant expertise in the areas of law enforcement, civil rights, civil liberties, privacy, intelligence, and cybersecurity. Current government officers or employees are prohibited from appointment.
Like the 9/11 Commission, the Commission will be granted authority to issue subpoenas to secure information to carry out its investigation but requires agreement between the Chair and the Vice Chair or a vote by a majority of Commission members.
The Commission will be required to issue a final report with findings regarding the facts and causes of the attack, along with recommendations to prevent future attacks on our democratic institutions, by December 31, 2021.
The January 6th attack was a complex attack that saw many federal, state, and local entities responding. Since shortly after the attack, Rep. Ryan has been calling for the creation of a 9/11-style commission comprised of a group of bipartisan experts to get to the truth of how the January 6th assault happened and ensure that it can never happen again.

Link to H.R. 3233 Text
Link to Legislation Fact Sheet
Link to Legislation Section by Section Summary

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