Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Monday that Congress will hold a “9/11 type commission” to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
Five people died amid the riot, including a Capitol Police officer. More than 140 officers were injured. The insurrection interrupted the counting of the Electoral College, and forced the Senate, House and Vice President Mike Pence to be moved to a secure location as a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump seized the Capitol building.
The unprecedented security failure prompted the chief of the Capitol Police, House sergeant at arms and the Senate sergeant at arms all to resign.
The FBI said late last month that more than 400 suspects had been identified. There have been nearly 150 arrests reported stemming from the Capitol riot.
Pelosi’s announcement comes just two days following the end of the Trump impeachment trial. Trump was acquitted after House Democrats accused Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection. During the trial, the House showed video evidence that included security footage of the riot.
“It is clear from his findings and from the impeachment trial that we must get to the truth of how this happened,” Pelosi said in a letter to House colleagues. “To protect our security, our security, our security, our next step will be to establish an outside, independent 9/11-type Commission to ‘investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to the January 6, 2021 domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex… and relating to the interference with the peaceful transfer of power, including facts and causes relating to the preparedness and response of the United States Capitol Police and other Federal, State, and local law enforcement in the National Capitol Region.’”
On Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump's spread of false conspiracy theories about the election were partially to blame for the insurrection.
“This was done intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories orchestrated by an outgoing president who seemed determined to either overturn the voter's decision or else torch our institutions on the way out. The unconscionable behavior did not end when the violence actually began,” McConnell said.