Hagel tells Republicans in Senate not to quash Jan. 6 investigation

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Senate Republicans plan to use a filibuster to kill the bipartisan investigation of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Chuck Hagel, former Nebraska lawmaker and secretary of defense, is urging them not to do that.

Thirty-five Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of forming the Jan. 6 commission to investigate the riots, two of whom — Reps. Don Bacon and Jeff Fortenberry — are from Nebraska. Hagel wants to remind Nebraska’s current U.S. senators that this isn’t about politics. “I think Nebraskans and others in the country are looking at Sen. Sasse and Sen. Fischer to do the right thing here, “he said. “As I said in the op-ed, I hope they would.”

Tim Roemer served on the 9/11 Commission, which got to the bottom of the terrorist attacks. He said it was important for everyone to know this isn’t about right and left, but right and wrong. He wants them to know why an independent committee is necessary to understand what happened Jan. 6 and prevent a repeat. “This mirrors a lot of what we attempted to do and pass,” he said. “The committee’s scope is focused on Jan. 6th, and subpoenas must be agreed upon by both the chair and vice chair. That is the way we did it on the 9/11 Commission.”

If the Senate does filibuster the creation of the Jan. 6 commission, it’s unclear what happens next. Congressional observers note that House Speaker Nanci Pelosi, D-Calif., could create a select committee similar to what Republicans did with Benghazi.

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