5/19/21 McCarthy Won't Take Yes for an Answer on the January 6 Commission

Kevin McCarthy is running scared. As the trumpiest Trumpist around, the House Minority Leader wanted to throw a wrench in the plans for a bipartisan commission to study the insurrection attempt on January 6.

He came up with three demands he figured would work: Equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats, co-equal subpoena power and no "predetermined conclusions," a laughably vague statement. What McCarthy means is that anything that might touch Trump is verboten. McCarthy continues to say that the commission should also study violence in smaller American cities by groups like Black Lives Matter. Most Democrats are responding with the equivalent of a blast of kazoos.

Thanks to Democrats' canny decision to grant McCarthy his three wishes, House Republicans will be hard put to say No to the bill.

The 1/6 commission will be made up of 10 members with knowhow about law enforcement and national security. None will have a role in the current government. Each party will appoint five people. They'd finish their report by year's end. The deal is the brainchild of one of McCarthy's good friends, Rep. John Katko of New York. Katko is one of ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after January 6. Katko isn't happy that McCarthy is bucking the plan he hammered out with Democrats.

While McCarthy flails, a bill to set up the commission will go to a vote in the House on Wednesday, and it's expected to pass. As for the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says, "I think I'm safe in characterizing our conference as willing to listen to the arguments about whether such a commission is needed." Ominous words, for sure.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised that the bill on the 1/6 commission will go to a vote on the Senate floor.

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/554201-gop-splits-open-over-jan-6-commission-vote?fbclid=IwAR0dNnFovMavhdDY5Ol8hofF8OBI_iHkNtkygIfRTbiPF-vULZ-h7SLoJOY What do you think McCarthy will do next to stall the bill?

What could Mitch McConnell or other Senators do to stall the bill?

Do you think the Democrats gave away too much on the commission makeup to pacify Republicans' concerns?