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STARTING THE CONVERSATION ON THE PROPOSED JANUARY 6 COMMISSION Use this guide to kick off and guide a pro-democracy conversation about the January 6 Commission. You can find more Conversation Starters and get tips on initiating pro-democracy conversations here. The Background The attack on the U.S. Capital on January 6, 2021 left Americans in shock and full of questions. Many wanted to understand what went wrong and how the country could be better prepared to prevent similar events in the future. After significant events like this one, there is often a call to form a Congressional commission to investigate the incident. A Congressional commission is a group that is created to formally look into a particular event or problem, and publish findings and recommendations that advise Congress. While the information they obtain during this process can be extremely valuable, these commissions aren’t without issues and they can be challenging to get off the ground. The success of a commission comes down to how the commission members endorse the final findings, and how many of the proposed recommendations are implemented. Partisanship often comes into play as parties determine the makeup of the panel and scope of the commission. The results can leave one or both sides unsatisfied depending on whether the recommended actions had their intended effect or if those responsible were held accountable for their actions. One of the most well-known commissions is The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the United State or the 9/11 Commission. The commission appointees were split evenly between Democrats and Republicans, and all ten members endorsed the report and the majority of the recommendations were passed into law. In the case of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, formed following the 2008 financial crisis, six members were appointed by Democrats and four members were appointed by Republicans. In the end, the six Democratic appointees endorsed the report while the four Republicans did not. 1/4 STARTING THE CONVERSATION ON THE PROPOSED JANUARY 6 COMMISSION Timely Topic: House-Passed January 6 Commission Following the January 6 attack on the Capitol, the vast majority of Congressional members sharply rebuked what happened and calls for an investigation soon followed. Rep. Bennie Thompson, (D) Mississippi, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Rep. John Katko, (R) New York, the panel's ranking member, introduced bipartisan legislation to form the January 6 Commission. The National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act was modeled after the 9/11 Commission. The proposed panel would consist of ten members – five appointed by the Democratic leaders and five appointed by the Republican leaders. Commissioners could not be members of Congress or federal employees and the Democratic-appointed chairman and GOP-appointed vice chairman had to agree on issuing any subpoenas. The report, including findings and recommendations, had to be completed by the end of the year. The purpose of the commission would be to: 1. Conduct an investigation of the relevant facts and circumstances relating to the attack on the Capitol. 2. Identify, review, and evaluate the causes of and the lessons learned from this attack. 3. Submit specified reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations to improve the detection, prevention, preparedness for, and response to targeted violence and domestic terrorism and improve the security posture of the U.S. Capitol Complex. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support by a vote of 252 to 175, but in May 2021 it failed to reach the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster in the Senate. Explore Opinions: Thoughts on the January 6 Commission Here’s a sample of what people are saying either supporting or opposing the January 6 Commission. We’ve intentionally left out the commenters’ names so you can focus on the viewpoint itself, not the speaker’s affiliations. We can never put our country, our communities and our families through this again. This isn’t about pointing fingers, but learning from our experiences and promising to do better.” 2/4 This plan charts a course for progress and opportunity for all Americans. It will make a significant investment in broadband while also investing in long-neglected areas of our infrastructure, from clean water to schools, housing and child care facilities to seniors’ and long-term care and veterans’ facilities.” "Over 90% of the bill they're proposing has nothing to do with roads and bridges," calling it "Soviet-style infrastructure." “And it will be centered squarely on justice: with a Made in America tax plan that ensures that big corporations pay their fair share and with a laser-focus on creating opportunities for communities of color and rural areas too often left behind.” “It’s the single largest investment in American jobs since World War Two, and it’s a plan that puts millions of Americans to work to fix what’s broken in our country: tens of thousands of miles of roads and highways, thousands of bridges in desperate need of repair.” "For some reason, the Biden administration seems intent upon reversing the benefits of the tax reform back in 2017 and it's going to result in not just higher taxes, but lower wages and a weaker economy despite the funding for infrastructure" STARTING THE CONVERSATION ON THE PROPOSED JANUARY 6 COMMISSION In the aftermath of national crises, such as Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, or September 11th, our nation has established commissions so the American people know the truth and we can prevent these events from happening again.” It's not at all clear what new facts or additional investigation yet another commission could actually lay on top of existing efforts by law enforcement and Congress.” The idea that a commission or investigation must be bipartisan or voters won’t take it seriously exists in DC and vanishes once you step outside of it.” But if it’s going to go forward, it needs to be clearly balanced and not tilted one way or the other, so we have an objective evaluation.” Conversation Starters Was a January 6 Commission even needed, given that there are ongoing investigations into the attack by multiple Senate and House committees and law enforcement? How could this particular commission benefit Americans following the January 6 events? What do you see as the downsides to creating such a group? Would you back a commission if it was formed by a completely independent agency? Why or why not? In this hyper-partisan atmosphere, are these commissions valuable and useful to Americans? Are they worth the political circus that often follows? What can be done to keep partisan politics from interfering into investigations of this nature? How would you feel about Speaker Nancy Pelosi creating a House Select Committee to investigate the events of January 6? Given it would be made up of members of Congress instead of an independent panel, how would it change the outcome? 3/4 This plan charts a course for progress and opportunity for all Americans. It will make a significant investment in broadband while also investing in long-neglected areas of our infrastructure, from clean water to schools, housing and child care facilities to seniors’ and long-term care and veterans’ facilities.” "Over 90% of the bill they're proposing has nothing to do with roads and bridges," calling it "Soviet-style infrastructure." “And it will be centered squarely on justice: with a Made in America tax plan that ensures that big corporations pay their fair share and with a laser-focus on creating opportunities for communities of color and rural areas too often left behind.” “It’s the single largest investment in American jobs since World War Two, and it’s a plan that puts millions of Americans to work to fix what’s broken in our country: tens of thousands of miles of roads and highways, thousands of bridges in desperate need of repair.” "For some reason, the Biden administration seems intent upon reversing the benefits of the tax reform back in 2017 and it's going to result in not just higher taxes, but lower wages and a weaker economy despite the funding for infrastructure" STARTING THE CONVERSATION ON THE PROPOSED JANUARY 6 COMMISSION Learn More • Congress.gov: Read House Bill 3233 • Just Security: Compare Other Commissions Share With the Community Find us on social media and make your voice heard in the fight for democracy. Use #DemocracyChats and #JuntoClub to share what you’re learning from your pro-democracy conversations and what questions are sparking the best discussions in your circles. 4/4 This plan charts a course for progress and opportunity for all Americans. It will make a significant investment in broadband while also investing in long-neglected areas of our infrastructure, from clean water to schools, housing and child care facilities to seniors’ and long-term care and veterans’ facilities.” "Over 90% of the bill they're proposing has nothing to do with roads and bridges," calling it "Soviet-style infrastructure." “And it will be centered squarely on justice: with a Made in America tax plan that ensures that big corporations pay their fair share and with a laser-focus on creating opportunities for communities of color and rural areas too often left behind.” “It’s the single largest investment in American jobs since World War Two, and it’s a plan that puts millions of Americans to work to fix what’s broken in our country: tens of thousands of miles of roads and highways, thousands of bridges in desperate need of repair.” "For some reason, the Biden administration seems intent upon reversing the benefits of the tax reform back in 2017 and it's going to result in not just higher taxes, but lower wages and a weaker economy despite the funding for infrastructure".

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