McConnell said Senate GOP ‘undecided’ on commission to investigate Jan. 6 Capitol siege. 8 Senate Republicans voted against certifying the election after the attack.

• Sen. McConnell said the Senate GOP is “undecided” on whether to back a commission to probe the Capitol siege.
• The House is set to vote on a bill to establish a commission to probe the Jan. 6 riots.
• Eight GOP senators voted to overturn the election even after the insurrection.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday the Senate Republicans are “undecided” on whether to support a committee to look into the Capitol riots.

The House is set to vote on a Democratic lawmaker-backed bill to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the events that transpired on January 6, when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol as lawmakers were voting to certify the results of the 2020 election.

Even after the January 6 siege on the Capitol, 147 GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate voted to overturn the election, including eight senators, who backed challenges to certifying Arizona and Pennsylvania’s electors:

• Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas – Arizona and Pennsylvania
• Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri – Arizona and Pennsylvania
• Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama – Arizona and Pennsylvania
• Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas – Arizona and Pennsylvania
• Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi – Arizona and Pennsylvania
• Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana – Arizona
• Sen. Rick Scott of Florida – Pennsylvania
• Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming – Pennsylvania

If approved by the House – which it is poised to do given the Democratic party majority – the bill goes to the Senate to confirm the commission. At least 10 Republican senators must support the bill for it to pass. McConnell said members of his caucus want to “read the fine print” of the legislation.

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“I think I’m safe in characterizing our conference as willing to listen to the arguments about whether such a commission is needed,” McConnell told reporters Tuesday.

House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy pushed against the commission, describing the nature of the probe as “duplicative and potentially counterproductive.”

“Given the political misdirections that have marred this process, given the now duplicative and potentially counterproductive nature of this effort, and given the Speaker’s shortsighted scope that does not examine interrelated forms of political violence in America, I cannot support this legislation,” McCarthy said in a statement on Tuesday.

McConnell’s remarks came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged to “put the Jan. 6 commission legislation on the floor of the Senate for a vote,” regardless of GOP opposition to the commission.

“Republicans can let their constituents know: Are they on the side of truth or do they want to cover up for the insurrectionists and for Donald Trump?” he said Tuesday.

McConnell said the Senate GOP will “react accordingly” should the legislation reach the Senate floor.