Deal reached on bipartisan commission to review US Capitol riot

Washington, May 15 (IANS) Democratic and Republican members of the US House Homeland Security Committee have reached an agreement on a legislation to establish a bipartisan 9/11-style commission to review the deadly January 6 Capitol riot, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

"It is imperative that we seek the truth of what happened on January 6 with an independent, bipartisan 9/11-type Commission to examine and report upon the facts, causes and security relating to the terrorist mob attack," Pelosi said in a statement on Friday.

A House floor vote was expected as soon as next week, she added.

Under the agreement, the bill will call for an investigation into the riot and "the interference with the peaceful transfer of power, including facts and causes relating to the preparedness and response of the US Capitol Police, as well as the influencing factors that fomented such attack on American representative democracy", reports Xinhua news agency

The commission would include 10 members with expertise in law enforcement and national security backgrounds, with each party appointing five, according to a report by The Hill.

The deal is yet to secure the support of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who said earlier on Friday that he still need to fully read the legislation which would need a wide-ranging purview,.

The January 6 riots were staged by supporters of former President Donald Trump while Congress was in session considering the ratification of the electoral college votes electing Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President.

Five people, including a police officer, were killed in the ensuing violence.

The evenly split Senate in February acquitted Trump on one article of impeachment for inciting insurrection leading to the Capitol riot.