Pelosi makes concession on subpoenas for 9/11 style commission to investigate insurrection
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is allowing the 9/11-style commission that will investigate the January 6 insurrection to use subpoenas in two different ways, a source familiar told CNN on Thursday morning.
The first way the commission can issue a subpoena is by a joint decision from the chair and vice chair, or the top Democrat and Republican, on the commission. The second way is by a majority vote by the commission.
Originally, Pelosi wanted subpoena power just by the Democratic chair or the majority of the panel.
CNN reported first on Tuesday that Pelosi offered a significant change to her plans for a 9/11-style commission to investigate what led up to the Capitol insurrection on January 6, proposing to create an independent panel with an equal number of Republican and Democratic members, a source familiar with the negotiations told CNN.
Punchbowl news first reported the proposed use of subpoenas.
It’s still unclear whether the change will be enough for Republicans to get on board. As Pelosi herself has said, the makeup of the proposed commission was just one of the sticking points that had stalled talks on the commission, with Democrats and Republicans at odds over the scope of what the panel would investigate — including former President Donald Trump’s role leading up to the insurrection. Republicans are calling for an examination of violence surrounding last year’s protests of police brutality, too.
Despite Pelosi saying in a letter to colleagues last Friday that she had offered Republicans a new proposal, none of the key players involved in the negotiations say they have seen the updated plan. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and House administration committee ranking member Rodney Davis all say they have not received a proposal that includes these changes.
