How the House will investigate the Capitol riot: Yahoo News Explains – Yahoo News

After the formation of an independent bipartisan commission was blocked by Senate Republicans, the House of Representatives voted to establish a select committee to investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Yahoo News Senior Reporter Caitlin Dickson explains the questions the investigation hopes to answer.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

CAITLIN DICKSON: We've all seen the footage. Thousands of Trump supporters gather in Washington for a rally.

DONALD TRUMP: We will never give up. We will never concede.

CAITLIN DICKSON: Once the speeches are over, many march onto the Capitol.

- We're storming the capitol.

CAITLIN DICKSON: As the crowd advances and become more agitated, they begin clashing with Capitol Police, and eventually they force their way inside.

- Defend the Constitution! Defend your liberty!

- (CHANTING) Treason! Treason! Treason!

CAITLIN DICKSON: More than 140 law enforcement officers were injured in the violence that unfolded on January 6th, and five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died. There's no denying what happened. Millions of people watched it live on television, but half a year later, there's still a lot of questions about how and why.

In May, Republican senators blocked formation of a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol riot. So, the Democrat-led House of Representatives have voted to form a select committee instead.

- The resolution is adopted.

[BANGS GAVEL]

CAITLIN DICKSON: The House select committee is separate from the two Senate committees that published a report of their own January 6 probe in June, as well as the hundreds of other criminal cases that are being pursued by law enforcement, and if that sounds confusing, don't worry. You're not alone. Here's what you need to know.

What are they trying to find out? There are tons of unanswered questions when it comes to the January 6 Capitol attack. Why were the Capitol Police and other law enforcement so unprepared? Why weren't potential threats posted on social media sites, like Parler, taken seriously by the FBI? To what extent were those potential threats overlooked because of concerns about upsetting the president? Were Trump or any of his aides warned about the potential for violence resulting from the Stop the Steal rally? If so, how and why did they decide to go ahead with the speech on the Ellipse anyway? What communication did the White House have with Congress during the attack we? Already know that Trump spoke on the phone with House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, during the riot. What exactly did that conversation entail? What other communications did Trump and others in the White House, or within his broader orbit, have during the riots? And what did Republican members of Congress know about the potential for violence? Was the attack in any way aided by members of the government?

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And those are just some of the loose ends. As more details are uncovered, they'll lead to even more questions. What power does this committee have? The select committee will have full subpoena power. That means they can request documents and records, and also call key people to testify in person. We don't know who will be called yet, but potential witnesses include rally organizers, members of the Trump administration, members of Congress, even possibly Trump himself, though it's not totally clear if they could compel him to appear.

Who will be on this committee? The select committee will have 13 members. Eight of them have already been appointed by House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, including seven democrats and one of the two republicans who voted in favor of the investigation, Congresswoman, Liz Cheney. The other 5 will be chosen in consultation with House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, but ultimately Pelosi has the final say. The establishment of this house select committee is really just the first step in what could be a months or even years-long process. It's going to be partisan. It's definitely going to be divisive, and hopefully, once it's done, we'll know what really happened.

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How the House will investigate the Capitol riot: Yahoo News Explains - Yahoo News