"Donald Trump's big lie has now enveloped the Republican Party," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor.
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), called Friday’s vote one of the “defining moments that all of our colleagues need to take a look at, I think for the good of our country.”
Collins’ efforts to negotiate a compromise to allay some Republicans’ fears about the makeup of the commission failed to gain traction, with many Republicans opposing a separate commission regardless of its form. Democrats were also skeptical of her changes, arguing they already made alterations in the House to address Republicans’ concerns.
The proposed commission, modeled after the 9/11 Commission, would have equal subpoena power and an even split between Republican and Democratic appointees, both top Republican requests.
Romney described his colleagues' filibuster as “unfortunate."
“I think it would be appropriate to have further evaluation of what happened on Jan. 6 and who's responsible and how we can prevent that from happening again,” he said.
Cassidy warned of the consequences for Republicans of a partisan investigation. “The investigations will happen with or without Republicans,” he said, arguing that only Republican involvement would keep them “fair, impartial, and focused on the facts.”
The Senate voted on the Jan. 6 commission shortly before leaving for recess. It’s unclear if the concept might come back up for another vote, or whether Democrats will abandon the commission to pursue their own investigations. Friday’s filibuster, however, likely dooms the prospects of any comprehensive independent investigation into the insurrection.