Dear Colleague to All Members on Establishing a Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol

Dear Colleague,

One year into the devastation of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sent a message to Congress, imploring Members to join as one to save the union.

"Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history," Lincoln said. "We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us."

Today, we have such a responsibility. And we too cannot escape history. We have the duty, to the Constitution and the Country, to find the truth of the January 6th Insurrection and to ensure that such an assault on our Democracy cannot happen again.

It is clear that January 6th was not simply an attack on a building, but an attack on our very Democracy.

It is imperative that we seek the truth of what happened. To do that, we had hoped that Congress would establish an independent, bipartisan 9/11-type Commission. We were successful with a strong bipartisan vote in the House, but Mitch McConnell asked GOP Senators to ‘do him a personal favor' and vote against the Commission. Despite the support of seven Republican Senators, there is no prospect for a Commission at this time.

That is why the House will be establishing a Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. It will investigate and report upon the facts and causes of the attack. It will report on conclusions and recommendations for preventing any future assault. And it will find the truth.

It is with sadness in not having a bipartisan 9/11-type Commission, with allegiance to our oath to the Constitution and with respect for the patriotism of House Members that I request your vote for the Select Committee.

Thank you for your consideration.

best regards,

NANCY PELOSI

Speaker of the House