2 IL Republicans Push For Panel To Investigate Capitol Siege

CHANNAHON, IL — Two Illinois Republicans this week joined the state’s 12 Democrats to vote in favor of a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the nation’s Capitol.

The Illinois Republicans were Adam Kinzinger of Channahon and Rodney Davis of Taylorville, who joined a total of 35 Republicans in supporting the commission, the Chicago Tribune reports.

In a statement, Kinzinger addressed the siege on the Capitol — something he called a "coup attempt" — saying he hopes an investigatory commission “is successful in shedding light on the truth.”

“This should not be about party politics; this should not be a partisan fight,” Kinzinger said. “The insurrection on January 6th was an attack on all who work at the Capitol — both Democrats and Republicans were hiding out and fearing for their lives that day."

"It was an attack on our democracy, and a violent attempt to stop us from fulfilling our legislative duties," he continued. "It was an attack on our Constitution, and now, it is our responsibility to get a full accounting of what led to it and what improvements we must make to prevent future violent acts from happening again."

According to the Tribune, Reps. Mike Bost, Darin LaHood and Mary Miller — the remaining Republican members of the Illinois congressional delegation — voted against the commission.

Read more: Kinzinger Votes To Punish GOP's Greene For Conspiracy Talk

Rep. Robin Kelly, chair of the state’s Democratic Party, told the Tribune the Republicans “cannot be taken seriously as representatives of the people of Illinois. They faced danger from the angry mob that stormed the Capitol that fateful day and still refuse to seek the truth and protect our democracy.”

A frequent critic of former President Donald Trump, Kinzinger said at the time of the insurrection, "the storming of the Capitol was a coup attempt with the purpose of overturning the election of a duly elected president."

"The current president incited this coup, encouraged it and did little to protect the Capitol and the Constitution," he continued.

Read more:

• 'This Is A Coup Attempt:' IL Congressman Kinzinger
• 2 IL Republicans Join Effort To Overturn Presidential Election

In December 2020, Davis and Kinzinger acted counter to other Illinois Republicans in refusing to sign an amicus brief supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit to overturn the presidential election.

"The @FBI did not rig the election. If you find yourself believing they did, please stop, and say it out loud, and you will realize how silly it sounds," Kinzinger tweeted, accusing the president of "simply flooding the zone with baseless conspiracies again."

Kinzinger, who supported the impeachment of Trump, also voted to punish Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene by removing her from several House committees after she endorsed false conspiracies in February.

Read more:

• Kinzinger Fed Up With Trump's Election Conspiracy Theories
• 'The President Is Unfit:' Kinzinger Calls For 25th Amendment

On Jan. 13, Kinzinger posted the following remarks on his Twitter account: "It was a sobering moment to vote in support of impeachment today; to walk over to the U.S. Capitol, our symbol of democracy, and recall the violent insurrection we witnessed here just one week ago. This is not a vote I took lightly, but a vote I took confidently. I'm at peace."