Six Senate Republicans broke from party leadership to vote in favor of the commission.
Supporters of the January 6 commission — including the mother of a Capitol Police officer who died the day after the riot — pleaded with GOP senators throughout the week in order to convince at least 10 Republicans to back the plan, but they were unsuccessful.
Republicans in the chamber faced pressure to vote down the bill from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who objected to the proposed legislation, arguing that such a commission could prove politically problematic for the GOP ahead of the 2022 midterms.
These are the six senators who voted to advance the bill:
- Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- Sen. Susan Collins of Maine
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio
- Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah
- Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska
