In response to the need for a thorough investigation into the January 6 assault on our U.S. Capitol, the National Council on Election Integrity has today launched a new $250,000 digital ad buy calling on Congress to create a bipartisan and independent commission to investigate the root causes that led to the attack on our representative democracy and prevent future attacks.
The ads link to a new statement from the council calling for a commission modeled after the successful 9/11 Commission in order to conclusively determine what happened, how it happened, and to identify the steps we need to take to prevent this from ever happening again. The two-week digital ad buy will appear across the websites of Axios, CNN, New York Times, Politico, and the Washington Post.
The bipartisan council — which is a project of Issue One and is composed of more than 40 former elected officials, former Cabinet secretaries, retired military officials, and civic leaders — works to defend the legitimacy of our elections and protect our democratic norms and institutions.
“Congress can take a crucial step to protect our democratic republic and get the answers Americans deserve by building a comprehensive understanding of the root causes that led to the siege. Partisan differences, so acute in Congress at this moment, should not stand in the way of this critically needed commission. We must all put country before party to get this job done,” says the statement.
Former Ambassador Tim Roemer (D-IN), a former congressman and member of the council who served on and played an instrumental role in passing legislation establishing the 9/11 Commission, added: “If the events of January 6 taught us anything, it’s that we must treat domestic terrorism as seriously as we do foreign terrorism. This commission must get to the bottom of what transpired on that dark day, but it needs to be forward looking. Preventing further deadly attacks on our soil, and combating disinformation which is spreading throughout our representative democracy like a cancer, must now be a national priority. This is a mission that should unite all Americans.”
Former Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), who built bipartisan support for the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said: “Americans were outraged by the rioters who stormed our U.S. Capitol on January 6. This is not who we are as a country. No matter our differing political views, we all have a responsibility to meet at the water’s edge on issues of national security and put our country above our party.”
The National Council on Election Integrity’s statement concludes by saying: “It is time for members of Congress to come together to protect our freedom and safety, and to ensure this kind of tragedy never happens again. Failure is not an option.”
The full statement reads:
“On January 6, following a months-long disinformation campaign to sow distrust in our elections, a violent mob of Americans assaulted the U.S. Capitol and a cornerstone of our constitutional process — the peaceful transfer of power. People died, legislators were threatened, and the world watched in horror. This was a reprehensible attack on our representative democracy and one of the darkest days in American history.
“Congress should act expeditiously to pass legislation to create a bipartisan and independent commission, modeled on the 9/11 Commission, to thoroughly investigate what happened, how it happened, and to identify what steps must be taken to prevent this from ever happening again. Congress should provide the commission with subpoena power, have an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, and build on the oversight committee work of Congress, various law enforcement reports, and intelligence reviews of the events leading up to January 6.
“Congress can take a crucial step to protect our democratic republic and get the answers Americans deserve by building a comprehensive understanding of the root causes that led to the siege. Partisan differences, so acute in Congress at this moment, should not stand in the way of this critically needed commission. We must all put country before party to get this job done.
“It is time for members of Congress to come together to protect our freedom and safety, and to ensure this kind of tragedy never happens again. Failure is not an option.”
