House Republicans have voted to establish a new subcommittee to reinvestigate the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, a move Democrats condemn as an attempt to rewrite the narrative and shift blame from Donald Trump.
The subcommittee, approved along party lines, will be chaired by Representative Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, who has full subpoena authority. The resolution states the panel is authorised to conduct a full investigation and issue a final report by 31 December 2026.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the subcommittee will “uncover the full truth that is owed to the American people”, echoing Republican claims that the previous Democratic-led inquiry was biased against Trump. Loudermilk added: “Our goal is to answer the remaining questions, uncover all the facts, and implement reforms so this level of security failure never happens again.”
Democrats have decried the move as a Republican-led effort to exonerate Trump, who on his first day in office issued 1,500 pardons to those involved in the attack, including individuals convicted of violent acts.
The original January 6 committee, which released an 845-page report in 2022, concluded that Trump summoned supporters to the capital based on false election fraud claims and refused repeated requests to instruct them to disperse.
