Stephen Colbert on Wednesday criticized Republicans who opposed legislation establishing a commission to investigate the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January that then-President Donald Trump helped incite.
GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise came out against the bill, even though its components were the result of an agreement struck by Republican Rep. John Katko of New York.
Katko, as Colbert pointed out, is one of 29 Republican lawmakers who, along with an equal number of Democrats, make up the Problem Solvers Caucus.
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“Hey, I thought all members of the House were supposed to be members of the Problem Solvers Caucus. That’s why we send them to Washington,” the late-night host quipped. “Though I guess these days a lot of them go down to Mar-a-Lago to meet with ‘the problem.’”
In explaining their opposition to the bill, McCarthy and Scalise for some reason claimed the commission it creates should also investigate Black Lives Matter protests, antifa, and the death of a U.S. Capitol police officer in April.
“OK, but it’s the Commission on January 6,” Colbert noted. “That’s like being upset that the movie Halloween doesn’t investigate what happened on Arbor Day.”
The bill ultimately passed, with 35 Republicans supporting it and 175 voting against it. One ‘no’ vote came from Indiana Rep. Greg Pence, the brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, whose name was chanted at the Jan. 6 riot by those who wanted him hanged.
“That certainly changes the meaning to this text from Greg: ‘Hey bro! Wanna hang this weekend?’” Colbert joked.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Wednesday asserted that the legislation is “slanted and unbalanced,” even though it gives each party the same number of appointments and subpoena power.
