On Wednesday, House Republicans voted to create a select subcommittee tasked with looking into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, as well as reviewing the actions of the previous Democrat-led Jan. 6 committee. This decision follows over seven months since the subcommittee was initially proposed.
The subcommittee will operate within the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.). Previously, Loudermilk investigated the security measures at the Capitol and the previous Democratic-led committee’s efforts, which were initiated after Trump’s supporters breached the Capitol while contesting the 2020 election results.
Approval for the subcommittee’s formation was included in a procedural rule vote related to other legislative measures, rather than being presented as an independent bill. Such rule votes typically align strictly along party lines. The rule, including the Jan. 6 subcommittee, passed 212-208, with Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) voting “present.”
“I’m thankful to Speaker Johnson and my Republican colleagues for trusting me to continue investigating the January 6, 2021 events,” Loudermilk stated. “Even though our previous investigation was rigorous, there remain unanswered questions. Our mission is to uncover all facts and ensure security enhancements to prevent such failures in the future. We aim to complete the necessary work.”
The subcommittee will consist of eight members, three of whom will be chosen by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), subject to Speaker’s approval, while five will be appointed by the Speaker. They are tasked with submitting a final report by December 31, 2026.
Loudermilk will have full subpoena authority.
Although the panel was announced shortly after Trump’s inauguration in January, its authorization faced significant delays. Republican leaders initially prioritized other legislative actions and had jurisdiction conflicts with Loudermilk regarding the scope of the panel’s investigation into Jan. 6-related issues.
But Loudermilk got direct support from Trump as he pushed for the panel, and the jurisdictional disputes were resolved. Leadership revealed a resolution to create the panel in July.
The panel has the Judiciary Committee’s broad scope over law enforcement and more when investigating matters related to Jan. 6 and a source told The Hill that Loudermilk has commitment from chairmen from other areas of jurisdiction and the White House to green-light probes into any other lines of inquiry. That could include more investigation of the original Democratic-controlled Jan. 6 panel.
The Democrats’ previous Jan. 6 panel and its members, which included now-Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), received preemptive pardons from former President Biden on his last day in office amid threats of prosecution.
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who also sat on the original Jan. 6 Committee, has previously called the effort a way to distract from the uproar in the GOP over lack of disclosures from the Trump administration relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Loudermilk and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) both have some personal beef with the original Jan. 6 committee. Jordan refused to comply with a subpoena it issued him, arguing it was not a legitimate inquiry. And the panel asked Loudermilk to appear voluntarily to explain a tour he gave in the Capitol complex on Jan. 5, 2021 a request he said was meant to push a “false narrative.”
Loudermilk’s previous panel released an “interim report” in December 2024 that recommended a criminal investigation into Cheney, accusing her of witness tampering by being in touch with star hearing witness Cassidy Hutchinson.
