Members of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus Praise Bipartisan Jan. 6 Investigation

In an open letter sent to lawmakers on Capitol Hill this morning, 51 members of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus — a bipartisan coalition made up of former members of Congress, governors, and Cabinet officials — are applauding the bipartisan House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack for their leadership and pursuit of the truth.

“As former members, we know firsthand how essential bipartisan cooperation is for the preservation of our republic and our shared values, and we strongly commend the contributions of Republican members Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger,” the letter states. “We sincerely hope other Republicans will join efforts to pursue the truth and facts surrounding the events of January 6.”

The letter goes on to say: “The January 6 assault presented both a warning and a call to action. The members of the Select Committee on the January 6 Attack are responding to this call by conducting a good-faith, bipartisan, and detailed investigation into the events of that day. Each of these members deserves our deepest thanks for their willingness to put country over party and prioritize our national security.”

“While our preference was a 9/11-style commission without any elected officials on it, the Select Committee on Jan. 6 is doing very important work in a bipartisan manner,” said ReFormers Caucus Co-chair Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN). “Instead of blasting patriots for doing what their oath of office calls them to do, we should applaud their courage and encourage them to get to the bottom of the facts and disclose them to the public. Even the tribalism of today’s politics should not tolerate what happened on January 6. Congresswoman Liz Cheney has shown extraordinary courage in the face of unruly opposition. She and Congressman Kinzinger are honoring their oath of office.”

Added ReFormers Caucus Co-chair Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN): “Nearing the one year mark of the insurrection against our representative democracy, we are still bitterly divided and polarized. Thanks to the diligent, fair, and bipartisan work of the select committee, we are starting to scratch the surface of who attacked the Capitol and the critical timeline of events. We must continue to investigate and uncover the details for our national security and for our national unity.”

Issue One previously advocated for an independent commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, convening events with 9/11 commissioners, a 9/11 family member, and former Defense Secretary and National Council on Election Integrity member Chuck Hagel earlier this year to discuss the critical need for a thorough and objective investigation so that we can take the necessary steps to prevent future violence and loss of life.

Though the effort to create an independent commission fell short, despite earning strong bipartisan support in Congress, “all of the Members of the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack are using their authority to effectively pursue that mission, and we write to express our gratitude for their leadership,” the new letter states.

The letter concludes by saying: “We encourage the Committee to continue this process of bipartisan leadership, cooperation, and transparency to obtain a full account of the facts and, most importantly, to ensure such an attack never happens again.”

Read the full text of the letter.

The full list signatories includes:

• Honorable J. Gresham Barrett (R-SC)
• Honorable Mark Begich (D-AK)
• Honorable Douglas Bereuter (R-NE)
• Honorable Charles Boustany (R-LA)
• Honorable Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL)
• Honorable Rod Chandler (R-WA)
• Honorable Tom Coleman (R-MO)
• Honorable Barbara Comstock (R-VA)
• Honorable Jerry Costello (D-IL)
• Honorable Carlos Curbelo (R-FL)
• Honorable Charlie Dent (R-PA)
• Honorable Charles Djou (R-HI)
• Honorable Donna Edwards (D-MD)
• Honorable Vic Fazio (D-CA)
• Honorable Russ Feingold (D-WI)
• Honorable Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
• Honorable Wayne T Gilchrest (R-MD)
• Honorable Dan Glickman (D-KS)
• Honorable Jim Greenwood (R-PA)
• Honorable Steve Gunderson (R-WI)
• Honorable Lee Hamilton (D-IN)
• Honorable Jane Harman (D-CA)
• Honorable Gary Hart (D-CO)
• Honorable Bob Inglis (R-SC)
• Honorable Jim Kolbe (R-AZ)
• Honorable Jim Leach (R-IA)
• Honorable Sandy Levin (D-MI)
• Honorable Thomas McMillen (D-MD)
• Honorable Brad Miller (D-NC)
• Honorable Connie Morella (R-MD)
• Honorable Susan Molinari (R-NY)
• Honorable Patrick E. Murphy (D-FL)
• Honorable Patrick Murphy (D-PA)
• Honorable Glenn Nye (D-VA)
• Honorable Leon Panetta (D-CA)
• Honorable Larry Pressler (R-SD)
• Honorable Deborah Pryce (R-OH)
• Honorable Reid Ribble (R-WI)
• Honorable Bill Ritter (D-CO)
• Honorable Tim Roemer (D-IN)
• Honorable Claudine Schneider (R-RI)
• Honorable John J H. “Joe” Schwarz (R-MI)
• Honorable Philip Sharp (D-IN)
• Honorable Christopher Shays (R-CT)
• Honorable David Skaggs (D-CO)
• Honorable Peter Smith (R-VT)
• Honorable Bart Stupak (D-MI)
• Honorable Richard Swett (D-NH)
• Honorable Mark Udall (D-CO)
• Honorable Zach Wamp (R-TN)
• Honorable Tim Wirth (D-CO)