The House of Representatives has unanimously approved the formation of a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
House GOP leaders expedited the bill following the deadly shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, nearly two weeks ago.
No lawmakers opposed the bill, with 416 voting in favor. However, ten Democrats and six Republicans did not cast a vote.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have collaborated closely on this matter and provided some details about the task force in a joint statement earlier this week.
This new commission will consist of seven Republicans and six Democrats, with member announcements expected this week. Johnson mentioned that the panel members would be experts in relevant fields.
“They’ll have three primary responsibilities,” Johnson said earlier this week. “We have to get the answers, of course, about what happened.”
“We need to make sure that accountability is ensured to the American people. And then we need to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.”
The bipartisan support for the vote was anticipated, after both sides of the aisle were quick to condemn political violence after the shooting, and call for an investigation into the security at the rally.
“The security failures that allowed an assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life are shocking,” Johnson and Jeffries commented in a joint statement on Tuesday.
“The task force will be empowered with subpoena authority and will move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability, and make certain such failures never happen again.”
On Wednesday, Johnson indicated that he and Jeffries were still finalizing the task force members but would announce their selections on Thursday before lawmakers break for August recess.
The task force aims to deliver a final report by December 13, with interim reports throughout their investigation.
Heads have already began rolling over the security failures, with U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigning on Tuesday, the day after she was grilled by Congress.
Meanwhile, Trump pointed out that Democrats labeling him a “threat to democracy” might have incited the gunman to attempt his assassination, though his motive is still unknown.
“Such a distressed sick world but you know what could be caused when they call you a threat to democracy,” Trump said to supporters at a North Carolina rally.
“You never know what causes it. I’m a threat to them. They’re a threat to democracy. They’re a threat. They’re a threat to our country period.”
During his rally, Trump criticized Vice President Harris on issues of immigration and inflation, portraying her as a “radical-left lunatic.”
The rally was his first rally since President Biden announced he would not seek reelection.
“As you know, three days ago we officially defeated the worst president in the history of our country, crooked Joe Biden. He quit because he was losing so badly in the polls. He was down in every single poll and down by a lot, so he quit,” Trump remarked.
“So now we have a new victim to defeat. Lyin’ Kamala Harris … the most incompetent and far-left vice president in American history,” he continued.
He also called Harris “more liberal” than Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and accused her of covering up Biden’s mental decline, suggesting she “can’t be trusted” and is “unfit” to lead.
You have not accounted for 3 congresspersons. We now know that 6 alleged Repubs chose not to vote; name them so we can vote them out of office at the earliest opportunity.
Just another Congressional alleged bi-partisan committee. We all know what that means; don’t we ?? It means that the very people who have a public approval rating even lower than Bidumb will execute another Kabuki Theater performance that will accomplish “NOTHING”. Remember people, these are the “ruling class” criminals that have put America in the position it is in. Congress is made up of people supposedly belonging to two different political parties or so we are told to believe. In reality if you pay very close attention you will come away with a very different opinion. They are the UNIPARTY. Nothing ever gets fixed or corrected. NOTHING !!! The political criminal cabal governing us have rigged the system so tightly that we are nothing but their subjects. Oh they talk a lot but that is all smoke and mirrors. Right now Joe Bidumb is the monster who destroyed America and the good guys are going to change that. Male bovine excrement!! We might change the occupant of the W.H who would like to fix things but Congress, AKA ruling class, will not allow anything to interfere with their agenda and grip around our throats. Every few years we allegedly change leaders but NOTHING REALLY CHANGES. To really accomplish the changes necessary to put our country back on the path intended by the Founders will require a complete overhaul of Congress and the last 200 plus years of ruling class sedition, subversion and treason against the population. Anything less will be the same old stuff everybody alive today has witnessed for many generations. The ruling class lets us believe we are free but just look what happened when people that saw what happened on election day 2020 and took to the streets to protest what they saw as an injustice. We are their “subjects” as long as we allow it. Freedom is not something the ruling class gives us. Freedom is what God gave us and we need to fight like hell to take it back. Politicians were intended to be “our servants” not “we theirs”. Donald Trump did much to make America greater than it was for the previous 50 years. You witnessed what they did to him for having the audacity to beat Hillary Clinton. Seven and a half years of continuous harassment and blind hatred bordering on “MASS INSANITY”. There is only one solution left to us. Think about it !!!