By Barb McQuade 

Dear Listener,

The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has been costly. Already, the price tag for repairing damage and upgrading security at the Capitol complex has reached $30 million. The cost to our democracy is beyond measure. And yet, some members of Congress are resisting an independent investigation into the attack that disrupted the peaceful transfer of power.

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to form a bipartisan commission to study the attack that delayed the certification of the 2020 presidential election, despite significant opposition from Republicans. The legislation seems less likely to get through the Senate, where Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says an independent commission is unnecessary in light of other investigations into the matter by Congress and the Department of Justice.