BOISE, Idaho — Shortly after the United States Senate Republicans blocked the creation of a bipartisan committee that would look into the January 6 insurrection of the U.S. Capitol, Idaho senator Jim Risch issued individual a statement regarding how he would have voted.
Risch was not present for the vote due to a "long-standing family commitment in Idaho," which was later revealed to be his grandaughter's high school graduation.
A statement from his office said he planned to vote no had he been present. Crapo voted no as well.
A statement from Risch's office reads in part:
He had strong concerns about putting politicians at the helm of a commission to investigate January 6th because it would unquestionably become partisan, and he intended to oppose it if today's motion to proceed passed. He has confidence in the ongoing FBI and other criminal investigations into the January 6th violence at the Capitol.
KTVB reached out to Sen. Crapo's office for a statement regarding his vote but has not yet received a response.
When the U.S. House voted on the matter in early May, Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson said he would be in favor of creating the commission, but Idaho Rep. Russ Fulcher voted against it.
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