Republicans block independent probe of US Capitol riot

Political fallout fears for Republican congressional candidates aligned with former President Trump.

Republicans in the United States Senate blocked a proposal to establish an independent commission to probe the January 6 attack by Trump supporters on the US Capitol. A proposed bill, which seeks to create a commission modelled on the one that investigated the 2001 al-Qaeda attacks, failed a key procedural vote on Friday. Republicans said they feared the commission was aimed at discrediting former President Donald Trump and would be politically damaging for their party leading into the 2022 congressional elections.