VIDEO: Watch Bennet’s Speech HERE

Washington, D.C. – Today on the Senate floor, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet implored his colleagues to pass legislation to establish a commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. January 6 was one of the darkest days in American history, and Bennet believes it is critical that the American people know the full extent of what happened. 

In his speech, Bennet said: “I want to implore [my colleagues] and appeal to their conscience, because the responsibility to the democracy is not over. The democracy is still at risk.”

“Let me just finish by saying how agonizing it was to watch Officer Sicknick’s mom here today going door to door to door to ask people to please vote for this commission, and I hope that people will reconsider. I hope they’ll search their conscience. The people around the world who watched January 6th are watching us today and they want to know if democracy is up to the challenges of the 21st century. I believe it is...I think democracy is the highest expression of humanity on Earth,” said Bennet. 

“I think at a moment like this it is important for us -- not to stand for a party or for a president -- but for the truth and for common sense and for our exercise in self-government...For all those reasons, I hope when we have the vote tonight, that it will succeed and the American people will have the benefit of a bipartisan commission to examine what happened on January 6th and help us understand how we can strengthen our democracy,” Bennet continued.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act with bipartisan support last week. However, many Republicans in the Senate, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), have said they will not support the bill.