Former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA) on Sunday argued that if former President Trump disappeared, many Republicans would not be in “the search party,” following Senate Republicans using their first legislative filibuster to block the Jan. 6 commission.
During an interview on MSNBC’s “Meet the Press,” Comstock shared her thoughts on the Senate’s rejection of the bill that would implement an independent commission investigating the deadly Capitol insurrection. Comstock accompanied the family of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick when they visited Capitol Hill last week to meet with Republican senators and lobby for the bill’s passage.
When host Chuck Todd pointed to Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) argument that an independent commission would have more credibility than a legislative panel formed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Comstock replied that she and Sicknick’s relatives made the same argument in lobbying for the commission to Republican senators.
After saying that she agrees with Cassidy, who was “gracious” in meeting with Sicknick’s family, Comstock added that the senators who voted in favor of the commission also agree with the Louisiana Republican’s argument.
“But that’s the whole point, it would be non-partisan,” Comstock said.
Comstock then argued that Republicans want to “get away” from former President Trump, but that he still has a stronghold on the GOP.
“I understand Republicans want to get away from Donald Trump,” Comstock said. “I mean, if Donald Trump disappeared tomorrow, I don’t think you’d have many Republicans in the search party. Maybe a few prosecutors, but not Republicans. So they want to get away from him. But the problem is, he’s not going to go away.”
Comstock stressed that the Jan. 6 commission shouldn’t be a partisan issue and that it’s important than an independent commission is implemented to ensure that an attack like the deadly Capitol insurrection doesn’t happen again.
Only six Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rob Portman (R-OH) and Cassidy — joined Democrats in voting for the bill. Ultimately, Senate Republicans killed the House-passed commission bill in a 54-35 vote, using the filibuster to block the legislation from advancing. The bill was crafted by the bipartisan team of House Homeland Security committee chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and ranking member John Katko (R-NY).
After Republican senators blocked legislation to form the commission on Friday, Sicknick’s relatives expressed their disappointment during an interview on CNN Friday afternoon.
“It’s all talk and no action,” Sandra Garza, Sicknick’s longtime partner, said of Republican senators who have cast themselves as champions of police officers, but voted against the bill. “Clearly they’re not backing the blue.”
Watch Comstock’s remarks below:
WATCH: Former GOP Rep. @BarbaraComstock says "If Donald Trump disappeared tomorrow, I don’t think you’d have many Republicans in the search party.” #MTP
“Maybe a few prosecutors. But not Republicans.” pic.twitter.com/3VbYqG5Oh3
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) May 30, 2021
