This week, an anonymous statement written on Capitol Police letterhead issued a blistering rebuke of members of Congress, taking aim at Republicans who are stymying efforts to form a bipartisan, independent commission that would investigate the Jan. 6th insurrection.

The unsigned letter said in part: “We would hope that Members whom we took an oath to protect, would at the very minimum support an investigation to get to the bottom of EVERYONE responsible and hold them 100 percent accountable no matter the title of position they hold or held.”

Officials with the U.S. Capitol Police issued a statement saying that the letter is not an official statement from the organization, and that department does not take positions on legislation. CNN reported that the author claimed they were speaking on behalf of about 40-50 officers, but could not verify that other officers supported the letter.

But the letter appears to underscore the heightened tensions surrounding the formation of the commission.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is leading the objections to the January 6th Commission. He encouraged his members to vote no on legislation that would establish the body, saying it would duplicate other efforts and any investigation should also examine violence committed during the BLM protests last summer. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoed McCarthy's sentiment. 

Democrats, and some Republicans, point out that it is routine for Congress to establish commissions to study national crises.

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, bucking her leadership yet again, shares this view: “In the aftermath of national crises, such as Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, or September 11th, our nation has established commissions so the American people know the truth and we can prevent these events from happening again. The same thing is needed for January 6th and this commission is an important step forward to answering those fundamental questions.”

There have been more than 150 commissions since 1989.  

Legislation to stand up the commission passed the House with the support of 35 Republicans. It now heads to the Senate, where 10 Republican "yes" votes are required – and they’re hard to identify.

Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict President Trump for inciting insurrection, has come out in opposition to the commission, saying, "I don't believe establishing a new commission is necessary or wise.".

Also this week, the House voted to approve $1.9 billion emergency funding to improve Capitol Security in the wake of the insurrection. The National Guard is set to leave the Capitol on May 23rd. At the height of the post-insurrection threat, five thousand two hundred Guard Troops were in place to protect the seat of Congress from domestic extremists.

A Senate vote on the Jan. 6th Commission could take place as soon as next week.