As the Jan. 6 Select Committee prepares to assemble a legislative package to prevent future insurrections, it still has an extensive list of tasks to complete.
The legislative purpose of its investigation has long been touted by the committee as its primary purpose — a crucial detail as dozens of recipients have attempted to skirt compliance with subpoenas issued by the committee.
Now, as its end-of-year deadline closes in, the committee is running out of time to introduce a comprehensive package that could span election reforms, harsh criminal penalties, and stringent restrictions.
Discussing the deadline for the package, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) explained that the committee has “some minor factual loose ends to wrap up,” adding that the focus would be to “make our sweeping legislative recommendations about what needs to be done to fortify America against coups and insurrections and political violence in the future.”
“We want to strengthen and fortify the electoral system and the right to vote. We want to do what we can to secure the situation of election workers and keep them safe from violence,” Raskin continued.
He then mentioned the desire to “solidify the states in their determination that private armed militias not operate in the name of the state,” noting that “we don’t have any kind of federal law or policy about private armed militias,” and emphasizing that this point was of particular interest to him.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) has floated several legislation recommendations the committee should pursue as far back as October 2021. If her laundry list of recommendations, which includes addressing Trump’s pressure campaign on the Department of Justice, the panel will need to move quickly.
