伊利诺伊州参议院多数党党鞭迪克·德宾。他认为乔·拜登总统提名的司法部长可能会调查围绕前总统的阴谋指控唐纳德·特朗普美国可能卷入1月6日的国会暴动。
杜宾在美国广播公司的节目中告诉华盛顿首席记者乔纳森·卡尔和政治总监里克·克莱因:“我们当然知道这个组织的活动，这个暴徒，这个暴动被司法部追究责任，超过200人被捕，500人正在接受调查。”“发电站政治”播客星期三。
在周二的参议院司法确认听证会上，司法部长提名人梅里克·加兰(Merrick Garland)告诉参议员，他计划“在调查进行到任何地方”追查线索，以回应民主党参议员谢尔登·怀特豪斯(Sheldon Whitehouse)的一个问题，鼓励加兰“上游”寻找联系。
杜宾说，他认为加兰的回答不排除任何潜在的参与者参与1月6日的暴力事件。
“因此，从那次事件开始，以及随后发生的一切，有一项积极的调查，被描述为司法部历史上最具历史意义和最复杂的调查之一，只是为了客观地看待它。但我认为上游的问题意味着……发生了什么，在此之前发生了什么？什么规划？什么样的阴谋，如果有的话？是什么导致了这一点，以及那天似乎融合在一起的不同群体？”杜宾说。
尽管杜宾告诉卡尔和克莱因，他对特朗普的调查和潜在的刑事指控感到不安，但他说，他相信特朗普将对此负责。
“我认为在道德上，政治上，历史上，”杜宾说。“我认为，到目前为止，我所读到的是，将唐纳德·特朗普总统与激怒和煽动暴民参与暴力联系在一起是明确的。”
参议院司法委员会主席杜宾周三表示，他希望看到9/11式的委员会继续调查1月6日的事件。重点是国内恐怖主义的抬头。
“我认为我们将遵循9/11委员会的模式，”他说。“我认为我们应该遵循这一模式，这将是一个很好的模式。
“我们对国内恐怖主义的抬头做了些什么？早在1月6日之前，我就一直在推动这个问题，因为我可以看到它发生在夏洛茨维尔和其他许多地方，在那里，受白人民族主义者、白人至上主义者和极右翼倾向启发的团体在活动中变得更加激进和厚颜无耻，”他补充说。
卡尔·德宾询问了他对来自西弗吉尼亚州的温和民主党参议员乔·曼钦的看法，以及他宣布将投票反对拜登选择的管理和预算办公室主任尼拉·坦登。
“参议院50比50，任何人都可以停车，”杜宾说。“在这种情况下，乔，如果他没有停止，他就会放慢速度，因为白宫和尼拉·坦登的支持者必须找到一个共和党人来代替他。”他补充说，坦登的确认“仍在可能性范围内”。
杜宾说，随着确认拜登提名的进程向前推进，白宫必须与参议院成员接触。他指出，拜登面临着证明自己谈判技巧的压力，但白宫仍处于“启动模式”。
“他们也处于创业阶段，一位新总统必须马上展示他与国会打交道的技能，以组建他的团队，他的内阁...我以最笼统的方式询问过这些共和党人是否被咨询过。白宫表示，越来越难以通过工作人员联系到该成员，”他说。
“所以我不知道责任在哪里。但我只想说，底线是这样的。白宫必须向每一位可能支持他们提名的参议员伸出援手，并主动提出讨论此事。那只是基本参议院101。我希望，如果它没有发生在这一点上，它将从这一点向前，”他补充说。
曼钦还表示，他不支持将最低工资提高到每小时15美元，这目前是拜登1.9万亿美元冠状病毒救助计划的一部分。杜宾说，通过加薪将是一场艰难的斗争，但这是一场姗姗来迟的斗争。
“如果和解法案允许，我希望辩论继续进行。我不是说这很容易。事实上，这可能是一个有问题的问题。但是我们不应该对此视而不见，”杜宾说。
“这早就应该发生了，”他说。“当谈到如何以不同的方式做这件事的建议时，我愿意保持开放和开明的态度。”
Democratic leader says AG may look at Trump in Capitol riot probe
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he believes President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general could look into conspiracy charges surrounding former President Donald Trump's potential involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
“Certainly we know that the activities of this group, this mob, this insurrection are being held to account by the Department of Justice, over 200 have been arrested and 500 under investigation,” Durbin told Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl and Political Director Rick Klein on ABC’s “Powerhouse Politics” podcast Wednesday.
In his Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing on Tuesday, attorney general nominee Merrick Garland told senators he plans to pursue leads “wherever the investigation takes us,” in response to a question from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., encouraging Garland to look “upstream” for connections.
Durbin said he interpreted Garland’s answer as not ruling out any potential players involved in the violence on Jan. 6.
“So as of the event, and everything that followed, there's an active investigation, been described as one of the most historic and complex investigations in the history of the Department of Justice, just to put it into perspective. But I took that upstream question to mean… what happened, what preceded this event? What planning? What type of conspiracy, if there was one? What was it that led to this and the different groups that seem to merge together on that day?” Durbin said.
Regardless of the investigation and potential criminal charges against Trump, which Durbin told Karl and Klein he didn’t feel comfortable making predictions about, he said he believes Trump will be held responsible.
“I think morally, politically, historically," Durbin said. "I think what I've read so far, there is clarity in connecting President Donald Trump with provoking and inciting that mob to its violence.”
Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday that he'd like to see the 9/11 style commission being pursued to investigate Jan.6. focus on a rise in domestic terrorism.
“I think we're gonna follow the model with the 9/11 commission,” he said. "I think we ought to follow that model, and it'd be a good one.
“What are we doing about this rise in domestic terrorism? I have been pushing this issue long before January 6, because I can see it happening in Charlottesville and many other places, where groups inspired by white nationalist, white supremacist and far-right leanings, were becoming more militant and brazen in their activity,” he added.
Karl asked Durbin about his view of Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, and his announcement that he would vote against Neera Tanden, Biden’s pick to direct the Office of Management and Budget.
“With a 50-50 Senate, any person can stop the train,” Durbin said. “And in this situation, Joe, if he hasn't stopped that he slowed it down, because the White House and supporters of Neera Tanden have to find a Republican vote to replace him." He added that Tanden's confirmation is "still within the realm of possibility.”
Durbin said there must be outreach from the White House to members of the Senate as the process of confirming Biden’s nominees goes forward. He noted that the pressure was on for Biden to prove his negotiating skills, but that the White House is still in “startup mode.”
“They are also in the startup mode, and a new president right off the bat has to show his skills in dealing with Congress to put together his team, his Cabinet...I have asked in the most general way, whether some of these Republicans were consulted. And the White House has said it'd become increasingly difficult to get through the staff to the member,” he said.
“So I don't know where the blame lies. But I will just say, the bottom line is this. There has to be an outreach by the White House to every senator who could conceivably support their nominees and an offer to discuss it. That is just basic Senate 101. And I hope that if it hasn't happened to this point, it will from this point forward,” he added.
Manchin also said he does not support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, which is currently a part of Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. Durbin said passing the wage increase will be a difficult fight, but one that is overdue.
“If it is permitted in the reconciliation bill, I hope that debate goes forward. I'm not suggesting that it's going to be easy. In fact, it may be a problematic issue. But we shouldn't walk away from this,” Durbin said.
“This is long overdue," he said. "And I'm willing to be open and open-minded when it comes to suggestions on how to do it differently.”
