■ Senate Republicans blocked creating a panel to investigate the Jan. 6 riot.

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Friday blocked creation of a bipartisan panel to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The Senate vote was 54-35 — six short of the 60 needed — to take up a House-passed bill that would have formed an independent 10-member commission evenly split between the two parties.

It came a day after appeals for the commission from police who fought the mob, the family of an officer who died and lawmakers in both parties who fled Capitol chambers.

The Republicans were mostly but not totally united: Six voted with Democrats to move forward. Eleven senators — nine Republicans and two Democrats — missed the vote, an unusually high number of absentees for one of the highest-profile votes of the year. At least one of the missing Republicans would have voted in favor of considering the commission, according to his office.

Congressional committees will continue to investigate the Jan. 6 riot.

“The investigations will happen with or without Republicans,” declared Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of the Republicans who voted to move forward. “To ensure the investigations are fair, impartial and focused on the facts, Republicans need to be involved.”

Speaking to his Republican colleagues, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said after the vote they were “trying to sweep the horrors of that day under the rug” out of “fear or fealty” to former President Donald Trump. He left open the possibility of another vote in the future on establishing a bipartisan commission, declaring, “The events of Jan. 6 will be investigated.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi echoed that commitment, saying Democrats “will find the truth.”

In addition to Cassidy, the Republicans who voted to move forward were Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mitt Romney of Utah.