Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, is introducing a bill to create what he calls the first-ever Truth and Accountability Commission. It would investigate what he describes as abuses of power by the Trump administration 1. The bill was first shared with The Hill 1.
Khanna first floated the idea about a week ago in a social media post. He wrote, "We need a Truth and Accountability Commission in this country." At that point he had not said how it would work 2.
What the commission would examine
The bill lists several topics. They include the decision to launch a war in Iran without approval from Congress 1. They also include President Trump and his family's alleged use of public office for private enrichment 1.
The commission would also look at unreleased files tied to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender 1. It would examine "shootings and other uses of force" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol officers 1. Other targets are the firing of federal employees under the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and funding freezes 1.
How it would be built
The commission would have 11 members, and the president would pick the chairperson 1. The House and Senate majority and minority leaders would each choose two members 1.
The chairperson would appoint the rest from a list of at least five names. State attorneys general affiliated with the Republican and Democratic parties would submit that list 1.
What Khanna says
Khanna told The Hill that Americans across the country are demanding accountability from the administration 1. He drew a line inside his own party 1.
I completely disagree with Democrats who say that we should not impeach Trump.
Asked whether Republicans would back the effort, Khanna said he expects some to break with Mr. Trump after the midterms. He pointed to his work with Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Mr. Trump signed into law last year 1.
I believe that once they lose in the midterms, people are going to start to break with Donald Trump.
What happens next
The source reports no bill number, cosponsors or scheduled votes. Republicans control the House, the Senate and the White House, so the bill has little chance of advancing before the Nov. 3 midterm election 1.
The Hill notes that if Democrats win back the House, their investigations and oversight of the administration could serve as a test of their ability to govern. It also says they could become a blueprint for the party's message heading into the 2028 presidential race 1.
Khanna, who has not ruled out a 2028 presidential run, said the commission could "set the standard in 2028 for what the Democratic base and what voters expect of the next president" 1.
That matters because the proposal sets up a debate inside the Democratic Party over how far to take oversight. Khanna says he opposes the idea of a "kumbaya moment" and wants investigation and prosecution of anyone who broke the law 1. The charges he lists are allegations. The commission would be a way to test them.
The Record
Sources
- The Hill, “Khanna to introduce bill that would establish Truth and Accountability Commission” (2026-10-22). thehill.com/homenews/house/6164156-khanna-introduces-truth-a
- Washington Current, “'Truth And Accountability': Khanna Wants To Hold Administration Responsible” (2026-10-16). washingtoncurrent.substack.com/p/truth-and-accountability-kh
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