Here's what Kentucky's congressmen have said about the Jan. 6 insurrection

For Kentucky and America at large, the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 − fueled by lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump − was a historic flashpoint that's still impacting U.S. government and politics.

Kentucky's congressmen have weighed in on the insurrection, both on the day it happened and during the fallout.

All five of the commonwealth's Republican House members voted Wednesday against proposed legislation to reform aspects of the Electoral Count Act, the 1887 law Trump and some of his allies tried to use to overturn the election results. The state's lone Democrat voted for that bill.

Here's a rundown of some key things Kentucky's congressmen have said about the insurrection and the 2020 election, as well as relevant votes they've taken, since Jan. 6, 2021. (This information comes from various news reports, congressional records, social media posts and other public statements.)

Rep. James Comer

Comer, a Republican who represents the 1st Congressional District, voted against overturning the 2020 election results when Congress reconvened after the Jan. 6 attack at the Capitol. He then voted against impeaching Trump on a charge of inciting an insurrection.

He condemned the attack as it was happening, tweeting: "Mob violence is wrong regardless of political affiliation."

Within a week, he proposed legislation to set up a national commission to investigate the attack. He later voted against an alternative, bipartisan plan for such a commission.

After Senate Republicans blocked that plan, Comer voted against the congressional committee House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposed to investigate the insurrection. (When that committee held its first televised hearing of 2022, he called it a "political stunt" and said the panel was "illegitimate.")

He repeatedly has suggested Democrats are politicizing the attack, and in May 2021 he said they were demonizing Trump supporters who have "legitimate questions" about the 2020 election's integrity.

"Expressing concern over election integrity is not a seditious act," he said. "What is wrong is when individuals take to crime, violence and mob tactics."

On the one-year anniversary of the insurrection, Comer again said Democrats politicized this event while also reiterating his opposition to the Capitol attack, saying: "Look, what happened on Jan. 6 was unacceptable. I condemned it then. I condemn it now."

Rep. Brett Guthrie

Guthrie, a Republican who represents the 2nd District, voted against overturning the 2020 election results. He also voted against impeaching Trump related to the insurrection.

On Jan. 6, 2021, he tweeted: "I’m thankful for our brave Capitol Police & upset to see them harmed. We all have the right to protest, but breaking into the Capitol & committing violence is not protesting. It's rioting & is unacceptable."

After voting not to impeach Trump, he said: "I unequivocally condemn the violent mob storming the Capitol last week and want those responsible to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In order to fully evaluate the circumstances around the attack on the U.S. Capitol and ensure this will never happen again, I support a bipartisan commission to conduct an investigation and uncover all of the facts."

He voted against the eventual plan for a commission that emerged from cross-party talks, as well as against the Jan. 6 committee Pelosi proposed.

Rep. John Yarmuth

Yarmuth, a Democrat who represents the 3rd District (but is retiring), voted against overturning the 2020 election results. He voted to impeach Trump of inciting an insurrection.

On Jan. 6, he said: "What happened today was an insurrection, an attempt to overthrow the government by people who claim to love America but obviously do not. Donald Trump incited this mob, and his loyalists in Congress helped enable it. They should all be held accountable for this national tragedy."

He voted for the bipartisan plan to establish a Jan. 6 commission and criticized congressional Republicans for opposing it. He also voted for the investigative committee the Democrat-led House ultimately established.

Rep. Thomas Massie

Massie, a Republican who represents the 4th District, voted against overturning the 2020 election results. He voted against impeaching Trump of inciting an insurrection.

In the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6, Massie said Trump's speech at the much-scrutinized rally preceding the attack concerned him, saying: "He was posturing to the nation that if people did something, they could change the result of the election."

He also said: "I think Trump is at fault here," and added that "there were a whole host of my colleagues who were just frankly terrified of the base that Trump had misled."

Later on, Massie speculated about whether federal agents agitated for people to illegally enter the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Evidence has shown the people who attacked the Capitol included Trump supporters and individuals with ties to extremist, far-right organizations.

Massie has suggested the attack shouldn't be called an insurrection, which is a reason he gave for voting against a plan to give law enforcement Congressional Gold Medals for their service that day.

He cited concerns that calling it an insurrection could affect the legal cases of people charged in the attack, and also said in June 2021: "They were protesting, and I don't approve of the way they protested, but it wasn't an insurrection."

Massie voted against the bipartisan plan to establish a Jan. 6 commission and against the House Jan. 6 committee. In 2022, he called that committee "pure political theater."

Rep. Hal Rogers

Rogers, a Republican from the 5th District, voted to overturn the 2020 election results. He voted against impeaching Trump of inciting an insurrection.

He denounced the attack on Jan. 6, saying: "Violence is never the answer. As my staff and I safely shelter in place, I'm appalled to see Americans storming the Capitol in an effort to disrupt our very foundation of democracy. I believe every voice should be heard, but violent methods fall on deaf ears."

He voted against the bipartisan plan for a Jan. 6 commission and against the House's Jan. 6 committee.

Rep. Andy Barr

Barr, a Republican who represents Kentucky's 6th District, voted against overturning the 2020 election results. He voted against impeaching Trump of inciting an insurrection.

He condemned the violence on Jan. 6, saying: "The United States is an exceptional nation because we resolve our differences peacefully — through the ballot box, the courts and our democratic institutions — not through violence. What happened at the Capitol today is not who we are as a nation and should never happen again.”

He tweeted in June 2022 that Democrats "obsess about Trump and Jan. 6 but are ignoring the Biden-induced energy crisis crushing middle-class Americans on June 13."

He voted against the bipartisan plan for a Jan. 6 commission and against the House's Jan. 6 committee.

Sen. Mitch McConnell

McConnell, a Republican, voted against overturning the 2020 election results. He voted to acquit Trump in the impeachment trial over Jan. 6.

Despite that acquittal, McConnell made it clear he thinks his ex-ally bears responsibility for the insurrection, though he also has said he'd support Trump if GOP voters nominate him for president again.

"There's no question — none — that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day," McConnell said in February 2021.

McConnell led Senate Republicans in blocking the bipartisan plan for a Jan. 6 commission, which he called "House Democrats' slanted and unbalanced proposal."

For the one-year anniversary of the attack, McConnell accused Democrats of trying to exploit the milestone but also condemned the violence again, saying:

“The United States Capitol, the seat of the first branch of our federal government, was stormed by criminals who brutalized police officers and used force to try to stop Congress from doing its job. This disgraceful scene was antithetical to the rule of law."

Sen. Rand Paul

Paul, a Republican, voted against overturning the 2020 election results. He voted to acquit Trump in the impeachment trial over Jan. 6.

He condemned the attack as it was happening, tweeting: "Violence and mob rule is wrong and un-American, and it will not bring about election reform. Today's mayhem sets back any intelligent debate for a generation. Just stop it."

Later that month, he said of Trump: "I think it was irresponsible to encourage people with the false notion that the election could still be overturned."

He joined McConnell in blocking the bipartisan plan for a Jan. 6 commission and has called the House committee (which includes Democrats and Republicans) illegitimate and partisan.

Paul sits on one of two Senate committees that produced a bipartisan, investigative report about the Capitol attack that detailed intelligence and security-related problems and recommended various policy changes.

He has criticized the idea of holding politicians responsible for violence other people inflict.

Paul also continued to speculate, after the Jan. 6 attack, that the integrity of the 2020 election potentially was compromised.

In 2022, he endorsed Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks, who helped lead the failed effort to overturn the 2020 election results and spoke at the controversial rally that preceded the Capitol attack.

Morgan Watkins is The Courier Journal's chief political reporter. Contact her at mwatkins@courierjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter: @morganwatkins26.