House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California appointed GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and seven Democrats to sign up for the newly created pick-out committee to investigate the Jan. 6 assault at the Capitol, a move that is likely to ignite additional Republican consternation over the panel.
The awesome, but unsurprising, the appointment of Cheney comes after almost all resident Republicans on Wednesday voted towards setting up a sort of committee about one month after most of the birthday parties with a bipartisan independent fee to research the lethal riots. Cheney, an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump who has been, in large part, alienated by her birthday celebration, preferred the introduction of an unbiased panel but subsidized the formation of a select committee.
“What occurred on January sixth can never take place again. Those who are responsible for the assault want to be held accountable and this select committee will satisfy that responsibility in an expert, expeditious, and non-partisan way,” Cheney stated in a statement.
At a Thursday press conference, Pelosi also named House Homeland Safety Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi as the chairman of the new panel. Thompson, the Democrats’ top negotiator, struck a deal with the Republicans to initially create a Jan. 6 unbiased fee. However, the deal fell aside as the Republican leadership whipped their constituents against it, with the attempt, in the long run, blocked inside the Senate after a GOP-led filibuster.
Along with Thompson, six other Democrats have been appointed: House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren of California, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of California, Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia, Rep. Stephanie Murray of Florida, and Pete Aguilar of California, the House Democratic Caucus vice president. All members were at the conference except for Cheney, who had a family in step with Pelosi.
“We’re proud that Liz Cheney has made general public statements and that she has agreed to join the committee,” Pelosi said.”But she has spoken very positively about the committee and that offers us a fantastic self-belief that we are going to be able to work in a non-partisan manner for human beings.”
Pelosi’s appointments come after the house – all Democrats and Republicans – voted Wednesday to establish a 13-member committee that’ll be largely managed and hand-picked by Democrats, when you consider that they’re in the majority. Even if Pelosi names eight contributors and the chairman, the other five could be chosen “after consultation” with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, though Pelosi has veto power over any GOP appointments.
Cheney and Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois have been the most vocal Republicans in support of the committee, which is modeled after the Republicans’ select committee to investigate the 2012 attack on the US Embassy complex in Benghazi, Libya.
Republicans are signaling that participation in the committee may pose a political risk to the committee’s rank-and-file members.McCarthy is reportedly threatening to strip committee assignments from Republicans who serve on them, consistent with the Punchbowl news.
Cheney was already removed from her position as the residence GOP convention chairwoman in advance of this year, following a growing backlash within her party over her rivalry with Trump and his claims about the Jan. 6 attack and the 2020 presidential election.
It’s doubtful going forward how or if McCarthy will try and fill the rest of the appointments on the committee. While requesting the ability to hold up if the minority leader did not do so quickly, Pelosi stated that they would not be watching the Republicans.
“Nicely, we have a quorum,” she pointed out.
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