U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is flanked by Reps.’ Adam Schiff (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and House Homeland Security Committee Chair Benny Thompson (D-MS) as she discusses the formation of a select committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol during her weekly news conference in Washington, U.S., July 1, 2021.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday named members of the select committee that will investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, including Republican Rep. Liz Cheney.
The California Democrat picked eight members of the panel, created in a mostly party-line vote on Wednesday. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., will get to weigh in on the other five representatives on the committee.
Every lawmaker Pelosi chose is a Democrat except for Cheney, who was one of two GOP representatives who voted to create the committee. She was also one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection after a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol while Congress counted President Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., arrives for the House Armed Services Committee hearing titled The Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the Department of Defense, in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, June 23, 2021.
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
With her committee picks, Pelosi chose:
- Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who will lead the panel
- Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
- Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
- Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.
- Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va.
- Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.
- Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
“It is imperative that we find the truth of that day and ensure that such an assault on our Capitol and Democracy cannot ever again happen,” Pelosi said in a statement Thursday.
Cheney said she was honored to be appointed to the committee.
“What happened on January 6th can never happen again,” the lawmaker said in a statement. “Those who are responsible for the attack need to be held accountable and this select committee will fulfill that responsibility in a professional, expeditious, and non-partisan manner.”
The panel’s formation comes as Democrats and Republicans splinter over how much more Congress needs to do to investigate what led to the attack on the Capitol, which interrupted the transfer of power.
Many GOP lawmakers — who see highlighting Trump’s role in the riot as a possible liability ahead of next year’s midterm elections — have argued a new investigation would duplicate existing efforts from the Justice Department and standing congressional committees.
Underscoring the Republican resistance to starting another probe, McCarthy threatened to revoke GOP representatives’ committee seats if they accepted an appointment to the panel from Pelosi, according to NBC News.
The Democratic-led House set up the select committee after Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would have created an independent commission to investigate the attack. Six GOP senators voted to move forward with the legislation.
The select House committee will investigate what led to the attack on the Capitol. The panel will issue a report on its findings and how to prevent another violent attempt to disrupt the transfer of power.
Asked Thursday whether the committee will subpoena Trump, Pelosi would not say.
“I have made the appointments, the committee will make its decisions,” she said.
