House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the appointment of a second Republican to sit on the investigative committee for the Jan. 6th riot at the Capitol. This after she rejected two of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s picks for the committee. The raw video above shows Minority Leader McCarthy’s reaction on Monday to the announcement.
“Today, I am announcing the appointment of Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran and Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, to serve on the Select Committee,” Pelosi said in a statement. “He brings great patriotism to the Committee’s mission: to find the facts and protect our Democracy,”
In a statement of his own, Rep. Kinzinger said he “humbly accepted” the appointment. “Self-governance requires accountability and responsibility. My faith requires the same of me, truth is necessary for order, and that’s what I will do,” Rep. Kinzinger said. “Let me be clear, I’m a Republican dedicated to conservative values, but I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution—and while this is not the position I expected to be in or sought out, when duty calls, I will always answer.”
Kinzinger is one of 10 House Republicans to vote for former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment. And, he is one of two Republicans who voted to form a special commission to investigate the riot. The other is Rep. Liz Cheney, who is also on the commission.
Last week, McCarthy called the committee a “sham” and withdrew his three picks after Pelosi rejected Representatives Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio. In a Sunday statement, McCarthy said Pelosi “structured this select committee to satisfy her political objectives”.
“Lost in much of the news coverage is the fact that the Senate has already conducted bipartisan investigations that should serve as a roadmap for the House,” McCarthy said. “Speaker Pelosi’s departure from this serious-minded approach has destroyed the select committee’s credibility. The U.S. Capitol and the men and women who protect it suffered a massive leadership failure. We must make sure that never happens again and that is what Republicans will be focused on.”
The committee is set to meet for the first time Tuesday. They will hear from police officers who battled the rioters.
