After Senate Republicans used the filibuster to kill legislation for a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol Riots of January 6, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California established a select committee for the investigation, endowing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, also of California, with the power to nominate five Republicans to the commission.
Among McCarthy's picks were Republican Congressmen Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana—both of whom voted to toss electoral college votes in swing states former President Donald Trump lost in the 2020 election, further validating the very lies that incited the Capitol Riots.
On Wednesday, Pelosi rejected the pair's appointments, saying in a statement:
"With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee.
The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision."
This enraged McCarthy, who then pulled each of his nominations to the committee and excoriated Pelosi in a subsequent press conference.
There, he accused Pelosi of "playing politics" and vowed that Republicans would form their own investigations of the Capitol Riots.
Watch below.
Kevin McCarthy says that Republicans will run their own investigation into the insurrection instigated by the leader of their partypic.twitter.com/SkclfTS3hg— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1626890644
McCarthy told reporters:
"We will run our own investigation. We have law enforcement, we have military, we have doctors, we have people from all walks of life. They wanna know the answer, the American people deserve that. They don't deserve destroying the institution. No committee in Congress will work if one person is picking all who can serve."
Congressional Republicans have repeatedly dismissed the severity of the deadly failed insurrection, as well as promoted conspiracy theories that anti-Trump activists were secretly responsible. What's more, many of these same Republicans parroted Trump's election conspiracies and urged his supporters to fight against the congressional certification of Biden's victory.
For most, McCarthy and his Republican colleagues had lost all credibility for conducting an investigation.
\u201cfindings: the rioters were a mix of tourists, peaceful patriot protesters, and antifa\u201dhttps://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1417908247411953667\u00a0\u2026— Allahpundit (@Allahpundit) 1626890705
Arsonists to investigate the house they burned down.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1417908247411953667\u00a0\u2026— David Lytle (@David Lytle) 1626891735
Also, El Chapo to investigate allegations of drug dealing in cartels.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1417908247411953667\u00a0\u2026— Warren Leight (@Warren Leight) 1626891766
\u201cWe\u2019re going to look into what happened in Gotham that fateful day ourselves.\u201d \n\n- The inmates of Arkham Asylumhttps://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1417908247411953667\u00a0\u2026— Mitch Gerads (@Mitch Gerads) 1626896117
In a similar vein, my child has announced their inquiry into who ate all the ice cream in the middle of the night, then carefully put the empty container back in the freezer.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1417908247411953667\u00a0\u2026— Malaclypse (@Malaclypse) 1626896801
Future Republican findings: \n\nJan. 6th was a Democrat hoax set up by BLM to make Trump look bad and Maxine Waters should be in jail!https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1417908247411953667\u00a0\u2026— Heather Gardner (@Heather Gardner) 1626894592
People also pointed out that it was Republicans who killed the original legislation that would have allowed an equal number of Republicans on the committee and would have granted them subpoena powers.
Does anyone know what the hell Kevin McCarthy is talking about? *He* was the one who said no to an independent commission. *He* was the one who sabotaged a bipartisan deal because the disgraced & fallen ex-president lives in an alternate dimension & can\u2019t accept that he lost.https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1417908247411953667\u00a0\u2026— Rep. Jim McGovern (@Rep. Jim McGovern) 1626896105
If the \u201cAmerican people deserve answers\u201d why didn\u2019t you agree to a #January6thCommission weeks ago when you had the chance to include any committee members you wanted @GOPLeader ? #CryBabyKevinpic.twitter.com/rX8gR09yaq— TG (@TG) 1626893847
Oh really? Wasn\u2019t there a bipartisan committee suggested and what was the Republicans answer?https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1417908247411953667\u00a0\u2026— Julie McC2002 (@Julie McC2002) 1626890796
The first hearing of the Select Committee will be on July 27.
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