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In the 13-member panel, eight Representatives have already been named, including Liz Cheney as the sole GOP Rep. appointed by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. With the panel set to hold its first hearing for the January 6 investigation, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy made his nomination of five Republican Reps. to fill in the remaining five seats.
McCarthy has signaled the caucus’s decision to participate in examining the January 6 insurrection that left five people dead and dozens injured. All but two Republican Reps: Cheney, and Adam Kinzinger, have voiced opposition to the select committee that was voted to establish. McCarthy nominated Republican Reps. Jim Jordan, Jim Banks, Troy Nehls, Rodney Davis, and Kelly Armstrong to fill the remaining five spots on the panel.
It should be noted that Jordan, Banks, and Nehls all voted to overturn election results in Congress. All of the picks have also supported former President Donald Trump. From the five, Davis and Nehls all voted to certify Joe Biden’s election victory in the joint session of Congress.
Banks has already previously commented on his possible selection that he would take a politically motivated approach in serving on the panel. Banks has also criticized the Democrats, and attempted to lay the blame on Pelosi, who all voted in favor of the committee, describing it as a way to “malign conservatives” and justify the “Left’s Authoritarian agenda.” It remains to be seen whether Pelosi will accept McCarthy’s nominations as she still has the final say on who McCarthy should nominate.
McCarthy’s nomination also signals that he walks back on his previous threats of stripping a House Republican of their committee assignments if they are selected to serve on the panel. At the time, Kinzinger, who has been sharply critical of Trump and his supporters, pushed back on McCarthy’s threats.
Kinzinger took a swipe at members of his own party, making it clear that he does not care about McCarthy’s threats. “Who gives a s***? I do think the threat of removing committees is ironic, because you won’t go after the space lasers and white supremacist people but those who tell the truth,” said the Illinois Rep.
