Pelosi considers adding more Republicans to Jan. 6 committee
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) signaled Thursday she’s considering adding more Republican members to the select committee to investigate the Jan 6. Capitol attack.
Driving the news: Asked during a news conference whether she would appoint Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) to the committee, Pelosi replied, “We’ll see.”
Why it matters: Republicans who were once on board with investigating the events of Jan. 6 are wary of the credibility of the committee after the politics of the last 24 hours have played out.
- "I’m incredibly worried that the ultimate end product will not be seen as objective," said Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), who was one of 10 Republicans who voted earlier this year to impeach President Trump.
- When asked whether he would be willing to serve on the select committee if asked, Meijer said, “I don’t know.”
- He previously voted in favor of establishing a bipartisan commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection.
Background: Democrats sought to avoid the investigation turning into a spectacle. But during the past 24 hours, the bipartisan commission crumbled after Pelosi rejected two picks by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to serve on the commission, leading McCarthy to revoke all his picks.
What they’re saying: "[Speaker Pelosi] surprised me yesterday," Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), another of the 10 Republicans who voted for impeachment, and who voted in favor of the bipartisan commission, told Axios.
- The congressman said that while he believes Pelosi is a “good tactician,” her decision to reject Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) was a "tactical failure."
- While Rice told Axios it’s a "shame" the committee has fractured because he would have liked an "in-depth review," the congressman said he does not have any interest in serving on the select committee.
Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler (R-Wash.) echoed the sentiments Thursday, calling once again for a commission made up of former members.
- "We're not going to trust a bunch of politicians who are trying to get reelected or elected into leadership positions."
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who has broken with his party at times and faced criticism from former President Trump, said he wouldn’t serve on the select committee because he believes it’ll become a spectacle.
- "I mean at this point the committee is not, I think, worthy of support or recognition from my perspective. Pelosi has made very clear that this is a political politicized effort," he said.
- Roy added that he voted against the initial bipartisan commission because he worried it would devolve into political theater.
