House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) plans to announce Monday the names of the five Republicans who will sit on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) committee to investigate the riot that occurred January 6 at the U.S. Capitol.
McCarthy will appoint Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Jim Banks (R-IN), Troy Nehls (R-TX), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), and Rodney Davis (R-IL) to sit on the 13-member select committee, according to a senior House GOP aide familiar with the matter.
All McCarthy’s appointees voted against impeaching former President Donald Trump in January and all voted against establishing the select committee. Jordan, Banks, and Nehls also voted against certifying the 2020 electoral college results in certain disputed states.
Jordan is ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and a longtime oversight bull, and Banks, a rising star within his caucus, chairs the Republican Study Committee.
After the publishing of this story, Banks and Jordan issued responses to their committee appointments.
Banks released a statement saying Democrats’ failure to investigate the violent riots that stemmed from Black Lives Matter protests last summer indicates they are unserious about “investigating political violence.”
“If Democrats were serious about investigating political violence, this committee would be studying not only the January 6 riot at the Capitol, but also the hundreds of violent political riots last summer when many more innocent Americans and law-enforcement officers were attacked,” Banks said, adding, “And of course, the committee would not overlook the Good Friday murder of USCP Officer Billy Evans that was perpetrated by a far-left extremist.”
Banks continued, “Make no mistake, Nancy Pelosi created this committee solely to malign conservatives and to justify the Left’s authoritarian agenda.”
Jordan responded only by posting a video compilation to social media of a string of Democrats objecting to past presidential election results:
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) July 19, 2021
Mixed in with the two conservative stalwarts are Nehls, an Army veteran and former county sheriff who will bring a police officer’s perspective to the committee; Armstrong, a top criminal defense attorney; and Davis, who is the most familiar with Capitol security through his position as ranking member of the Administration Committee.
Pelosi introduced the resolution for the committee last month after Senate Republicans blocked the January 6 Commission in May. The resolution stipulates that the committee will have subpoena power as it probes the January 6 riot. Pelosi said the committee’s installment is “imperative,” despite the Department of Justice conducting its own investigation of the incident and already making hundreds of arrests related to it.
“January 6th was one of the darkest days in our nation’s history,” the speaker said in a statement. “It is imperative that we establish the truth of that day and ensure such an attack cannot again happen. The Select Committee will investigate and report upon the facts and causes of the attack and report recommendations for preventing any future assault.”
Pelosi had eight seats to fill on the committee and offered that she would appoint one Republican to appease criticisms that the committee’s findings would be too partisan to be taken seriously by the public.
The Republican Pelosi ended up choosing, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), has repeatedly bucked her party by blaming Trump for the January 6 riot and voting in favor of impeaching Trump, in favor of Pelosi’s failed January 6 Commission legislation, and in favor of the select committee.
In addition to Cheney, Pelosi also appointed Homeland Security Committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), who will chair the select committee, and Administration Committee chair Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), as well as Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Elaine Luria (D-VA), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), and Pete Aguilar (D-CA).
Pelosi previously had appointed Schiff and Raskin each to serve as impeachment manager in Trump’s two impeachment trials, respectively.
The committee will hold its first public hearing July 27.
Write to Ashley Oliver at aoliver@breitbart.com.
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