Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, the former No. 3 GOP member in the House, said Wednesday that she sided with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her decision to block two GOP lawmakers from serving on the special committee created to investigate the Jan. 6 riot.
“I agree with what the speaker has done,” Cheney, who Pelosi appointed to the panel earlier this month, told reporters outside the Capitol Wednesday.
MCCARTHY PULLS ALL GOP LAWMAKERS FROM RIOT PANEL
Pelosi blocked Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana from serving as one of five GOP appointees on the committee on Wednesday. The move overruled Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican.
McCarthy responded by pulling all five GOP lawmakers from the panel and announcing Republicans would conduct their own investigation into Jan. 6 that would focus on why Capitol security was easily overwhelmed by the rioters.
Cheney is poised to be the sole Republican on the committee after accepting an appointment by Pelosi earlier this month. Cheney is a staunch foe of former President Donald Trump. She lost her House Republican leadership position earlier this year after publicly attacking Trump in defiance of McCarthy and other Republicans who said it was damaging party messaging and unity.
Cheney is among a small group of Republicans who voted to impeach Trump on the charge that he incited the riot by declaring the 2020 election was rigged in President Joe Biden’s favor.
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Cheney told reporters Wednesday the select committee created by Democrats was necessary because Republicans blocked a plan to form an independent, bipartisan commission.
“This is the only option left,” Cheney said. “People must be willing to put their oath to the Constitution above partisan politics. … And I’m actually doing that. I’m committed to ensuring this investigation is one that gets to the truth of what happened here on Jan. 6.”
