House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Sunday announced the appointment of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) to the House select committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, days after Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) withdrew all five of the Republicans he chose for the panel.
“It is imperative that we get to the truth of that day and ensure that such an attack can never again happen. That is why we established the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, which is bipartisan,” Pelosi said. “Today, I am announcing the appointment of Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran and Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, to serve on the Select Committee. He brings great patriotism to the Committee’s mission: to find the facts and protect our Democracy.”
In a statement issued Sunday, Kinzinger said he has “humbly accepted” his appointment to the select committee.
“Today, I was asked by the Speaker to serve on the House Select Committee to Investigate January 6th and I humbly accepted,” Kinzinger said. “I will work diligently to ensure we get to the truth and hold those responsible for the attack fully accountable.”
Pelosi’s announcement of Kinzinger’s appointment comes hours after she signaled her intention to add him to the panel during an appearance on ABC News on Sunday morning.
“That would be my plan,” Pelosi said, when asked whether she will be appointing more Republicans like Kinzinger to the committee.
Pressed on when she would make the announcement of Kinzinger’s appointment, Pelosi replied “perhaps after I speak” with Kinzinger.
“You could say that’s the direction I would be going on, he and other Republicans have expressed an interest to serve on the select committee and I wanted to point to three, three of the members that Leader McCarthy suggested, but he withdrew their names, the two that I would not appoint, people who would jeopardize the integrity of the investigation. There’s no way I would tolerate their antics as we seek the truth,” Pelosi said.
Kinzinger joins Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) as the only Republicans on the select committee. Both Kinzinger and Cheney are vocal critics of former President Trump who voted to impeach him for “incitement of insurrection” and were the only Republicans that voted to approve the measure that set up the select committee.
Last week, McCarthy announced that he was withdrawing all five Republicans he chose for the panel after Pelosi rejected two of his picks, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Jim Banks (R-IN).
CNN reported last week that Pelosi was seriously considering naming Kinzinger to the committee after McCarthy pulled the plug. House select committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) also told CNN that appointing Kinzinger to the panel had also been discussed with Pelosi.
In addition to Jordan and Banks, McCarthy appointed Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL), the top Republican on the House Administration Committee; Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), who served on the House Judiciary Committee during the Donald Trump’s first impeachment; and Troy Nehls (R-TX), a former sheriff who helped Capitol police hold back insurrectionists during the Jan. 6 attack.
All five of McCarthy’s picks voted against impeaching Trump for “incitement of insurrection.” Three out of five of McCarthy’s picks — Banks, Jordan and Nehls — voted to challenge the 2020 election results.
The select committee is scheduled to hold its first hearing on Tuesday, which will include testimony from police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Watch Pelosi’s remarks below:
Speaker Pelosi says "that would be my plan" when asked whether she will appoint more Republicans like Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) to the Jan 6th select committee. pic.twitter.com/HD4x8qSmdq
— The Recount (@therecount) July 25, 2021
