July 25 (UPI) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday appointed Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Ilinois to serve on the select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Pelosi, D-Calif., noted Kinzinger’s experience as an Air Force veteran and Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, stating he “brings great patriotism” to the committee after vetoing two of five selections for the committee made by House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
“On January 6th, insurrectionists attempted to overthrow the government during the worst assault on the Capitol since the War of 1812,” Pelosi said. “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.”
Kinzinger tweeted that he has accepted Pelosi’s nomination.
“For months, we have searched for answers and what process we should use to get them. For months, lies and conspiracy theories have been spread, threatening our self-governance. For months, I have said that the American people deserve transparency and truth on how and why thousands showed up to attack our democracy, and ultimately, what led to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Complex on January 6, 2021,” he said.
Kinzinger will join Pelosi’s other picks including fellow Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming as well as Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.; Adam Schiff, D-Calif; Pete Aguilar, D-Calif; Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.; Jamie Raskin, D-Md.; Elaine Luria, D-Va. and Rep. Bennie Thomas, D-Miss., who will chair the committee.
On Wednesday, Pelosi rejected McCarthy’s nominations of Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, while saying she was prepared to approve his selections of Reps. Rodney Davis, Kelly Armstrong and Troy Nehls, while asking McCarthy to make two more selections.
McCarthy responded by accusing Pelosi of an “egregious abuse of power” while saying he would withdraw the remainder of his selections if she refused to approve Banks and Jordan.
Pelosi earlier Sunday told ABC News she was willing to appoint the other three members before McCarthy withdrew their names adding that she believed Banks and Jordan would “jeopardize the integrity of the investigation.”
“I do believe that the work of this committee, in order to retain the confidence of the American people, must act in a way that has no partisanship, is all about patriotism. And I’m very proud of the members of the committee. And I’m certain that they will accomplish that goal,” she said before officially announcing Kinzinger’s nomination.