Pelosi Names Republican Rep. Kinzginer to Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Panel

Date: 7/25/2021

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday named Republican Rep. Adam Kinzginer to the committee that will examine the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — after refusing to appoint GOP Reps. Jim Jordan and Jim Banks.

Kinzinger, an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump’s role in the melee, said he “humbly” accepted Pelosi’s appointment.

“I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution — and while this is not the position I expected to be in or sought out, when duty calls, I will always answer,” the Iraq War vet wrote Sunday on Twitter.

The Illinois pol joins Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming as the only Republicans currently on the select committee.

Both congressional members were the only GOP lawmakers to vote last month in favor of establishing a select committee in the House to probe the debacle.

Kinzinger will bring “great patriotism to the committee’s mission: to find the facts and protect our Democracy,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi hinted during her Sunday appearance on ABC News’ “This Week” that she was mulling adding Kinzinger.

Host George Stephanopoulos had asked the California Dem if Kinzinger would be among the lawmakers she would OK for the controversial panel.

“That would be my plan,” Pelosi said.

“You could say that’s the direction that I would be going. He and other Republicans have expressed an interest to serve on the select committee,” she said.

Pelosi said she had wanted to appoint three Republicans initially chosen by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.): US Reps. Rodney Davis (Illinois), Kelly Armstrong (S.D.) and Troy Nehls (Texas). McCarthy also wanted Jordan and Banks on the panel.

But Pelosi said McCarthy withdrew all five reps’ names after she balked at Jordan and Banks, staunch allies of former President Donald Trump.

“The two that I would not appoint, people who would jeopardize the integrity of the investigation. And there’s no way I would tolerate their antics as we seek the truth,” Pelosi said of the pair.

Banks, in an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” said the reason he was pulled from the committee is because finding out what happened on Jan. 6 is secondary to attacking Trump for Pelosi.

“It’s more clear than ever that Nancy Pelosi is not interested in an investigation. She’s only interested in a narrative. She claimed that the reason that she booted me from the committee was because of antics on the part of Jim Jordan and I,” Banks said.

“And in hindsight, what I realized what she means by that now is that we were prepared to ask questions that no one else has asked and demand answers as to why the Capitol was vulnerable to an attack on Jan. 6. Why was there a systemic breakdown of security at the Capitol on Jan. 6? If we’re going to investigate Jan. 6, why not ask those questions?” he said.

This is an excerpt from the New York Post.