Pelosi taps Republican Liz Cheney to sit on new committee to probe Capitol riot
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday named Republican Liz Cheney to her newly formed select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, making her the lone GOP appointee among Pelosi's eight picks.
"We're very honored and proud that she has agreed to serve on the committee," Pelosi said Thursday in announcing Cheney's appointment.
Cheney, already ousted from GOP House leadership for routinely blaming former President Trump for sparking the attack, joined with all Democrats Wednesday to vote in favor of forming the committee along with Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.
CAPITOL RIOT: HOUSE CREATES COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE JAN. 6 ATTACK
Cheney said the committee is the only option remaining to thoroughly investigate the "unprecedented assault on Congress." Republican leadership has dismissed the committee as partisan, and GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly threatened to strip Republicans of their committee assignments if they accepted an invitation by Pelosi to join the committee.
Undeterred, Cheney said she's "honored" to serve on the committee, and her oath to the constitution and commitment to rule of law and peaceful transfer of power "must always be above partisan politics."
"What happened on January 6th can never happen again," Cheney said in a statement Thursday. "Those who are responsible for the attack need to be held accountable and this select committee will fulfill that responsibility in a professional, expeditious, and non-partisan manner."
Pelosi announced her eight choices for the 13-member committee Friday morning.
The chairperson will be Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chair of the Homeland Security Committee. Other Democratic members are Reps. Zoe Lofgren, the chair of House Administration Committee; Adam Schiff, chair of the Intelligence Committee, as well as Reps. Pete Aguilar of California, Stephanie Murphy of Florida, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Elaine Luria of Virginia.
Pelosi Thursday declined to address the apparent threats McCarthy made and how that will affect Cheney. "That's a matter for the Republican caucus," she said.
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The committee is charged with investigating the circumstances surrounding the "domestic terrorist attack" and issuing a final report with recommendations for corrective measures. There's no timetable for the work to be completed, meaning the committee could keep the Jan. 6 attack in the headlines well into the 2022 midterm election year.
