The political circus over the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol building continues to get zanier, Republicans seem to be more willing to throw their weight around. During a Wednesday briefing at Capitol Hill, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) declared that the GOP will launch its own investigation into the incident, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) pulled two Republican lawmakers from the supposedly bipartisan committee.
McCarthy’s threat comes after Democrats decided to form their own committee to “investigate” the riot, when it became apparent that they did not have enough support for a 9/11-style commission to look into the matter. RedState’s Nick Arama noted that Pelosi made sure the committee was “stacked with anti-Trump people” like Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and others. However, when the speaker vetoed the appointment of Reps. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Jim Jordan (R-OH), who were the McCarthy’s choices, it became clear that the Democrats were intent on making the panel as partisan as possible.
The House minority leader released a statement, explaining that unless Pelosi seats all five GOP picks, “Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts.”
In his announcement, McCarthy said, in part:
“We will run our own investigation. We have law enforcement, we have military, we have doctors, we have people from all walks of life. They want to know the answer, the American people deserve that. They don’t deserve politics, they don’t deserve destroying the institution. No committee in Congress will work if one person can pick all who can serve. This has not happened before.”
In a move that is sure to shock the nation, Cheney defended Pelosi’s actions, stating, “I agree with what the Speaker has done.”
Pelosi also released a statement in which she defended her decision. She argued that the “unprecedented nature” of the Jan. 6 riot “demands the unprecedented decision” to prohibit Banks and Jordan from participating in the panel and requested that McCarthy pick two other Republican lawmakers instead.
Since the effort to form a 9/11-style commission and subsequent Democratic committee are clearly partisan in nature, none of this comes as a surprise. McCarthy likely chose Banks and Jordan, knowing that Pelosi would pull rank and reveal her true intentions.
This sham of an investigation is intended for one purpose: To further weaponize the riot at the U.S. Capitol and milk it for all it’s worth. Democrats are trying to use the incident to gain an advantage for the 2022 midterm elections, and I’ll bet dollars to donuts that the result of the supposed probe will be released at a time when Democrats believe it will help them strategically.
The FBI is already investigating the riot, and there are other congressional investigations proceeding at this moment. This is what Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pointed out when he signaled that Senate Republicans would not vote in favor of this farce.
In light of all this, why shouldn’t the Republicans form their own committee and conduct their own investigation? After all, some are questioning Pelosi’s conduct as the fracas ensued. What if the GOP digs deeper and finds information that isn’t favorable to the left? Turnabout is fair play, isn’t it?
Pelosi has all but revealed what everyone already knows: The committee is politically motivated. But why should the Democrats have all the fun?
Let’s have two competing investigations that are purely motivated by political expediency. That way, when the Democrats reveal their findings – or better yet, their manufactured evidence — Republicans will have material with which to counter the narrative that the left will almost certainly push when the time comes. If Democrats wish to continue weaponizing the riot, the Republicans don’t have to make it easy for them, do they?
