On Wednesday, July 21, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two of the Republican picks — Reps. Jim Jordan (OH) and Jim Banks (IN) — for the Democrat-led January 6 select committee. House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy had provided the California Democrat with a list of five names of colleagues who would sit on her 13-person panel that is largely viewed by critics as a partisan effort to keep former President Donald Trump from wielding influence in upcoming elections.
Pelosi released a statement explaining her position and her refusal to admit the two Republicans to the committee. She wrote:
“Monday evening, the Minority Leader recommended 5 Members to serve on the Select Committee. I have spoken with him this morning about the objections raised about Representatives Jim Banks and Jim Jordan and the impact their appointments may have on the integrity of the investigation…
“With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee.
“The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision.”
Speaker Pelosi was referring to the two GOP lawmakers and their reluctance to certify the 2020 election win in favor of Joe Biden in January. Republican members of Congress have already voiced concerns that this committee would be a prolonged political attack with a pre-determined outcome; Representative Pelosi’s decision to exclude lawmakers with whom she disagrees appears unlikely to dispel this notion.
Liberty Nation will keep you informed as this story develops…
