Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger to the House select committee that will investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In a Sunday statement, Pelosi noted the Illinois congressman’s military service and patriotism.
“Today, I am announcing the appointment of Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran and Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, to serve on the Select Committee. He brings great patriotism to the Committee’s mission: to find the facts and protect our Democracy,” Pelosi said.
Kinzinger joins Rep. Liz Cheney as the only two Republicans on the select committee, which is set to begin next week. Both lawmakers were among the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach then-president Donald Trump for encouraging the Jan. 6th mob to march on the Capitol and attempt to interfere with the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory.
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Kinzinger also released a statement on Sunday, announcing his selection.
“Today, I was asked to serve on the bipartisan January 6th Select Committee and I humbly accepted. When duty calls, I will always answer,” Kinzinger said.
Pelosi’s move comes after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pulled all his five GOP choices to join the committee when Pelosi rejected Reps. Jim Banks and Jim Jordan, both staunch supporters of Trump who have consistently lied about the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
“For months, lies and conspiracy theories have been spread, threatening our self-governance,” Kinzinger said. “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.”
McCarthy and other Republicans have blasted Democrats for moving ahead with an investigation. “This is a sham committee that’s just politically driven by Speaker Pelosi,” the House Minority Leader said this week. But it was Senate Republicans who filibustered the creation of an independent bipartisan commission that was supposed to emulate the 9/11 commission.
“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,” Pelosi said.
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