Republican Representative Liz Cheney has publicly supported Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to exclude two Republican members from the House select committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riot. Cheney, who was appointed to the panel by Pelosi last month, told reporters on Capitol Hill: 'I agree with what the Speaker has done.'
Cheney also criticised House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, arguing he is not qualified to become Speaker if Republicans win the House in the 2022 midterm elections. 'Any person who would be third in line to the presidency must demonstrate a commitment to the constitution and a commitment to the rule of law, and Minority Leader McCarthy has not done that,' she said. She described his rhetoric as 'disingenuous' and accused him of attempting to prevent the American people from understanding what happened on January 6th.
Pelosi on Wednesday rejected Republican Congressmen Jim Banks and Jim Jordan, both strong allies of former President Donald Trump, from serving on the select committee. Both men had voted to challenge the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory and promoted the false claim that Trump won the 2020 election. Pelosi stated she made the decision based on the 'integrity' of the investigation, saying: 'The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision.'
In response, McCarthy pulled all five of his nominees from the committee, accusing Pelosi of 'playing politics' and creating a 'sham process'. He vowed to hold a separate Republican-led investigation that would include examining Trump's role in the riot. Cheney, who was removed from House leadership after criticising Trump and voting for his second impeachment, expressed confidence that the select committee will conduct a nonpartisan investigation.
