Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) has now accepted a role on the House committee that has been set up to investigate the deadly January riot at the Capitol. Like other Congressional committees, the House panel examining the riot has the power to issue subpoenas, potentially forcing the transfer to the committee of certain documents and the testimony before investigators of certain individuals, while this week, it will be hosting its first hearing. That hearing, which is set for Tuesday, will feature four local police officers as witnesses. During the riot, Trump supporters violently assaulted scores of officers, leaving many with serious injuries.
Kinzinger commented, in part, as follows:
‘For months, lies and conspiracy theories have been spread, threatening our self-governance. For months, I have said that 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 Complex on January 6, 2021… Let me be clear, I’m a Republican dedicated to conservative values, but I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution—and while this is not the position I expected to be in or sought out, when duty calls, I will always answer.’
Kinzinger added that he intends to “work diligently to ensure we get to the truth and hold those responsible for the attack fully accountable.” At this point, it seems safe to assume that the committee will eventually formally lay out the role that Donald Trump himself had in inciting the riot. Trump lied and has continued to lie about the integrity of last year’s presidential election, and that day, some of his supporters attempted to forcibly stop the formal certification by Congress of Biden’s election win. Thus, he’s on apparent notice. Trump, of course, isn’t the only Republican who’s spread those lies, so others could come under scrutiny by the committee as well. Other lines of inquiry will likely include the question of exactly what was going on at the White House as Trump remained, for a time at least, somewhat quiet while the violence unfolded.
Read Kinzinger’s full statement by clicking on the post below:
Kinzinger: "I’m a Republican dedicated to conservative values, but I swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution—and while this is not the position I expected to be in or sought out, when duty calls, I will always answer."
Full statement 👇 pic.twitter.com/iAYSFqVCEb
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) July 25, 2021
Kinzinger is the second Republican to join the House committee investigating the riot, alongside Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who, like Kinzinger, was also selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). In recent days, Pelosi rejected two selections that House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) made for the committee, and McCarthy subsequently withdrew all five of his picks, insisting that House Republicans as a whole would not be participating at all under current circumstances.
