Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) is sticking with the push to uncover the truth of the circumstances surrounding last year’s Trump-inspired violence at the Capitol, where supporters of the then-president tried to stop the process of certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Asked on CBS if he wanted to see Vice President Mike Pence testify to the House committee investigating the Capitol riot, Kinzinger — a member of the committee — remarked as follows:
‘Yes. I would love to see that. I hope he would do so voluntarily. These are decisions I think that we’re going to end up making from a tactical perspective in the next week or two as we basically pin down what this hearing schedule is going to look like, the content, and as we go into the full narrative of this thing. I would hope and think that the vice president would want to come in and tell his story, because he did do the right thing on that day. If he doesn’t, then we’ll look at the options we have available to us if there’s information we don’t already have.’
Just in: Jan. 6 committee chair Bennie Thompson tells reporters the panel will hold at least 8 public hearings, spread out over the month of June with some in prime time
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) April 28, 2022
Ahead of the scheduled Congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election outcome, Pence faced pressure in his role as the then-vice president overseeing the certification proceedings to block electoral votes Biden won. Pence did not actually possess the legally recognized power to undertake such a move, and spreading animosity towards him over his resistance towards subverting the basic democratic processes in this country culminated in part with rioters targeting him too as they swarmed the Capitol. “Hang Mike Pence!” some shouted. Pence — despite these threats — hasn’t made a systematic break with Trump. In an article he wrote for The Washington Post that was published in January of this year after the first anniversary of the Capitol riot, Pence referred to the violence as “tragic” but never even named Trump, whose election-related lies directly and indisputably incited what happened.
New: Oath Keeper member Brian Ulrich pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding on Jan. 6 — the second Oath Keeper to do so after Joshua James, who provided security to Roger Stone.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) April 29, 2022
Besides expressing his interest in having Pence testify before the committee, Kinzinger also indicated an openness to issuing subpoenas for Republican members of Congress. “I think ultimately, whatever we can do to get that information. I think if that takes a subpoena, it takes a subpoena,” as Kinzinger explained things regarding those particular potential subpoenas. “But I think the key is regardless of even what some members of Congress are going to tell us, we know a lot of information around it… We’re going deeper with richer and more detail to show the American people.” The riot panel is planning to hold eight additional public hearings across the month of June, with the first tentatively set for June 9 — although specific witness and topic breakdowns don’t appear to be immediately available. Committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) also indicated that investigators would be once again reaching out to various Republican members of both the House and Senate. Watch Kinzinger’s comments below:
GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger tells @margbrennan he wants to see Vice President Mike Pence testify before the House January 6 investigating committee:
"Yes. I would love to see that. I hope he would do so voluntarily." pic.twitter.com/8cFlijPRu7
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 1, 2022
"I think ultimately, whatever we can do to get that information. I think if that takes a subpoena, it takes a subpoena," GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, says ahead of hearings where the House Jan. 6 investigating committee wants members of Congress to testify. pic.twitter.com/izJoXXF4IJ
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) May 1, 2022
