Pelosi appoints Liz Cheney to probe different members of the January sixth committee to research pro-Trump riots

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday appointed members of the special committee that will investigate the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, including Republican MP Liz Cheney.

The California Democrat selected eight members of the panel, which was formed on Wednesday in a largely bipartisan vote. House Minority Chairman Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Will speak with the other five representatives on the committee.

Every legislature elected by Pelosi is a Democrat, with the exception of Cheney, who was one of two GOP officials who voted to form the committee. She was also one of 10 Republicans who voted to indict former President Donald Trump of inciting a riot after a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol while Congress was counting President Joe Biden’s election victory.

With her committee picks, Pelosi chose:

• Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Who will chair the panel
• Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
• Representative Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
• Rep Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.
• Representative Elaine Luria, D-Va.
• Rep Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla.
• Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.
• Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

“It is imperative that we find the truth of this day and ensure that such an attack on our Capitol and our democracy can never happen again,” Pelosi said in a statement on Thursday.

Cheney said she was honored to be named to the committee.

U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) with Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and members of the Special Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol speak after meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA) on July 1, 2021 in the Capitol in Washington, USA.

Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

“What happened on January 6th can never happen again,” the legislature said in a statement. “Those responsible for the attack must be held accountable, and this special committee will meet that responsibility in a professional, swift and impartial manner.”

The formation of the panel comes as Democrats and Republicans split over how much more Congress needs to do to investigate what led to the attack on the Capitol that disrupted the transfer of power.

Many GOP lawmakers – who see highlighting Trump’s role in the riot as a potential burden ahead of next year’s midterm elections – have claimed a new investigation would duplicate the existing efforts of the Justice Department and the Standing Congressional committees.

McCarthy underlined Republicans ‘opposition to opening another investigation and, according to NBC News, threatened to withdraw GOP officials’ committee seats if they accepted Pelosi’s appointment to the panel.

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The Democratic-led House of Representatives set up the special committee after Republicans blocked a bill in the Senate that would have set up an independent commission to investigate the attack. Six GOP senators voted to move the legislation forward.

The select House Committee will investigate what led to the attack on the Capitol. The panel will issue a report on its findings and how to prevent another violent attempt to disrupt the transfer of power.

When asked on Thursday whether the committee would summon Trump, Pelosi did not want to say.

“I made the appointments, the committee will make its decisions,” she said.

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