House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed a second Republican lawmaker to the select committee investigating the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger will join Liz Cheney of Wyoming after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pulled his five selections to the committee.

Last week, Pelosi rejected two of McCarthy's selections, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana.

"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 said in a statement. "This moment requires a serious, clear-eyed, non-partisan approach. We are duty-bound to conduct a full investigation on the worst attack on the Capitol since 1814 and to make sure it can never happen again."

McCarthy accused Pelosi of using the committee for political gain after she announced Kinzinger's appointment.

"The Speaker has structured this select committee to satisfy her political objectives. She had months to work with Republicans on a reasonable and fair approach to get answers on the events and security failures surrounding January 6," he said in a statement. "Instead, she has played politics. Lost in much of the news coverage is the fact that the Senate has already conducted bipartisan investigations that should serve as a roadmap for the House."

"Speaker Pelosi's departure from this serious-minded approach has destroyed the select committee's credibility. The U.S. Capitol and the men and women who protect it suffered a massive leadership failure. We must make sure that never happens again, and that is what Republicans will be focused on."

The committee will hold its first hearing this Tuesday.

Calendar Events