'An egregious abuse of power': Kevin McCarthy slams Pelosi for blocking GOP's Jan. 6 committee appointments
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) says that unless House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) "reverses course" on her decision to block the appointments of Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Jim Banks (R-Ind.) to the Jan. 6 select committee, she can forget Republican cooperation.
"Speaker Nancy Pelosi has taken the unprecedented step of denying the minority party's picks for the Select Committee on January 6. This represents an egregious abuse of power and will irreparably damage this institution," said McCarthy in a statement on Wednesday. Pelosi has all along had the authority to block McCarthy's picks.
"Unless Speaker Pelosi reverses course and seats all five Republican nominees, Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts," asserts McCarthy.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Monday, McCarthy nominated Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), and Troy Nehls (R-Texas), alongside Banks and Jordan, for the select committee's five GOP slots. Following their appointments, Banks condemned the committee on Twitter, and Jordan released a video trashing Democrats for objecting to the 2016 election. Banks, Jordan, and Nehls also all voted against the certification of President Biden's 2020 victory earlier in the year.
In her motion to block the two representatives, Pelosi said "concerns about the statements made and actions taken" by Banks and Jordan justify her choice to bar them from the committee. "The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision," she added. A Pelosi spokesman confirmed she will not be changing her mind, per The Hill.
Read McCarthy's full statement below.
-
Received a gift card this holiday season? Here’s how to maximize it.The Explainer Make the most of your present
-
‘Lumpy skin’ protests intensify across France as farmers fight cullIN THE SPOTLIGHT A bovine outbreak coupled with ongoing governmental frustrations is causing major problems for French civil society
-
The best books of 2025The Week Recommends A deep dive into the site of a mass shooting, a new release from the author of ‘Atonement’ and more
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
