'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.
-
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast: a ‘highly entertaining ride’The Week Recommends Mystery-comedy from the creator of Derry Girls should be ‘your new binge-watch’
-
The 8 best TV shows of the 1960sThe standout shows of this decade take viewers from outer space to the Wild West
-
Microdramas are boomingUnder the radar Scroll to watch a whole movie
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
