Only 2 GOP representatives voted in favor of Jan. 6 select committee


Just two House Republicans — Reps. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) — voted alongside Democrats on Wednesday to establish a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. A bipartisan measure to create an independent commission passed in the House last month before being blocked by Senate Republicans.
"I voted in support of the select committee because the truth matters," Kinzinger wrote in a statement following the vote, which cleared 222-190. "We have to put the partisan political divisions aside and put the interests of our country and our democracy at the forefront."
Just before the vote, Cheney noted in a statement that she believes it "right to be wary of an overtly partisan inquiry," but since the independent panel failed to pass, Congress is nonetheless "obligated to conduct a full investigation of the most serious attack on our Capitol since 1814."
Subscribe to 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.
"We must ensure that what happened on January 6, 2021, never happens again," Cheney added. Both she and Kinzinger have previously criticized former President Donald Trump for his baseless claims of widespread election fraud and for his role in inciting violence on Jan. 6.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will appoint eight members to the select committee, which is expected to investigate the security failings and circumstances leading up to the attack on Jan. 6, CNN reports. Objecting Republicans are reportedly concerned the "partisan panel" will be used as a platform to "attack" Trump, but as Kinzinger notes in his statement, "we cannot let fear stop us from doing what is right."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Why concert tickets cost so much
The Explainer High-profile music tours now come with eye-watering price-tags. But Ticketmaster isn't entirely to blame
-
Arrábida Natural Park: a coastal paradise just outside Lisbon
The Week Recommends The park stretches along the south coast of the Setúbal Peninsula in Portugal
-
Crossword: June 8, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Supreme Court lowers bar in discrimination cases
speed read The court ruled in favor of a white woman who claimed she lost two deserved promotions to gay employees
-
Trump-Musk relationship implodes in taunts, threats
speed read Musk said Trump's multitrillion bill would cause a recession and accused the president of involvement with Jeffrey Epstein
-
Trump hits Africa, Middle East with new travel ban
Speed Read The travel ban bars visitors from 12 countries and restricts entry from seven
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain