Yes, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and his GOP underlings have decided to take their ball and go home after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) rightly rejected two of his picks to join the select committee that will examine the Jan. 6 insurrection. But all is not lost: Pelosi is reportedly considering adding another Republican or two of her choosing — perhaps including Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) — to join the Democrat-led panel.
That would be a good move. It would give the investigation itself an added bipartisan veneer to buff up its credibility with the non-Twitter-obsessed public that doesn't follow such things closely. More broadly — and maybe more importantly — it might also act as a signal from Pelosi to Republicans who find themselves alienated from their party during the Donald Trump era: Hey. We're here. Come be part of our coalition.
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.
That's not to say they'd make a good fit with Democrats. Cheney is too much of a foreign policy hawk, for example, and Kinzinger too conservative on abortion to ever be comfortable joining up with Pelosi on a permanent basis.
But their estrangement from the GOP frees up the party's remaining non-Trumpists to form occasional alliances with Democrats. That, in turn, sends a message to Republican voters that it's okay to cross party lines for the greater good.
-
Could Trump run for a third term?The Explainer Constitutional amendment limits US presidents to two terms, but Trump diehards claim there is a loophole
-
Political cartoons for November 28Cartoons Friday's political cartoons include economic diagnosis, climate distractions, and more
-
What does the fall in net migration mean for the UK?Today’s Big Question With Labour and the Tories trying to ‘claim credit’ for lower figures, the ‘underlying picture is far less clear-cut’
-
Could Trump run for a third term?
The Explainer Constitutional amendment limits US presidents to two terms, but Trump diehards claim there is a loophole
-
Will California tax its billionaires?Talking Points A proposed one-time levy would shore up education and Medicaid
-
A free speech debate is raging over sign language at the White HouseTalking Points The administration has been accused of excluding deaf Americans from press briefings
-
Is Trump a lame duck president?Talking Points Republicans are considering a post-Trump future
-
Obamacare: Why premiums are rocketingFeature The rise is largely due to the Dec. 31 expiration of pandemic-era ‘enhanced’ premium subsidies, which are at the heart of the government shutdown
-
What happens to a Democratic Party without Nancy Pelosi?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The storied former speaker of the House is set to retire, leaving congressional Democrats a complicated legacy and an uncertain future
-
The longest US government shutdown in historyThe Explainer Federal employees and low-income households have been particularly affected by ‘partisan standoffs’ in Washington
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
