House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is criticizing two of his colleagues for accepting appointments to the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, the California Republican slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for naming Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) to the committee and suggested she was “pre-determining” the outcome of the probe.
“Never in the history of America has a speaker picked the other side,” McCarthy said. “So they’re predetermining what comes out.”
At WH, @GOPLeader responded to questions about Jan 6 Commission & criticized @SpeakerPelosi for selecting R members.McCarthy called @RepLizCheney @AdamKinzinger "Pelosi Republicans" pic.twitter.com/Jln7ALAGbq
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) July 26, 2021
A separate reporter said, “Some Republicans have been saying that…”
McCarthy quipped, “Some Republicans.”
“Some Republicans have been saying that the GOP should play ball on this committee,” the reporter said.
The minority leader responded, “Really? Who is that like Adam and Liz? Aren’t they kinda like Pelosi Republicans?”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) reacts to video of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) calling Reps. Kinzinger and Cheney “Pelosi Republicans”:
“That’s absurd.” pic.twitter.com/eT0NZJkORf
— The Recount (@therecount) July 26, 2021
Should McCarthy punish Cheney and Kinzinger?
When asked if he planned to punish Cheney and Kinzinger for accepting spots on the committee, McCarthy said, “We’ll see.”
He also said he “couldn’t” tell reporters when the last time he spoke to them was.
Cheney responded to McCarthy’s comments, telling reporters, “I think that’s pretty childish.”
Earlier this month, Pelosi named Cheney to the committee, and on Sunday, she named Kinzinger to the panel, as IJR reported.
Pelosi’s announcement comes after House Republicans withdrew their five picks to be appointed to the committee after she rejected two of them.
Last week, McCarthy said that he had chosen five Republicans, including Reps. Jim Banks (Ind.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Rodney Davis (Ill.), Kelly Armstrong (N.D.), and Troy Nehls (Texas).
However, Pelosi made news when she took the unusual step of rejecting two of the picks, Jordan and Banks. In a statement, she said she spoke to McCarthy “about the objections raised about Representatives Jim Banks and Jim Jordan and the impact their appointments may have on the integrity of the investigation.”
“With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee,” she said.
In response to the House speaker’s move, McCarthy announced that he would withdraw his suggestion for the remaining three lawmakers. He also said Republicans would conduct their own investigation of the violence of the riot.
Cheney and Kinzinger have both been vocal critics of former President Donald Trump, and both voted to impeach him on the charge of “incitement of insurrection” earlier this year.
McCarthy has reportedly warned Republicans against accepting appointments to the committee by Pelosi. However, Kinzinger previously signaled that he was not concerned telling reporters, “Who gives a sh*t?”
The threat may not be hollow. Earlier this year, House Republicans stripped Cheney of her leadership position following her continued criticism of Trump.
