House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is admonishing Republicans to “take back your party” after some are refusing to support a commission to investigate the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
A reporter asked Pelosi during her press conference on Thursday, “What did yesterday’s vote tell you about the state of the Republican Party?”
The House passed a bill to set up a commission in a 252-175 vote on Wednesday. Thirty-five Republicans voted to back the bill.
“All I say to my Republican friends and I do have them, is take back your party. This is the Grand Old Party, a party that has done so much for our country,” Pelosi said.
She acknowledged Republicans who have “courageously withstood… the assault on our democracy.”
Pelosi added, “When you think of the Republicans and the courage that they’ve had and the electoral system in our country… and the election decisions that had been made to support… the fact that the election was legitimate. Many Republicans were the ones who came forward.”
Watch part of her press conference below:
Speaker Pelosi on lack of Republican support for Jan. 6th commission: "All I say to my Republican friends and I do have them, is take back your party. This is the Grand Old Party, a party that has done so much for our country."https://t.co/aRzfpZIjOi pic.twitter.com/wbfDIz1WNS
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 20, 2021
The House speaker mentioned Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as one of the Republicans who displayed courage.
“It is interesting to see 35 members coming forth. I’m very proud of them, and it was a recognition that this was a bipartisan product negotiated in good faith that all of a sudden they wanted to say, ‘Well if it isn’t Black Lives Matter or something like that…’ taking their eye off the ball,” Pelosi said.
Earlier this week, Pelosi tore into Republicans for opposing the legislation to create a commission, as IJR reported.
“And [it’s] disappointing but not surprising that the cowardice on the part of some on the Republican side not to want to find the truth,” she said.
Pelosi’s comments came after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced he opposes the proposal, as IJR reported.
