House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday that it is her "plan" to appoint Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) to the House select committee investigating the deadly Jan 6. Capitol riots.
Why it matters: Pelosi's statement to ABC's "This Week" comes after she rejected two of the five Republican appointments offered by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
- Pelosi's refusal led to McCarthy revoking all of his appointments, later making threats that he would form his own committee.
- Rep. Liz Cheney (R.-Wyo.) was the lone Republican appointed by Pelosi.
- Kinzinger has been outspoken in his opposition to Trump and voted for his second impeachment following the Jan. 6 attack, but has yet to comment on if he would join the select committee.
The big picture: Asked by host George Stephanopoulos whether she would be appointing more republicans to the committee, she said, "that would be my plan."
- Pelosi further clarified that she would make an announcement after she spoke with Kinzinger but emphasized that is the "direction I would be going."
- "He and other Republicans have expressed an interest to serve on the select committee and I wanted to appoint a three of the members Leader McCarthy suggested but he withdrew their names."
What they're saying: "We have had an unprecedented action, an assault, an insurrection, against our government. An assault on the capitol building, which is an assault on Congress," Pelosi said.
- “Maybe the Republicans can’t handle the truth, but we have a responsibility to seek it," she added.
What to watch: The committee's first hearing is scheduled for July 27.