House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican leading the inquiry are currently at an impasse regarding the direction of their investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
As reported by three sources familiar with the discussions, Johnson is advocating for a more limited focus on the previous January 6 committee’s findings and wishes to discontinue the investigation into figures such as former GOP Representative Liz Cheney.
Conversely, some officials from the White House, who have designated GOP Representative Barry Loudermilk to spearhead the investigation, are in favor of a broader mandate. CNN previously disclosed that President Donald Trump expressed to Johnson prior to his inauguration that he wanted this investigation to be a primary focus.
The sources indicated that Loudermilk’s newly formed select subcommittee, which Johnson announced in January, has yet to commence its work, partly due to the ongoing internal disagreements that have hindered negotiations. “I informed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy that I would take on this challenge under two conditions: I would require the autonomy and resources necessary to pursue the facts without political bias or external influence, and I would need the authority to report our findings to the American public,” Loudermilk stated to CNN on Thursday. McCarthy requested that I lead the House Republicans’ investigation into the security failures at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, as well as the work of Pelosi’s Select Committee. I believe this investigation remains essential for uncovering the truth.
Loudermilk has concentrated on the previous January 6 committee and its findings from the last Congress. The House GOP report ultimately recommended that the FBI investigate Cheney’s role in the Capitol attack inquiry.
The sources also noted that a narrowed focus for the investigation would hinder its ability to assess security preparedness prior to the attack and to evaluate future security protocols for the US Capitol.Last month, Loudermilk revealed that Speaker Johnson assured him that his inquiry into the January 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol will be established as a new committee.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy by Republicans to continue several investigations initiated during the last Congress, now that they hold the majority in both chambers of Congress and the White House.
Loudermilk indicated that the specifics of the new committee are still under discussion, with one possibility being that Johnson would have greater influence over the selection of committee members (referred to as a “select committee”) and its operational procedures.
The formation of this new committee aims to emphasize Loudermilk’s efforts, which included a report recommending that former GOP Representative Liz Cheney face charges from the FBI. This move keeps the Republican agenda focused on preventing accountability for President Donald Trump regarding the events of January 6.
Loudermilk commented on the previous January 6 select committee, led by Adam Schiff and Liz Cheney, stating, “It was so singularly focused that basically Trump created this entire problem. When in reality, it was a multitude of failures at different levels.” Johnson has publicly committed to ensuring that the new investigation into January 6 will be “fully funded.”
According to CNN, continuing the investigation into the former January 6 select committee—which included Cheney as vice chair and another Republican member—along with the broader security response to the Capitol attack, is not the only strategy Republicans intend to employ with their newfound majority to advance their politically sensitive investigations.
On Monday, Republicans reissued subpoenas related to special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into President Joe Biden’s management of classified documents, as well as two Justice Department tax investigators involved in the Hunter Biden case, according to two sources familiar with the situation. These subpoenas aim to revive efforts from the previous Congress that have been contested in court and remain unresolved for months.California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff is contemplating the possibility of declining a pardon granted by former President Joe Biden to all individuals involved in the Congressional investigation of the January 6 riot, which includes Schiff himself.
In an interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Schiff discussed the potential repercussions of accepting a pardon, noting that he has spent years asserting—during President Donald Trump’s first term—that accepting such a pardon constitutes an “admission of guilt.” In a series of last-minute pardons designed to protect allies from possible retaliation by President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden extended clemency to a select group of individuals; however, this decision presents challenges for those receiving the pardons.
Among the limited recipients of these pardons were former Wyoming Republican Congresswoman and January 6 Committee co-chair Liz Cheney, as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci. Biden’s aides indicated that this action was intended to prevent potential acts of retribution from Trump or his forthcoming administration.
Nevertheless, legal experts quickly highlighted that these pardons would not shield either individual from the obligation to testify under oath if they were to be subpoenaed.
