PELOSI VETOES JORDAN; MCCARTHY PULLS GOP FROM “SELECT” COMMITTEE
IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JAN. 6, JIM JORDAN, NANCY PELOSI
Yesterday, I wrote about Kevin McCarthy’s picks for the select subcommittee to investigate the events of January 6 of this year. McCarthy made five selections, including Jim Jordan.
It was far from clear that Nancy Pelosi would consent to Jordan serving on the committee, and she wasted little time in vetoing the Ohio Republican. She also nixed Jim Banks, another of McCarthy’s choices.
McCarthy, in turn, wasted little time in responding that none of the five Republicans he selected will participate. Liz Cheney will be the only Republican on the committee.
This was the only sensible move available to McCarthy. It’s always been clear to me that Pelosi plans to use the select committee for partisan purposes, rather than legitimately to investigate all aspects of what happened back in early January. Thus, there was always some question as to whether Republicans should participate in the spectacle at all.
Now, Pelosi has answered that question. Vetoing Jordan demonstrates to the satisfaction of any impartial observer that Pelosi wants a kangaroo court, not a good faith, balanced investigation conducted in accordance with normal House procedure.
Pulling the GOP out will, for many, undermine the perception that Pelosi’s tribunal is legitimate. The notion that Liz Cheney provides objectivity or balance is laughable to most Republicans.
It will also spare several of the Republicans McCarthy had selected from having to put their political future at risk by participating in an exercise that many in the Republican base despise. (I have nothing against investigating the events in question, but despise the way it will be done.)
Thus, assuming neither Pelosi nor McCarthy yields, I think this is playing out reasonably well under the circumstances.
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