Pelosi appoints 2nd GOP critic of Trump to panel

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday named a second Republican critic of Donald Trump, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, to a special committee investigating the Capitol riot and pledged that the Democraticmajority panel will “get to the truth.” Kinzinger said he “humbly accepted” the appointment even as his party’s leadership is boycotting the inquiry.

With the committee set to hold its first meeting, hearing from police officers who battled the rioters, Pelosi said it was imperative to learn what happened on Jan. 6, when insurrectionists disrupted the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory, and why the violent siege took place. That mission, she said, must be pursued in a bipartisan manner to ensure “such an attack can never happen again.” Kinzinger joins Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, as the two committee’s Republicans, both selected by the leader of the opposition party. Kinzinger and Cheney were among the 10 House Republicans to vote for Trump’s second impeachment. They were the only two Republicans who voted last month to form the special committee.

“For months, lies and conspiracy theories have been spread, threatening our selfgovernance,” Kinzinger said in a statement. “For months, I have said that the American people deserve transparency and truth on how and why thousands showed up to attack our democracy.”

“I will work diligently to ensure we get to the truth and hold those responsible for the attack fully accountable,“he said.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has said the GOP will not participate after Pelosi, DSan Francisco, refused to accept the members he picked.

McCarthy, RBakersfield., has said the committee was a “sham process” and withdrew his five members when Pelosi rejected two of them, Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio. Both voted on Jan. 6 against certifying Biden’s election victory over Trump. Kinzinger and Cheney have faulted Trump in spurring the insurrection with his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen because of voting fraud.