The hearing will mark the first time the panel will hear directly from first responders and will kick start its efforts to investigate the events on January 6. Chairman of the committee Bennie Thompson said last week he planned to have the committee hold its first hearing as soon as this month, regardless of whether House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy appointed anyone to the panel.
While the committee did not provide a witness list, sources tell CNN that staffers reached out to at least two police officers and asked them about their availability to testify: United States Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who fought off the pro-Trump mob as they hurled racial slurs at him, and DC Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone, who was beaten, tased and suffered a heart attack while responding to the attack. Both officers, who indicated they’d be willing to appear before the committee, had been vocal about the need for an independent commission to investigate the deadly insurrection and lobbied members of Congress to support legislation to establish one.
McCarthy has yet to name GOP members to the panel, telling Fox News earlier this week that he hasn’t decided who — or even whether — to appoint anyone, though sources tell CNN he is still expected to.
And Democratic sources previously told CNN their strategy is to avoid turning the committee’s efforts into a spectacle and keep most work for the committee behind closed doors.
This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday.
