House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced a resolution Monday to form a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection, a resolution which is expected to get a vote in the chamber today and does not require Senate approval.
Pelosi chose to go the route of a select committee after Senate Republicans used a filibuster to block legislation that would’ve created an independent, bipartisan commission made up of members not currently serving in Congress.
Here are key things to know about the committee the resolution would form:
- The committee would be made up of 13 members.
- Eight of those members will be appointed by Pelosi.
- Five will be picked in consultation with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
- While Pelosi did not tip her hand as to who she plans to choose to chair or serve on the committee, an aide tells CNN that she is seriously considering a Republican as one of her eight picks.
- This select committee will have subpoena power and will not be given a strict deadline to finish its work.
It remains to be seen how cooperative McCarthy will be. His role on Jan. 6 could be a focal point of any investigation. The California Republican called Trump as the former President’s supporters stormed the Capitol and asked him to tell them to “publicly and forcefully” call off the mob. GOP Rep. Jamie Herrera Butler said McCarthy told a group of Republican members of Congress that Trump refused to do so and told McCarthy that the rioters cared more about the election results than he did.
McCarthy has yet to fully recount that phone call in public but has said multiple times that he would be willing to testify in front of the commission or committee if asked.
