Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) about-face on an independent commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection drew sharp condemnation from a powerful House Democrat on Tuesday.
Despite Democrats agreeing to key Republican demands on how the commission will handle the investigation of the events of January 6th when hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overthrow democracy and install Trump as a dictator all while intending to murder lawmakers in the process, McCarthy withdrew his support of the commission in a cowardly move that enraged Democrats.
One Democrat, in particular, House Rules Committee Chairman Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), shredded McCarthy in a statement to reporters and again on Twitter going so far as to declare that McCarthy is “unfit to serve” because he’s too beholden to Donald Trump.
“I’m pissed to be honest with you,” McGovern reportedly said. “What’s frustrating to me is that this does not seem to be a disagreement over substance or policy. I do think this is an issue of character and fitness to lead. I assume what happened is that Trump got wind of what we were doing and called up the minority leader and said ‘I don’t like it.'”
Indeed, Republicans fear any investigation will find that they were more involved with the insurrection than anyone thought. McCarthy and Trump would likely both be called to testify, exposing them to perjury charges or revealing their complicity in the terrorist attack against our democracy.
“If there’s anybody in this chamber who doesn’t believe it’s important to get to the truth about what happened on the sixth, or who wants to make believe that what happened on the sixth didn’t happen on the sixth, like a typical tourist day on the Capitol, they are not fit to serve in this chamber,” McGovern concluded. “It is pathetic.”
Here’s a letter @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy sent Democratic leadership stipulating his requests for a January 6th Commission.
We gave him what he asked for. But now? He’s going back on his word. He cares more about worshiping Trump & spreading The Big Lie than upholding his oath. https://t.co/0E9O5LdFA7
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) May 18, 2021
Democrats should proceed without Republicans and investigate the Capitol insurrection to the fullest extent. And any Republican who aided or supported the attack should be barred from serving in Congress and aggressively prosecuted. Anything less guarantees that there will be future coup attempts.
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