WASHINGTON – The panel charged with investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob will hold its first hearing this month, its chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.,, said Friday.

In an interview on MSNBC, Thompson also said the hearing will “absolutely” go forward even if House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., declines to recommend Republican members for the panel.

“Either the 21st or 22nd of July, we will have our first [hearing],” Thompson said. “We take our work serious. We want to hear from any and all individuals who think they might have something to contribute to the investigation.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., moved to form the committee after Senate Republicans blocked an effort to create an independent, bipartisan commission.

Last month, Pelosi tapped Thompson to chair the 13-member panel and announced her other appointments, including one Republican, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.

McCarthy, who opposed the committee, has repeatedly declined to say whether he plans to appoint members; at a news conference last month, he dodged questions on the subject.

Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former president Donald Trump for “incitement of insurrection” in the attack that resulted in five deaths, injured some 140 members of law enforcement and was the worst assault on the Capitol in more than two centuries.

In addition to Thompson and Cheney, Pelosi has appointed six other members to the panel: Democratic Reps. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Adam Schiff (Calif.), Pete Aguilar (Calif.), Stephanie Murphy (Fla.), Jamie Raskin (Md.) and Elaine Luria (Va.).

Schiff and Raskin were the lead impeachment managers during Trump’s first and second impeachment trials, respectively; Lofgren also was an impeachment manager.

Pelosi designed the Jan. 6 select committee to have 13 members, five of whom would be appointed “after consultation with” McCarthy. That means she will maintain the power to overrule any McCarthy pick whom Democrats consider objectionable.

Addressing reporters after the group held its first meeting last month, Thompson said that the selected lawmakers plan to begin by inviting police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 to testify at a hearing.

On Friday, Thompson said that the hearing will proceed regardless of whether McCarthy appoints members.

“Based on the legislation passed, we have a quorum of the committee, and the committee is committed to doing our job, as I said, with hope that Kevin McCarthy gives us his five recommendations so that we can fully populate the committee,” Thompson said on MSNBC. “But if he chooses not to, we will still do our work.”


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.