WASHINGTON — Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., has been appointed as vice chair of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, according to a statement on Thursday from the panel.
“Every member of this committee is dedicated to conducting a non-partisan, professional, and thorough investigation of all the relevant facts regarding January 6th and the threat to our Constitution we faced that day,” Cheney said in a statement. “I have accepted the position of Vice Chair of the committee to assure that we achieve that goal.”
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks about the Jan. 6 Select Committee on Capitol Hill on July 21. Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford
The move further cements Cheney, who was ousted by fellow House Republicans from her leadership position in May over her challenge of former president Donald Trump’s false claim that the presidential election was stolen, as a major player in the investigation. She was originally tapped to join the committee in July.
Cheney’s position will boost Democrats’ arguments the probe is bipartisan even as many Republicans oppose it – with some GOP lawmakers even going so far as to threaten telecommunications and social media companies that comply with its requests.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the select committee’s chair, welcomed Cheney’s appointment and said her presence “underscores the bipartisan nature” of the effort to get to the bottom of events that saw an attack on the Capitol earlier this year.
“Representative Cheney has demonstrated again and again her commitment to getting answers about January 6th, ensuring accountability, and doing whatever it takes to protect democracy for the American people,” Thompson said in a statement.
The Jan. 6 committee is tasked with investigating the facts related to the attack on the Capitol that saw pro-Trump rioters involved in deadly clashes with police and threatened the orderly certification of President Biden’s electoral victory.
In June, House Speaker Pelosi announced the formation of a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol after Senate Republicans blocked an effort to form an independent, bipartisan commission.
Jacob Chansley climbs scaffolding as demonstrators swarm the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Jan. 6. Bloomberg
Cheney, 55, has called her decision to publicly fight Trump a matter of principle, warning that allowing him to falsely claim that the election was stolen amounts to an attack on democracy and is destructive to the GOP and its values.
Trump has previously publicly reveled in Cheney’s ouster, calling her “a bitter, horrible human being,” in a statement and stating that she was “bad” for the Republican Party.
On Monday, the committee asked 35 companies to retain phone records and other information related to the attack as it ramps up its investigation ahead of the return of Congress next month. Several of the companies indicated this week that they intend to comply with the panel’s requests. However, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Republicans “will not forget” the actions of telecommunications and social media companies that comply with the committee’s request.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
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.