GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia has revealed that House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged to formalize his investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as a new committee. This move is part of a broader Republican strategy to continue various investigations initiated in the last Congress, now that they control both chambers and the White House.
Loudermilk stated that the specifics of the new committee are still being finalized, but one possibility includes structuring it as a select committee, giving Johnson more control over its membership and operational procedures.
The formation of a new committee to amplify Loudermilk’s work— which previously included a report recommending that former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney face FBI charges— ensures that Republicans keep the focus on their narrative regarding January 6. Loudermilk criticized the previous January 6 select committee, led by Adam Schiff and Liz Cheney, for what he described as an overly narrow focus. “It was so singularly focused that basically Trump created this entire problem,” Loudermilk argued. “When in reality, it was a multitude of failures at different levels.”
Johnson has publicly committed to fully funding the new committee’s efforts.
“Continuing its investigation into the previous January 6 select committee—which featured Cheney as a vice chair and had another Republican member—as well as the broader security response to the Capitol attack, is not the only way Republicans plan to use their new majority to carry over their politically charged investigations,” CNN reported.
The report further states that Republicans have reissued subpoenas related to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents, as well as those related to two Justice Department tax investigators involved in the Hunter Biden case. These subpoenas reignite legal battles from the previous Congress that have yet to be resolved.
Meanwhile, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff is reportedly considering rejecting a pardon issued by President Joe Biden to individuals involved in the Congressional investigation into the January 6 riot, including himself. During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Schiff discussed potential political repercussions of accepting a pardon, referencing his past stance that accepting clemency constitutes an “admission of guilt.”
In a series of last-minute pardons aimed at shielding allies from potential retribution by President-elect Donald Trump, President Biden granted clemency to a select group, including former Wyoming Republican congresswoman and Jan. 6 Committee co-chair Liz Cheney and Dr. Anthony Fauci. According to Biden’s aides, the move was designed to protect them from political retaliation by the incoming administration.
However, legal analysts were quick to point out that the pardons do not exempt Cheney or Fauci from testifying under oath if subpoenaed. Federal litigation attorney Jesse Binnall emphasized that Biden’s pardons would not protect them from perjury charges should they provide false testimony. He suggested that the pardons could, in fact, be “great news” for those who seek to see Cheney and Fauci held accountable under GOP-led investigations.
With Republicans determined to keep the focus on January 6 and related controversies, these developments set the stage for further legal and political battles in the months ahead.