In her opening statement, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said the panel’s first choice was to have an independent, bipartisan commission not made up of lawmakers to investigate the attack — but that effort was killed by Republican leadership.
“That leaves us where we are today. We cannot leave the violence of Jan. 6 and its causes uninvestigated,” she said. “If those responsible are not held accountable, and if Congress does not act responsibly, this will remain a cancer on our constitutional republic.”
Cheney also reminded that Republicans had “recognized the events that day for what they actually were” in the days after the attack, even if members downplay it now, but said the committee’s work is just beginning.
“We must issue and enforce subpoenas promptly,” she said. “We must overcome the many efforts we are already seeing to cover up and obscure the facts.”
She then called out to every member of Congress to ask themselves: “Will we adhere to the rule of law, respect the rulings of our courts, and preserve the peaceful transition of power? Or will we be so blinded by partisanship that we throw away the miracle of America? Do we hate our political adversaries more than we love our country and revere our Constitution?”
She added, “I pray that we all remember, our children are watching, as we carry out the solemn and sacred duty entrusted to us. They will know who stood for truth. They will inherit the nation we hand to them — a republic, if we can keep it.”
