The House Jan. 6 select committee has wrapped up its investigation of last year’s protest on Capitol Hill and is expected to release a final report with criminal referrals — potentially against former President Donald Trump — later this week.
For their part, House Republicans are working on their own document to serve as an in-depth response to the Democratic-led probe.
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) offered a sneak peek of the extensive report, including the GOP’s assertion that federal authorities were not prepared to handle the riot. In a statement to Axios, he noted that the report is set to be released on Wednesday, which is when insiders expect the Jan. 6 committee’s final report to surface.
1. Pelosi’s Jan 6 committee will issue a truly bogus report next week based on the most appallingly unAmerican congressional “investigation” in American history. There will be no minority report because the majority chose the minority.
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) December 17, 2022
According to Banks, the rebuttal will “focus on security failures” as well as the fact that the Jan. 6 panel “never dealt with the serious issues” related to an insufficient response to the threats by Capitol Hill police and the FBI.
Furthermore, the Indiana Republican asserted that the select committee’s laser-like focus on Trump throughout its investigation is “all about political payback.”
As for the Republican report’s recommended actions, Banks said that it will “dive into legislative and policy changes that could be made by the next speaker.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who is facing headwinds within his own party as he campaigns to succeed current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has echoed Banks’ rhetoric regarding the importance of digging into Jan. 6 security shortcomings.
Reports indicate he sent a letter to Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), the committee’s chairman, instructing him to preserve relevant records and advising that the GOP will hold hearings in the upcoming legislative session regarding “why the Capitol complex was not secure” ahead of the riot.
The Jan. 6 committee staged its final hearing on Monday, which resulted in renewed backlash from Republicans who view it as a partisan debacle.
In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “Republicans and Patriots all over the land must stand strong and united against the Thugs and Scoundrels of the Unselect Committee. It will be a dark period in American history, but with darkness comes light!!!”
