Opinion | The Jan. 6 Committee Is Weaponizing Majority Rule

True to kind, the Choose Committee’s statements and actions have proven that it isn’t enthusiastic about a good investigation. Democrats prejudged the end result final yr, declaring of their impeachment temporary that President Trump was “unmistakably accountable” for the occasions of Jan. 6, 2021. Democrats have additionally accused their Republican colleagues of “sedition” and referred to as us “traitors.”

With no efficient examine on its energy, the Choose Committee is trampling on basic Constitutional rights. It’s investigating the political speech of personal residents and demanding entry to their private information and personal communications. When disputes over the requests come up, the committee refuses to have interaction and seeks to punish. There isn’t a presumption of innocence; as an alternative Chairman

Bennie Thompson

declared residents who invoke the Fifth Modification are “half and parcel responsible to what occurred.”

Reasonably than working brazenly, the Choose Committee is working behind closed doorways and selectively leaking cherry-picked data. When it has offered some proof in public, the committee’s been caught intentionally altering paperwork—together with a textual content message pertaining to certainly one of us—to malign conservatives.

One would count on this kind of inquiry from a banana republic, not from the U.S. Home of Representatives. By subpoenaing us and three different Republican members, the Choose Committee is escalating its abusive ways. This try to coerce data from members of Congress about their official duties is a harmful abuse of energy, serves no professional legislative function, and eviscerates constitutional norms. Simply because members of Congress are liable for writing the legal guidelines doesn’t give a choose few license to subvert them.

In January, we despatched the Choose Committee letters in response to its request for interviews, elevating good-faith issues and searching for to guard the prerogatives of the Home. Our letters went unanswered and unacknowledged for 4 months. The Choose Committee now rushes to subject these unprecedented subpoenas in Might, simply in time for its pre-scheduled prime-time hearings subsequent month.

And in case one doubts the political nature of this “investigation,” Rep.

Adam Schiff

despatched a marketing campaign fundraising e mail concerning the subpoenas earlier than Republican members had even acquired them.

Even when the Jan. 6 Choose Committee was performing in good religion, we now have no related data that might help in advancing its legislative function. Democrats know this as a result of we informed them in January. We informed them we are able to’t attest to Speaker Pelosi’s failure to safe the Capitol prematurely of Jan. 6. We are able to’t elaborate on former U.S. Capitol Police Chief

Steven Sund’s

assertion {that a} concern about “optics” contributed to the restricted safety response. And we are able to’t add to the bipartisan, complete findings of the Senate investigative committee that had been accomplished final yr.

For Home Republican leaders to conform to take part on this political stunt would change the Home endlessly. Each consultant within the minority could be topic to compelled interrogations by the bulk, beneath oath, with none basis of equity, and on the expense of taxpayers. The American individuals deserve higher than Democrats’ weaponization of its majority rule.

Mr. McCarthy, a Republican, is minority chief of the U.S. Home of Representatives. Mr. Jordan, a Republican, represents Ohio’s Fourth Congressional District.