Posted on 07/27/2021 8:29:43 AM PDT by RandFan
Thank you very much, Chairman Thompson. Thank you to all of my colleagues on this committee, and thank you to each of the witnesses appearing before us today. It is because of you -- you held the line, you defended all of us, you defended the Capitol, and you defended the Constitution and our Republic, and every American owes you our undying gratitude. Every American, I hope, will be able to hear your testimony today and will watch the videos. The videos show the unbelievable violence and the inexcusable and intolerable cruelty that you all faced, and people need to know the truth.
I want to begin by reflecting briefly on the investigation that we are launching today. Every one of us here on the dais voted for and would have preferred that these matters be investigated by an independent non-partisan commission, composed of five prominent Americans selected by each party, and modeled on the 9/11 Commission. Although such a commission was opposed by my own leadership in the House, it overwhelmingly passed with the support of 35 Republican members, it was defeated by Republicans in the Senate. And that leaves us where we are today.
We cannot leave the violence of January 6th -- and its causes -- uninvestigated. The American people deserve the full and open testimony of every person with knowledge of the planning and preparation for January 6th. We must know what happened here at the Capitol. We must also know what happened every minute of that day in the White House -- every phone call, every conversation, every meeting leading up to, during, and after the attack. Honorable men and women have an obligation to step forward. If those responsible are not held accountable, and if Congress does not act responsibly, this will remain a cancer on our Constitutional Republic, undermining the peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democratic system. We will face the threat of more violence in the months to come, and another January 6th every four years.
I have been a conservative Republican since 1984 when I first voted for Ronald Reagan. I have disagreed sharply on policy and politics with almost every Democratic member of this committee. But, in the end, we are one nation under God. The Framers of our Constitution recognized the danger of the vicious factionalism of partisan politics -- and they knew that our daily arguments could become so fierce that we might lose track of our most important obligation -- to defend the rule of law and the freedom of all Americans. That is why our Framers compelled each of us to swear a solemn oath to preserve and protect the Constitution. When a threat to our constitutional order arises, as it has here, we are obligated to rise above politics. This investigation must be non-partisan.
While we begin today by taking the public testimony of these four heroic men, we must also realize that the task of this committee will require persistence. We must issue and enforce subpoenas promptly. We must get to objective truth. We must overcome the many efforts we are already seeing to cover up and obscure the facts.
On January 6th and in the days thereafter, almost all members of my party recognized the events of that day for what they actually were. One Republican, for example, said: "What is happening at the U.S. Capitol right now is unacceptable and un-American. Those participating in lawlessness and violence must be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." No Member of Congress should now attempt to defend the indefensible, obstruct this investigation, or whitewash what happened that day. We must act with honor and duty, and in the interest of our nation.
America is great because we preserve our democratic institutions at all costs. Until January 6th, we were proof positive for the world that a nation conceived in liberty could long endure. But now, January 6th threatens our most sacred legacy. The question for every one of us who serves in Congress, for every elected official across this great nation, indeed, for every American is this: Will we adhere to the rule of law? Will we respect the rulings of our courts? Will we 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? I pray that that is not the case. I pray that we all remember, our children are watching, as we carry out this solemn and sacred duty entrusted to us. Our children will know who stood for truth, and they will inherit the nation we hand to them -- a Republic, if we can keep it.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
McCarthy is strictly on the RINO side. It’s ideology, not intestinal fortitude as if he was a conservative who lost his nerve (if such a thing exists).
Why vote? That would be proof that the fix remains in and the Republic actually fell.
Were those cops heroes?
Why claim that before the investigation has concluded?
She says “almost all members of my party recognized the events of that day for what they actually were.”
Why have an investigation if we know what they were? It was a complex event.
“unbelievable violence and the inexcusable and intolerable cruelty”
Really?
She also talks about herself.
I would suggest libertarian or independent would be a better choice.
Because Fox brass are anti Trump same as she is....especially the Lachlan Murdoch and his wife...his wife is a leftist activist
My city, including a police station was burned and they don't care because we don't matter.
2022 gonna be a bloodbath!
At least she didn’t say “lifelong Republican”.
I have no idea why FNC is covering this BS.
FNC??? NewsMax, Real America’s Voice, RSB.....good grief! This sham committee should be knocked off all networks but I know that ain’t gonna happen!
Kevin McCarthy is not a leader and must be removed by Republican voters in the 2022 primaries.
Useful Idiots, they’re everywhere...
RINOs have ruined the word conservative. The more someone in politics claim to be a conservative the more they out themselves as a RINO.
"Conservatives" have conserved nothing. If we keep voting for these untrustworthy grifters we will soon being forced to use the correct alphabet-people pronouns while they gas us in death camps.
Kevin McCarthy is as "conservative" as a Bush Crime Family assets can be and he needs to be fired by Republican because the useless GOPe leadership won't fire themselves .
I agree, and criticize me if you think I’m wrong but should Congress not always be scared of the people? Maybe an annual pilgrimage where we rough them up a little is not such a bad thing?
I don’t disagree ..... respect at least, if not some ‘fear’. Congress gets elected and they “do their own thing”, forget who they work for and somehow, that needs to change. Term limits would be helpful, but is not a total solution by any means - get rid of the bad apples who currently make 30-40 year careers of amassing individual wealth while treating us like dirt beneath their feet.
They are mostly propaganda lite. Sort of CNN of the 1990s or NBC of the 80s?
She's talking about preserving the rights of DC 'elites'... Period.
As far as 'institutions' go - Congress has a police force as large as the police force for Atlanta... but rather than protecting a large American city - the DC police force protects 3 buildings.
DC police were more than capable of 'protecting' 3 buildings.
Why DC police didn't - why they assassinated a protester at point blank range - why ONLY people who hate Trump and his supporters ARE the ONLY people on the committee - will be questions Liz Cheney isn't honest enough to even consider. One of the benefits of being a private school bimbo born on third - thinking she hit a triple.
Liz is talking about preserving the rights of DC 'elites'... Period.
As far as 'institutions' go - Congress has a police force as large as the police force for Atlanta... but rather than protecting a large American city - the DC police force protects 3 buildings.
DC police were more than capable of 'protecting' 3 buildings.
Why DC police didn't - why they assassinated a protester at point blank range - why ONLY people who hate Trump and his supporters ARE the ONLY people on the committee - will be questions Liz Cheney isn't honest enough to even consider. One of the benefits of being a private school bimbo born on third - thinking she hit a triple is she can be a useful idiot who creates heat but no light. Eff her...
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