Republican Representative Barry Loudermilk from Georgia recently revealed that House Speaker Mike Johnson has assured him that his ongoing inquiry into the January 6 events will be formalized into a new committee. This move aligns with broader Republican efforts to carry on investigations initially launched in the previous Congress.
Loudermilk, who has been deeply involved in investigating the Capitol attack, told CNN that while the structure of the new committee is still under discussion, one possible outcome could give Speaker Johnson significant control over its composition and operations. The new committee is expected to be classified as a “select committee,” a designation typically used for temporary panels focused on specific, high-priority national issues.
This new development signals a shift in the Republican stance toward the January 6 attack, moving away from the approach of the bipartisan committee led by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Republican Rep. Liz Cheney. That committee produced a high-profile report that placed much of the blame for the attack on former President Donald Trump. However, this new investigation seems poised to pursue a different narrative.
Loudermilk has been outspoken in his criticism of the original January 6 select committee, which he argued was overly fixated on Trump and failed to address other factors that contributed to the Capitol riot. He described the previous investigation as biased and focused only on Trump’s actions, neglecting potential failures at various levels of government. Loudermilk’s new committee, he insists, will be more comprehensive in examining these issues.
The creation of this committee is also a signal that Republicans are doubling down on their efforts to prevent former President Trump from facing consequences for the January 6 violence. Loudermilk has gone so far as to suggest that the FBI should charge former Rep. Liz Cheney for her involvement in the original committee, reflecting the broader Republican sentiment that the investigation was politically motivated. This is part of the party’s ongoing push to investigate what they perceive as partisan actions by their opponents.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has promised that the new investigation will be “fully funded,” indicating that Republicans are committed to dedicating significant resources to the effort. This may involve revisiting the security failures surrounding the Capitol attack and potentially challenging or revising parts of the earlier investigation that Republicans believe were politically charged or incomplete.
The formation of this new committee is just one piece of a larger Republican strategy to continue investigations that resonate with their base. While the January 6 inquiry remains a central issue, it’s part of a broader effort to scrutinize various matters related to the Biden administration and Democratic figures.
In addition to the January 6 investigation, Republicans have also reissued subpoenas for two Justice Department tax investigators who worked on the Hunter Biden case and the probe into President Biden’s handling of classified documents. These actions reflect the party’s determination to revive investigations that have faced legal challenges and remain unresolved.
As these investigations gain momentum, Democrats have not been quiet. Sen. Adam Schiff, a key Democrat who served on the previous January 6 committee, recently addressed speculation about a potential pardon for individuals like Cheney and himself involved in the earlier inquiry. His comments highlight the political tension surrounding the ongoing investigations into the Capitol attack.
This renewed focus on January 6, along with the broader Republican push for investigations into the Biden administration, underscores the deep political divide that continues to shape the legislative landscape. While the exact details of the new committee and its mission are still being finalized, it’s clear that Republicans are determined to keep investigating the events surrounding January 6 and other politically sensitive issues, regardless of the findings of prior probes.
