Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced on Sunday the Jan. 6 special committee on the Capitol attacks will include Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) just as lawmakers enter a final stretch to complete work before the August recess. The Senate resumes its focus today on a pending bipartisan infrastructure bill. Pelosi made the Kinzinger appointment official on Sunday afternoon, having teased the addition to the panel during an interview earlier in the day (The Hill). “It is imperative that we get to the truth of that day and ensure that such an attack can never again happen. That is why we established the select committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, which is bipartisan,” she said in a statement, noting that Kinzinger (pictured below) is an Air Force veteran and serves in the Air National Guard. “He brings great patriotism to the committee’s mission: to find the facts and protect our democracy.” In a statement of his own, Kinzinger said that “lies and conspiracy theories have been spread” for months since the deadly attack. He added that while he did not expect to be added to the panel, “When duty calls, I will always answer” (The Hill). The news comes days after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) yanked all GOP-appointed members from the committee following Pelosi’s veto of the involvement of Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Following Kinzinger’s addition, McCarthy said in a statement that the move was done to “satisfy” Pelosi’s “political objectives.” Speaking to ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Pelosi added that other Republicans “have expressed an interest” in joining the panel but did not divulge any further details. Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) has been floated in recent days as a potential adviser to the panel. The Washington Post: Jan. 6 select committee to open investigation amid political chaos and controversy. Sunday Shows: Jan. 6 investigation dominates. The New York Times: Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) called herself a “new voice” for the GOP then she pivoted. © Getty Images Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, Senate negotiators indicated on Sunday that they were on the verge of finalizing a deal on a bipartisan infrastructure proposal as they waded through the final provisions on how to pay for the package — an issue that has plagued talks for weeks and kept lawmakers from reaching the finish line. “We’re about 90 percent of the way there,” Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) told ABC News on Sunday morning. Axios reported on Sunday that among the items included is $70 billion from COVID-19 packages enacted during the Trump term. A group of 22 senators involved in discussions is preparing to present a bill to the entire Senate for the first time. A second procedural vote in the upper chamber in search of support from at least 60 senators could happen by the end of the week. “We are and have agreed jointly on about roughly $70 billion of funds that were not spent that will be redeployed to help pay for this infrastructure package,” Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) told “Fox News Sunday” (The Hill). However, any bill is expected to get held up in the House until the Senate completes work on a $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, a move that sparked a fury of words between Pelosi and Portman on Sunday (Politico). After the Speaker said that House Democrats are pulling for the bipartisan bill to pass, she maintained that the lower chamber has no plan to bring up the blueprint until the reconciliation bill is advanced by the Senate. That prompted a warning from the Ohio Republican. “The infrastructure bill has nothing to do with the reckless tax-and-spend extravaganza that she's talking about. ... So, no, I’m not happy with what she said because it's inconsistent with the agreement that we have on a bipartisan basis,” Portman said. When pressed on if that means Congress may end up with nothing, Portman said, “Well, if she has her way, we could. I’m not sure what the future is on reconciliation. … We need [the bipartisan bill] badly.” The Associated Press: Senators race to seal infrastructure deal as pressure mounts. Dan Balz: Bipartisan infrastructure bill in the Senate is an island in a sea of partisanship. Naomi Jagoda, The Hill: Republicans focus tax hike opposition on capital gains change. The Hill: House Democrats grow frustrated as they feel ignored by Senate. As The Hill’s Jordain Carney writes, Democrats still face major headwinds in the effort to pass the reconciliation bill, which will require the support of every Senate Democrat. One Senate Democrat described the bipartisan infrastructure bill as the “easy part” of the duel process, with members also quick to note that Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough could deal a blow to the emerging package. “I expect to be working all through the summer on this. I was here all last weekend, taking calls from senators and I don’t think anything’s going to change,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told The Hill. “I’m expecting to be working all the time as we go into this. I wouldn’t buy any holiday tickets.” The Hill: President Biden: Pathway to citizenship in reconciliation package “remains to be seen.” The Hill: A court decision on Friday that imperils a program for undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children hastens the aim of some in Congress to shore up the program by using the budget as a vehicle. Alexander Bolton, The Hill: GOP sees debt ceiling as its leverage against Biden. © Getty Images |
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