McCarthy threatens to pull all his nominees from Jan. 6 committee after Pelosi rejects Republicans Jim Jordan, Jim Banks
Jordan voted to overturn the results of the November election.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has threatened to pull all his Republican nominees from the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol unless all his selections are seated.
This comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected two of McCarthy's five recommendations --- Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio, a staunch defender of former President Donald Trump.
"House Democrats must answer this question," McCarthy said at a news conference on Wednesday. "Why are you allowing a lame-duck speaker to destroy this institution? This is the people's house, not Pelosi's House."
"Speaker Nancy Pelosi has taken the unprecedented step of denying the minority party’s picks for the Select Committee on January 6," he said in an earlier statement. "This represents an egregious abuse of power and will irreparably damage this institution. Denying the voices of members who have served in the military and law enforcement, as well as leaders of standing committees, has made it undeniable that this panel has lost all legitimacy and credibility and shows the Speaker is more interested in playing politics than seeking the truth.
"Unless Speaker Pelosi reverses course and seats all five Republican nominees, Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts."
Banks and Jordan both voted to overturn the election results on Jan. 6 and Pelosi said their appointments could impact "the integrity of the investigation."
“Monday evening, the Minority Leader recommended 5 Members to serve on the Select Committee," Pelosi said in a previous statement. "I have spoken with him this morning about the objections raised about Representatives Jim Banks and Jim Jordan and the impact their appointments may have on the integrity of the investigation. I also informed him that I was prepared to appoint Representatives Rodney Davis, Kelly Armstrong and Troy Nehls, and requested that he recommend two other Members.
“With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee," she said.
“The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision," Pelosi said.
The House Select Committee was expected to hold its first hearing on Tuesday.
House GOP Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., on Tuesday signaled some of the lines of inquiry Republicans would try to advance -- calling for an examination of "the whole array of political violence that led up to Jan. 6 and still has gone on after that" along with the security posture on Capitol Hill before the insurrection.
"There have been many questions raised about why there hasn't been a higher National Guard presence," Scalise said.
As to how Republicans would respond to Democrats calling for GOP members to testify under oath about Jan. 6, Scalise said he would "let members of the committee discuss that and debate that."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News' Katherine Faulders and John Parkinson contributed to this report.
