Liz Cheney Provides Bipartisan Heft to House Select Committee Investigating 1/6 - Horowitz

Liz Cheney Provides Bipartisan Heft to House Select Committee Investigating 1/6 - Horowitz

“To a few of us here today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history of our nation it is a routine occurrence,” proclaimed Ronald Reagan in his 1981 Inaugural Address in which he thanked President Carter for his cooperation during the transition process. “The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle."

The unprecedented and violent attempt to block that peaceful transfer of power on January 6, incited by a president who was using the bully pulpit to repeatedly and falsely claim the election was stolen, desperately attempting to cling to power by all means at his disposal is anything but routine.  It poses a fundamental threat to our democracy—one that continues to generate an elevated risk of violence, stoked by the now-former President. Trump remains undeterred by the wreckage of January 6, continuing to loudly broadcast his false claims.  Despite the fact he has provided no credible evidence, Donald Trump has persuaded a majority of Republican voters that he was the real winner of the election with a significant sub-set that actually believes he will somehow be reinstated as president.

Liz Cheney recognizes that in the words of Ronald Reagan the continuity of the peaceful transfer of power is a “bulwark of our republic.”   She knows that the events leading up to January 6, the insurrection itself. and its lingering aftermath are a dagger aimed at the heart of our democracy. That is why she once again at considerable political risk put country over party, accepting Speaker Pelosi’s invitation to join the House Select Committee established last week to investigate January 6. In doing so, the Wyoming congresswoman ignored a threat by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to remove any Republican member who accepted an offer from Pelosi from their Committee assignments.  (The Select Committee was approved in a mainly party-line vote with only Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and the Wyoming congresswoman joining the Democrats in supporting its formation.)

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Cheney’s acceptance of Speaker Pelosi’s politically and substantively smart offer blew up McCarthy’s orchestrated effort to dismiss the Select Committee as just a partisan vehicle to attack the former president and other Republicans.  Making no effort to hide his annoyance, McCarthy attacked Cheney. McCarthy said, "I was shocked that she would accept something from Speaker Pelosi. It would seem to me, since I didn't hear from her, maybe she's closer to her than us." He also continued to up the ante on his threats, hinting that Cheney could lose her seat on the House Armed Services Committee, according to The New York Times.  “I don’t know in history where someone would get their committee assignments from the speaker and then expect to get them from the conference as well,” Mr. McCarthy said.

Even before Liz Cheney joined the Select Committee, the reasoning McCarthy offered for his opposition rang hollow. After all, he also opposed the establishment of an independent bi-partisan commission, modeled after the 9/11 Commission, that would have had an equal number of Democratic and Republican members. 

I am not optimistic that the minority leader will change his strategy of doing all he can to obstruct an investigation into the causes of January 6 because it is driven in large measure by his desire to stay on the good side of Donald Trump. By now, however, there is at least some chance that the California congressman realizes he can’t simply wish away an investigation that most Americans will perceive as credible   McCarthy has the opportunity to appoint 5 members to the Select Committee—members that will still need to be approved by the Speaker.   He would do himself and his party some political good, if he put forward members who could play a constructive role and conduct themselves professionally, such as Representative Tom Cole (R-OK) and Michael McCaul (R-TX), rather than reflexive Trump-defending bomb-throwers, such as Jim Jordan(R-OH) or Mo Brooks (R-Al).

Liz Cheney elaborated on the importance of conducting the investigation in her statement accepting a seat on the Select Committee, highlighting the need to safeguard the peaceful transfer of power.  “Congress is obligated to conduct a full investigation of the most serious attack on our Capitol since 1814, said Congresswoman Cheney. That day saw the most sacred space in our Republic overrun by an angry and violent mob attempting to stop the counting of electoral votes and threatening the peaceful transfer of power”.

Cheney continued, "What happened on January 6th can never happen again. Those who are responsible for the attack need to be held accountable and this select committee will fulfill that responsibility in a professional, expeditious and non-partisan manner."

"A republic, if you can keep it." was Ben Franklin’s response to a group of citizens who approached him right after he exited the Constitutional Convention, "asking what sort of government the delegates had created," according to the National Constitution Center.  In the wake of celebrating the founding of this great nation this past weekend, it is encouraging that there are leaders like Liz Cheney willing to stand up for foundational principles of our democracy when they are under attack no matter the political cost. 
I am pretty sure that both  Reagan and Franklin would heartily approve.

 

Rob Horowitz is a strategic and communications consultant who provides general consulting, public relations, direct mail services and polling for national and state issue organizations, various non-profits, businesses, and elected officials and candidates. He is an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island.