January 6: The End Is Near

It's time to Break It Down!

 

This time a couple of years ago, Donald Trump and his League of Followers was busy denying the results of the November 2020 Presidential Election. Their antics crescendoed with the January 6 Insurrection/coup attempt. On June 30, 2021House Resolution 503 – Establishing the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the United States Capitol passed on the House floor by a vote of 222 to 190, with all Democrats and two Republicans, Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, voting in favor. Sixteen Republicans did not vote. 

 

In summary, the resolution empowered Speaker Pelosi to appoint eight members to the committee, and empowered House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to appoint five members “in consultation with the Speaker. Pelosi indicated she would name a Republican as one of her appointees. On July 1, Speaker Pelosi appointed seven Democrats, and one Republican, Liz Cheney. On July 19, Kevin McCarthy announced his 5 selections: Jim Banks, Ranking Member, Jim Jordan, Rodney Davis, Kelly Armstrong, and Troy Nehls. Banks, Jordan, and Nehls had voted to overturn the Electoral College results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Banks and Jordan had also signed onto the Supreme Court case Texas v. Pennsylvania to invalidate the ballots of voters in four states. On July 21, Thompson announced he would investigate Trump as part of the inquiry into the Capitol attack. Within hours, Pelosi announced that she had informed McCarthy that she was rejecting Banks and Jordan, citing concerns for the investigation’s integrity and relevant actions and statement made by the two members. She did approve the recommendation of the other three. 

 

In retaliation, McCarthy pulled all his picks and insisted he would not appoint anyone to the committee, unless Pelosi approved all 5 of his choices. Duh. At this point, Pelosi figuratively shrugged and moved on, recognizing she was now in control of the entire makeup and workings of the committee. She then appointed Adam Kinzinger, and hired former GOP Representative Denver Riggleman, as an outside committee staffer or advisor. Cheney voiced her support and pushed for both of their involvement.

 

After a year and a half hearings, investigations, reports, and related stories, Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson announced yesterday that the Committee will hold its last meeting next Monday and will issue its final report Wednesday.

 

Thompson told CNN that the panel is looking at five to six categories of referrals beyond those deemed criminal, but it has not decided on the specific number of individuals.

 

Thompson said that in addition to criminal referrals to the Department of Justice, there could be other categories of referrals the committee makes such as ethics referrals to the House Ethics Committee, bar discipline referrals and campaign finance referrals.

 

The Chairman told reporters on Tuesday that next Monday’s public meeting will include a presentation and cover the names of people facing criminal and other referrals and will be the basis for those referrals.

 

While Mr. Thompson’s Committee winds down, the new Republican majority in the House is eagerly waiting in the wings, salivating at the prospect of spawning a host of new investigations and potential impeachments. More to come…

 

All things considered, when I contemplate this erstwhile important committee wrapping up its work, I’m reminded of T.S. Elliot, and his 1925 poem, Hollow Men, in which he wrote, “This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper.”

 

Fortunately, there are other avenues available to review and evaluate the trauma wrought by Mr. Trump’s reign. While there is merit in bringing atrocities to light…in the end, it is better to know than not to know…indeed it would be better if there were an actual reckoning; some action to discourage, or to prevent said atrocities from being repeated. A dozen or so investigations aimed at Trump and his businesses are underway. While I am on the record having stated and reiterated many times, my belief that there is no jail in Donald Trump’s future, I do believe, despite his considerable acumen in legal legerdemain, he may be visited with legal consequences, when all is said and done…“January 6 Committee: The End Is Near!”

 

I’m done; holla back!

 

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Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/13/politics/january-6-committee-final-public-meeting/index.html

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_commission

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