Tuesday’s hearing of the House committee investigating the assault on the U.S. Capitol of Jan. 6, 2021 provided a stark reminder of how the boycott by all but two Republicans has set the context of the proceedings. Remember: After Speaker Nancy Pelosi vetoed Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s suggestions for Republicans to serve on the panel, McCarthy pulled all Republican participation, leaving Pelosi to name two Republican adversaries of former President Donald Trump who defied the boycott.
The hallmark of these hearings — seven this summer and one last year — has been that they’ve run smoothly. They start on time. There is no partisan sniping. No motions made and argued over. The use of taped segments — from depositions and from other evidence — has been professional and effective. The hearings even appear to end on time.
The committee has been shockingly effective at teasing each session in advance without giving away the bulk of their story. There’s even a ritual at the end in which Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the senior of the two Republicans, previews the next hearing and drops a bombshell, supplying the media with a sidebar story and keeping everyone’s interest up to the last moment. This Tuesday’s Cheney surprise was the revelation that Trump tried (unsuccessfully) to contact a committee witness.
