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House Freedom Caucus Demands McCarthy Act to End Pelosi's 'Authoritarian Reign'

Spencer Brown
Spencer Brown  |  July 23, 2021 1:00 PM

After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)  refused to seat Republican Reps. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) on her select committee to investigate the events of January 6th, the conservative House Freedom Caucus is calling for action against the Speaker. 

In a letter to Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Freedom Caucus calls for "a privileged motion by July 31, 2021 to vacate the chair and end Nancy Pelosi's authoritarian reign as Speaker of the House."

"Speaker Pelosi's tenure is destroying the House of Representatives and our ability to faithfully represent the people we are here to serve," the Freedom Caucus letter explains. "Speaker Pelosi has championed unconstitutional changes like allowing proxy voting and insulting security measures like metal detectors for Members coming to the floor to vote."

And while these practices have long irked Republican representatives, the Speaker's latest step to deny the Republican Leader's selected members to serve on the supposedly bipartisan select committee seems to be the last straw:

Less easily reversible is the damage done to the institution by the Leadership of one party dictating the ability of Members of another party to serve in roles at the discretion of their own conference. That abuse cannot go unchecked. Speaker Pelosi's refusal to seat Rep. Jim Jordan and Rep. Jim Banks on the Select Committee to Investigate January 6 is intolerable. 

"Speaker Pelosi has no interest in representative democracy, let alone protecting institutional norms," the letter to McCarthy concludes, adding "Republicans, under your leadership, must show the American people that we will act to protect our ability to represent their interests."

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After Pelosi refused to seat Reps. Banks and Jordan, McCarthy slammed Pelosi's decision, asking "Why are you allowing a lame-duck Speaker to destroy this institution?" and declaring that none of the Republicans he'd put forward would participate in the select committee unless Pelosi allowed Banks and Jordan.

Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) was named to the committee by Pelosi, and there are signs suggesting Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) may also be added by the Speaker. 

Chad Pergram explains that even if McCarthy takes the Freedom Caucus' advice and moves to remove Pelosi, the votes are just (barely) not there.