Republican House Oversight Committee members plan to take a field trip to a Washington, D.C. jail where several January 6 defendants are being held.
Led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), the visit will focus on the conditions of those jailed, which Greene claims to be "reports of abuse."
The defendants being held before their trial are "not allowed to see their families, many times are not allowed to see their attorneys," and "the food has been a major complaint. There have been complaints of it tasting like cleaner," according to Greene.
Along with the 14 Republicans expected to join the tour, two very progressive Democrats will also tag along to "cut through Republicans' attempts to whitewash the dangerous realities of January 6."
Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and Robert Garcia (D-CA) insisted on not mistaking their presence during the visit as support for Greene's efforts but instead to "ensure that the truth is told & not another revisionist alternative reality."
"[Crockett and Garcia] will cut through Republicans' attempts to whitewash the dangerous realities of January 6," a spokesperson for House Oversight Democrats said. "[The tour is] nothing more than Speaker McCarthy making good on his promise to give control of the Committee to extreme Republican voices."
Earlier this week, Rep. James Comer (R-KY) told reporters the House would "try and see what it looks like" inside the prison.
Greene and Comer sent D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser a letter demanding documents and communications regarding January 6 detainees' complaints.
As of March 13, at least 20 January 6 defendants are being held in D.C. correctional facilities. As a result, Comer and Greene have made it a top priority to expose the inhumane treatment the defendants are reportedly receiving.
"Eyewitness accounts of conditions at the D.C. Jail Facilities, particularly regarding the treatment of January 6 detainees — paint a picture of despair, hopelessness, and severe abuse of justice. No prisoner in the United States should be treated in this fashion," Greene and Comer wrote in their letter. "The Committee is concerned about reports that January 6 detainees are facing a unique form of mistreatment due to their politics and beliefs, representing potential several human rights abuses."
The tour comes as House Republicans are paving the way to release the findings of their own January 6 investigation, which can go as soon as next week.
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