Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Sunday said the final report of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection won’t focus exclusively on former President Donald Trump.
Schiff, a member of the panel, pushed back on a Washington Post article published last week that detailed grievances of committee staffers with Vice Chair Liz Cheney’s (R-Wyo.) reported insistence for the report to focus on Trump’s conduct, leaving out important findings in other areas of the probe.
“No. I mean, at least I certainly hope not,” Schiff replied to CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked if the Post’s piece was accurate. “I would like to see our report be as broad and inclusive as possible.”
Schiff added that committee members are now deliberating over the contents of the report and “what is beyond the scope of our investigation.”
“We will reach those decisions in a collaborative manner,” he said.
The report is expected to be published in mid-December, according to The Guardian.
Schiff also defended Cheney against criticism from an unnamed ex-committee staffer featured in the Post’s report who said the committee had become the stage for “a Cheney 2024 campaign.”
“I have never viewed it that way,” Schiff told CNN’s Dana Bash. “And I think her role on the committee has been indispensable. I have tremendous respect for her and for Adam Kinzinger.”
Cheney and Kinzinger are the only Republicans serving on the panel.
“They have shown a lot of courage and backbone, something in very short supply in the GOP these days,” Schiff added.
Schiff explained all the evidence collected by the committee, including documents, transcripts and emails, will be made available to the public.
“We want to put the evidence before the American people, which supports the hearings that we have done, as well as the report that we will put out, and will be a comprehensive picture,” said Schiff, who also chairs the House Intelligence Committee.
Meanwhile, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has vowed to kick prominent Democrats — including Schiff, Rep. Eric Swalwell (Calif.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) — off their committee assignments if he is elected House speaker after his party managed to narrowly win back control of the House in this month’s midterms.
“Kevin McCarthy has no ideology,” Schiff said. “He has no core set of beliefs. It’s very hard not only to get to 218 that way. It’s even more difficult to keep 218. That’s his problem. So, he will misrepresent my record. He will misrepresent Eric Swalwell or Ilhan Omar, whatever he needs to do to get the votes of the QAnon caucus within his conference.”
McCarthy has secured the GOP nomination to become speaker — despite the anticipated “red wave” not materializing — but will have to win the majority in the whole lower chamber in January to hold the post.
