The officers will appear in person, but they will still be wearing their uniforms. The officers will only be able to answer questions and they will not be able to see video footage. Members are limited to one round of back and forth, so the hearing will not last for hours like other high-profile events in Washington.This hearing is a crucial moment for Democrats as well as the two House Republicans, who risked their political futures to participate in the investigation. Despite the best efforts of the GOP to stop the investigation into the insurrection, Democrats want to avoid the drama that enveloped the Benghazi select panel during former President Barack Obama’s second term. They are trying to avoid politics because of their small majority. However, the investigation will undoubtedly lead to Donald Trump and other Republicans.Rep. Jamie Raskin (D.Md.) said, "We're a very serious and cohesive committee." While passing through metal detectors outside of the House, a member of a select panel said:Republicans will not allow them to go unchallenged. Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader, was also passing through the metal detectors. He interrupted Raskin to state that the select committee is very partisan.Rep. Liz Cheney (R.Wyo.), is one of McCarthy's most vocal intra-party critics. The hearing will give them a more prominent role. Shell will make an opening statement following Chair Bennie Thompson (D–Miss. .This position, which is right after a chair and usually reserved for the ranking member of a minor party, is normally reserved for a leader of the minority party. McCarthy withdrew his nominations in protest at Pelosis' decision to veto Reps. Jim Banks, (R-Ind.). Cheney is now in the spotlight, alongside Jim Jordan (R.Ohio).Senior Democrats want to give Cheney a prominent leadership position on the panel, possibly even making her vice-chair. They are impressed by her drive and focus behind the scenes. At Cheney's request, Democrats are finalizing plans for Denver Riggleman to become a senior advisor to the Republicans.Thompson answered POLITICO when asked if Cheney would still give opening statements at future hearings.Cheney will also be appearing on two cable news programs, ABCs Good Morning America (CBS This Morning), which is a sign that Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, plans to continue to embrace her role on the panel rather than shirk it in the face of backlash from her GOP colleagues.According to close-door sources, Pelosi told her leadership team Monday night that she was looking forward the panel's first hearing.Veronica Escobar, a Democratic Representative from Texas, spoke up to express gratitude to Pelosi for excluding Banks from the panel following a riot at the Capitol by one of her constituents. She ended up joining him on his recent trip to Mexico border, according to those in the room.Despite Jordan and Banks being absent from the panel, Republicans don’t intend to make it easy for Democrats.McCarthy made a dig at Cheney, Kinzinger, and Pelosi Republicans one day before the committee's first hearing. This was in response to their participation in the inquiry into the speaker's appointment. Both Cheney and Kinzinger reacted by calling McCarthy's remarks childish.McCarthy and the rest on the GOP conference are limited in their ability to protest the select committee. Counter-messaging is one tool Republicans intend to use.McCarthy originally selected five Republicans to be on the investigation. Two Minority Whip Steve Scalise members (R-La) were also included in the group. The GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and McCarthy are expected to host a press conference Tuesday morning in preparation for the hearing.Banks and Jordan, along with Reps. Kelly Armstrong and Troy Nehls (R.Texas), met in McCarthy's office Monday afternoon to plot their strategy for the press conference. According to a source, the group is serious about making sure their criticisms of Democrats don't criticize officers who testify or question their heroism on January 6.Republicans will generally protest the inquiries of the committees as being partisan. However, it is not clear if they intend to outline plans to conduct their own investigation into this attack as McCarthy and other Republicans promised to after leaving the select panel. A GOP-led investigation will not have subpoena powers.The GOP press conference is being blessed by the leadership. However, some party firebrands such as Reps. Matt Gaetz(Fla.), Marjorie Taylor Greene(Ga.), Louie Gohmert,Texas), Paul Gosar, (Ariz.), are holding their own press conference Tuesday outside the Justice Department. They are expected to protest "treatment of Jan.6 prisoners."Already, the committee has been criticized by David Buckley, its staff director. He is being criticized for his handling of a whistleblower case as the inspector general of the CIA. This was first reported by Yahoo! News. News. Andrew Bakaj represented the whistleblower, whose claims triggered the first Trump impeachment.Yahoo!!! reported that the Yahoo!! Yahoo!! reported that the Yahoo! Bakajs lawpartner Mark Zaid, also representing Capitol police officers, responded by a statement saying that they were disgusted at the Committee's infuriating public comments about him.The committee members insist that they are focused on the task at hand. Rep. Pete Aguilar, a Democratic California Representative, said that he hopes Republicans will listen to officers and, for those who are watching TV, they'll see how graphic and serious their work is.Betsy Woodruff Swan, Sarah Ferris and Sarah Ferris contributed to the report.
