After being removed as House Republican Conference Chair, Rep. Liz Cheney (R.Wyoming), speaks to reporters with her colleague Rep. Adam Kinzinger in the background. AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades
Nine Republicans joined Democrats in holding Steve Bannon in criminal contempt for Congress.
Republican leaders exhorted members to vote no on the contempt resolution.
The final vote was 229 to202. Now, the DOJ will decide whether to informally accuse Bannon.
On Thursday, the House of Representatives approved holding Steve Bannon (ex-White House chief strategist, and close confidant to former President Donald Trump) in criminal contempt of Congress. This vote will result in a referral to Justice Department. They will decide whether or not to bring formal charges against Bannon.
The final vote was 229 to 202. 9 Republicans joined Democrats to keep Bannon in criminal contempt.
These are the Republicans that broke party lines:
Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney
Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger
Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer
Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez
Fred Upton, Michigan Rep.
John Katko, New York Rep.
Nancy Mace, South Carolina Rep.
Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler
Given their respective memberships on the select committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol Insurrection, Cheney and Kinzinger were expected to vote to hold Bannon responsible. Along with Meijer, Gonzalez and Herrera Beutler, Katko were also Democrats who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the deadly riot.
Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson initially voted for the contempt resolution, but later changed his mind and voted for a "no".
After her vote, Mace stated that she voted against select committee but it is now a "duly-formed" panel.
The South Carolina lawmaker said that he would fight for subpoena powers, no matter who is in power. "We've got the right and ability to investigate," he stated to reporters.
Thursday's vote to disqualify Bannon from Congress was after he refused to comply with a January 6 select committee subpoena requesting documents and testimony about his actions prior, during and after the siege.
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Steve Scalise, the House Republican whip, issued a statement earlier this Thursday asking members to vote no on the measure. He claimed that Democrats were "pursuing an partisan agenda to politicize January 6th's attack". Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader, stated at his weekly news conference that the subpoena is "invalid".
McCarthy stated that Bannon has the right "to go to court to determine if he is entitled to executive privilege." "I don’t know if it is, but neither does he," McCarthy said of Bannon.
Sean Patrick Maloney (Democratic Rep.) is the Chair of the House Democrats' Campaign Arm and said that he would use Republicans' opposition against them in the 2022 midterm elections.
Maloney stated, "You better believe it." They should be held accountable for destroying the rule of law. That should concern voters.
Maloney said that he hopes that the contempt vote will lead to cooperation between the "witnesses whose witness Americans should receive" and the January 6, select committee.
Business Insider has the original article.
