GOP Rep. Jim Banks whined on the House floor yesterday about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejecting his nomination by Kevin McCarthy to serve on the House Jan. 6th committee. Wahh! Wahh!
But the wingnutty Banks sent a letter to at least one government agency claiming that he was the ranking member of the committee. Via CNN:
Fellow Republican Liz Cheney, who serves as vice chair of the committee, called Banks out for his actions on the House floor as the House began debate on the criminal contempt referral of Steve Bannon, a Trump ally, for evading a subpoena.
"He noted that the Speaker had determined that he wouldn't be on the committee" Cheney said. "So I would like to introduce for the record a number of letters the gentleman of Indiana has been sending to federal agencies."
According to a letter provided to CNN, Banks wrote to the Department of the Interior on September 16 asking to be provided with any information the department turns over to the House committee.
"I ask that you provide me any information that is submitted to the Select Committee. Additionally, please include me on any update or briefing that you provide," Banks wrote.
Huh. Like a crazy stalker ex-boyfriend, Jimbo has convinced himself that somehow the Jan. 6th committee really wants him back, they just don't know it yet!
He included this fig leaf:
"The House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy appointed me to serve as the Ranking Member of the Select Committee. Yet, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to allow me to fulfill my duties as Ranking Member."
Let's take a look at why he was rejected, shall we? Banks is the chair of the House Republican Study Committee, which is where the GOP whack jobs famously incubate their anti-democracy strategies. (FYI, Ron DeSantis was a co-founder when he was in Congress.) As you might guess, he's a Trump loyalist WHO VOTED AGAINST CONFIRMING UNCLE JOE AS PRESIDENT. As one does!
He accused Speaker Pelosi of creating the Jan. 6th committee "solely to malign conservatives and to justify the left's authoritarian agenda." Even though they killed people!
Blah blah blah, "patriotic Americans protesting at the Capitol," blah blah blah "election fraud," blah blah blah.
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Right after he was named to the committee, he released a statement saying he would use his position to turn the spotlight back on Democrats, George Floyd BLM "violent" protests, blah blah blah.
“I will not allow this committee to be turned into a forum for condemning millions of Americans because of their political beliefs," he said. (Because only Republicans get to do that? Hey, I'm just asking questions here!)
Oh! Do you suppose Nancy Pelosi somehow got the idea that he is a crazy extremist who was only interested in showboating, and unwilling to do actual work? Could that be why she rejected him?
Some men just can't handle rejection. It makes them even crazier.
