The House Jan. 6 committee is expected to address several questions when it reconvenes for a meeting on Tuesday, with the most pressing being whether to invite former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence to testify.
The panel, as a whole, does not anticipate either one testifying, sources told CNN. However, the conversations are expected to intensify, as the committee’s investigation is set to conclude by the end of this year, and sending out formal invites would at least put the issue on the record.
“Just speaking for myself, I would like to hear from them both,” member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) said to the news outlet. “Whether we actually will is a separate question.”
Another member, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), said during a recent interview that he assumed Pence would come forward and voluntarily testify, like many of those who gave prior testimony.
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Trump has regularly condemned the Jan. 6 committee investigation, calling its activities another political “witch hunt” against him, while Pence has been rather reserved on the subject of appearing before the panel. He told a crowd in New Hampshire last month that he would give “due consideration” if asked by the committee to testify. He also stated that people “have a right to know” what happened on Jan. 6.
While the committee would prefer voluntary testimony, it is possible formal requests may be required. Appearances of former presidents and vice presidents before investigative congressional panels are rare, but Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said he believes this situation could involve criminal referrals at the end of the committee’s investigation, with a final report in December.
The former vice president, had he not been taken to safety, faced the wrath of Trump supporters during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, as some chanted, “Hang Mike Pence.” Pence resisted pressure by former President Donald Trump and his supporters to stall the certification of President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory and send electoral votes back to several battleground states where GOP-led legislatures could try to overturn the results over supposed concerns about fraud and irregularities.
Pence stayed near the U.S. Capitol in an underground Senate loading dock with his family while the rioting continued, but he refused to leave and eventually returned to Congress later to continue counting electoral votes.
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The Jan. 6 committee is also expected to address the next round of hearings and discuss what to do about the five House Republicans who were subpoenaed in May.
The House Republicans include Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Mo Brooks of Alabama. All five have yet to comply with the subpoenas.
