Representatives Thomas Massie (R-KY), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Eric Burlison (R-MO) have introduced a resolution aimed at rescinding the congressional subpoenas issued to Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. This proposal also seeks to officially repudiate the actions of the January 6 committee, which Massie and other Republicans have labeled as wholly illegitimate.
Rep. Massie floated the idea on X, suggesting that Speaker Mike Johnson could play a pivotal role in preventing Bannon’s imprisonment.
“Mike Johnson, why don’t we rescind the Congressional subpoena for Steve Bannon and officially repudiate the J6 committee by a vote of Congress?” he wrote.
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Time is of the essence. Speaker Johnson should immediately bring this resolution to the floor for a vote! pic.twitter.com/DE8gPgJBDk— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) June 18, 2024
Now, Massie has taken his proposal from social media to the House floor, introducing a bill aimed at saving Bannon and Navarro from serving their prison sentences.
“Rescinding the subpoenas issued by the January 6th Select Committee on September 23, 2021, October 6, 2021, and February 9, 2022, and withdrawing the recommendations finding Stephen K. Bannon, Mark Randall Meadows, Daniel Scavino, Jr., and Peter K. Navarro in contempt of Congress,” the resolution reads.
According to Massie, “This does not need Senate approval. The original subpoenas were issued unilaterally from the House, so the House can rescind them unilaterally.”
“The illegitimately constructed and biased January 6th Committee must be held accountable for its pursuit of political opponents,” Rep. Biggs wrote on X.
Rep. Burlison also wrote on X:
Today, [Rep. Thomas Massie, Rep. Andy Biggs], and I introduced a resolution to rescind the subpoenas issued by the illegitimate J6 Committee for Steve Bannon, Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, and Peter Navarro and withdraw the recommendations finding them in contempt of Congress.
Before the January 6th Committee was even established, Democrats had already determined what would be the Committee’s conclusion – that President Trump and his advisors were to blame for anything that took place on Jan. 6.
One day after Jan. 6, then-Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Schumer called for Trump to be removed from office by whatever means necessary. Pelosi even went as far as to say that Trump could be an “accessory to murder.”
On Jan. 13, House Democrats and 10 Republicans impeached President Trump over the events of Jan. 6. When they failed to secure a conviction in the Senate, Pelosi turned to creating this illegitimate Committee. On June 30, House Democrats, along with pretend Republicans Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, passed H. Res. 503, establishing the January 6th Select Committee.
The resolution establishing the Committee stated the “Speaker shall appoint 13 members to the Select Committee.” The resolution allowed Pelosi to appoint eight members unilaterally and required her to appoint an additional five members after consulting the minority leader. Did she do this? No. Pelosi made the unprecedented decision to deny seating two of the five members Minority Leader McCarthy recommended – Reps. Banks and Jordan.
Pelosi appointed Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Adam Schiff, Pete Aguilar, Stephanie Murphy, Jamie Raskin, and Bennie Thompson, who served as the Chairman. She also appointed Liz Cheney as one of her original eight majority selections. After denying McCarthy’s selections, she appointed Adam Kinzinger, leaving the committee with nine members, not thirteen as required by H. Res. 503. • • •
And in yet another violation of H. Res. 503, the Select Committee did not have a ranking minority member – it had a vice chair, Liz Cheney. The very resolution that established the Committee required the Chair to consult with the ranking minority member before issuing a subpoena.
Did this ever happen? No. House Democrats also made the unprecedented decision to exempt the Select Committee from House Rule XI requiring committee rules provide equal time for majority and minority members asking alternate questions.
Only two members of the Committee had active roles during hearings, which they spent hours rehearsing ahead of time so they could put on Stalinist show-trails for the American people. Bottom line: The Committee was used as a political weapon with a singular focus on taking down Trump and his advisors through the intentional manipulation of facts and the silencing of the minority party. It was procedurally flawed from the start.
Unlike every other select committee in history, Pelosi refused to appoint minority members chosen by the minority to the Committee. The Committee was nothing more than a political witch hunt and was legally deficient in its composition. It was more focused on wasting tens of millions of taxpayer dollars producing made-for-TV hearings than following House rules or the facts.
The subpoenas issued by the illegitimate Committee for Bannon, Navarro, Scavino, and Meadows were insufficient and should be rescinded, and the contempt of Congress referrals based on those subpoenas should be withdrawn.
The resolution was co-sponsored by the following Representatives:
- Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ),
- Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX),
- Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN),
- Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA),
- Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ),
- Rep. Bob Good (R-VA),
- Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN),
- Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO),
- Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK),
- Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA),
- Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL),
- Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL),
- Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL),
- Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ),
- Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN),
- Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX),
- Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC),
- Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA),
- Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT),
- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL),
- Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), and
- Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX)
