Oklahoma City
A firestorm of controversy has erupted in the last couple weeks around freshman Congresswoman Stephanie Bice, following her support of the Commission to study the January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol. Ignite Liberty had the opportunity to meet with her at one of her stops in the metro area Wednesday to discuss her vote and the reasons she supported the commission. We are the only news outlet in the state to interview her over her support.
While the social media rumor mill has painted her anywhere from being a turncoat to the conservative cause to a weak-spined congresswoman that sold out to the establishment, the truth, as we discovered, painted a very different light.
Congresswoman Bice’s deep concerns about the very real possibility of the investigation into the riots falling solely into the hands of Nancy Pelosi became a driving force for her support of the commission. “What people don’t realize is that if we did not have this commission, Nancy Pelosi would have taken over the entire investigation and filled the committee with Democrats.”
Bice made no bones about the consequences of that inaction, saying, “It is absolutely critical that we, as conservatives and Republicans, be involved in the process. We have got to have a seat at the table. It’s the only way we can guarantee justice is served. Allowing Nancy Pelosi to completely control the investigation, and flood the Commission with Democrats, would have guaranteed that it would have turned what should be a search for justice into a witch-hunt to persecute innocent Americans.”
“There are deep, serious questions that need to be asked,” Bice added, “like why did Nancy Pelosi turn down National Guard assistance 2 days prior to January 6th? Why has there been zero investigation into the death of Ashley Babbitt, who was killed just steps from the house floor?? Why are innocent Americans, including several 100% disabled veterans, being held in Federal lockup…without a warrant??? These are very serious questions that deserve to have real answers, and the Commission is the only way we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
When asked about how the Commission would function, and who would be doing the investigating, Bice responded, “There will be 5 Republicans and 5 Democrats on the Commission, all appointed by the House party leaders. The investigation itself will actually not be done by members of Congress. Instead, it will be done by experts in civil law, cyber security experts, security experts, etc.”
Stressing the transparency of the process, Bice stated, “All of the rules that the Commission has to function under had to be voted on and approved by Congress. I welcome and encourage any concerned citizen, indeed all citizens, to go onto Congress’ website and read the rules for themselves once they’re published.”
Bice also addressed the concern that her constituents have expressed over her support of the Commission. “I welcome anyone who has concerns about why I voted for the Commission to contact my office and ask me directly. I would be more than happy to answer them and explain to them my reasoning for supporting the efforts. I want my constituents to know that I remain as deeply committed to conservative principles as I was when I took office, and have not wavered one inch.”
The real danger of inaction could not be clearer. For those concerned that the January 6th Commission will be nothing more than a tool to falsify charges against President Trump and other innocent Americans while BLM and Antifa go free, it seems as though inaction would be more likely to cause that effect than voting for the Commission. If Bice had voted against the commission, and it had failed in part because of her “no” vote, we would have justifiably held her responsible for the witch-hunt that would have most certainly ensued. By that same standard, then, Bice deserves praise for supporting the commission, not ridicule. After all, she could have just voted “present.”
NOTE: As of print time, Ignite Liberty is waiting on a copy of the rules for the January 6th Commission. Once it’s received, this story will be updated and the link attached.