McCarthy says he’d testify before Jan. 6 commission

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has come out in opposition to a bipartisan bill to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, said Thursday he would testify before the commission should the bill be signed into law by President Biden.

Speaking with reporters at a press conference, McCarthy was asked whether he would participate in such a commission and quickly answered with an affirmative.

“Sure, next question,” he said.

McCarthy’s testimony would likely be one of the key targets of Democrats’ questioning about the events of Jan. 6, when rioters stormed the Capitol and attempted to stop the certification of then-President Trump’s 2020 election defeat.

The GOP House leader held a key phone call with Trump during the riot, demanding action from the president to protect Congress. The exact response from the president has been a key point of contention for lawmakers after one GOP congresswoman said that McCarthy had described Trump as unconcerned with lawmakers’ safety.

“Well Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” Trump allegedly said.

House lawmakers passed a bill to create a bipartisan commission studying the events of that day on Wednesday in a vote that saw nearly three dozen GOP defections despite McCarthy’s and Minority Whip Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) opposition.

The bill heads now to the Senate, where it faces an uncertain future due to the 50-50 margin in the upper chamber and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) opposition to it.