List of Republicans who supported holding Steve Bannon in contempt
On October 21, 2021, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack voted to hold Steve Bannon, a former advisor to then-President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for not complying with a subpoena to testify. Surprisingly, this decision garnered support from both Democrats and key Republicans, including nine GOP members: Adam Kinzinger, Anthony Gonzalez, Liz Cheney, Jaime Herrera Beutler, John Katko, Tom Rice, Fred Upton, Peter Meijer, and David Valadao. Notably, except for Herrera Beutler, all of these Republicans had previously voted to impeach Trump for his role in instigating the January 6th insurgency.
The bipartisan vote to hold Bannon in contempt marks a significant rift within the Republican Party. While some Republican figures like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have criticized Bannon’s defiance, others have minimized the gravity of the January 6th events or defended Trump and his collaborators. This division shows that some GOP members are prepared to dissociate from party lines to pursue accountability for those implicated in the Capitol attack.
On October 21, 2021, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack voted to hold Steve Bannon, former advisor to former President Donald Trump, in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena to testify. But what was perhaps even more surprising was the number of key Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to hold Bannon in contempt.
In total, nine Republicans joined Democrats in voting to hold Bannon in contempt. These nine Republicans were Adam Kinzinger, Anthony Gonzalez, Liz Cheney, Jaime Herrera Beutler, John Katko, Tom Rice, Fred Upton, Peter Meijer, and David Valadao. It is worth noting that all of these Republicans, with the exception of Herrera Beutler, had previously voted to impeach former President Trump for his role in inciting the January 6th insurrection.
The decision by these key Republicans to hold Bannon in contempt is significant because it signals a fracture within the GOP. While some Republican leaders like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have condemned Bannon’s actions, many others have downplayed the seriousness of the January 6th attack and have defended the former president and those associated with him. This vote shows that there are at least some members of the GOP who are willing to break ranks and hold individuals accountable for their role in the Capitol attack.
The divide within the Republican party on this vote also has significant implications for future congressional investigations. With the January 6th select committee still working to uncover the truth about what happened that day, it is likely that more subpoenas will be issued and more individuals will be called to testify. The decision by these nine Republicans to hold Bannon in contempt sends a message that defiance of congressional subpoenas will not be tolerated, which could potentially encourage other witnesses to comply with the committee’s requests for testimony and documents.
This fracture could also have potential repercussions for GOP unity moving forward. With the 2022 midterm elections quickly approaching, the Republican party is already facing internal divisions between those who remain loyal to former President Trump and those who want to distance themselves from him. The vote to hold Bannon in contempt may further deepen these divisions, making it more difficult for the party to present a unified front in the upcoming elections.
However, it is also worth noting that the majority of Republicans in the House, 182 to be exact, voted against holding Bannon in contempt. This shows that the divide within the GOP is not a clear-cut line, and there are still many members who are aligned with former President Trump and are unwilling to hold him or his associates accountable for their actions. It will be interesting to see how this divide plays out in the months leading up to the midterm elections and what impact it will have on the future of the Republican party.
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