
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger called out other members of his party, saying "we need to reject those that promote" conspiracies about the insurrection on the US Capitol on Jan. 6.
He said he agreed to serve on this select committee because he wants to know what happened that day and present the facts to the public "free of conspiracy," adding he wants Americans to be able to trust the committee.
"This cannot continue to be a partisan fight. I'm a Republican. I'm a conservative. But in order to heal from the damage caused that day, we need to call out the facts. It is time to stop the outrage and the conspiracies that fuel the violence and division in this country and most importantly, we need to reject those that promote it," he said.
Kinzinger got emotional during his comments to the four officers who were testifying.
"I've talked to a number of you and gotten to know you. I think it is important to tell you right now, though, you guys may like individually feel a little broken. You all talked about the effects you have to deal with and you talk about the impact of that day. But guys won. You guys held," he said, getting choked up.
He said moving forward, the goal of the committee is to find the truth and ensure accountability. He said he is frustrated that there are still things that are unknown about the insurrection, now 6 months later.
Kinzinger said this is because Republicans have "treated this as just another partisan fight."
"It is toxic and it is a disservice to the officers and their families, to the staff and the employees on Capitol complex, to the American people who deserve the truth and to those generations before us who went to war to defend self governance. Because self governance is at stake," he said.
"Democracies are not defined by our bad days. We're defined by how we come back from bad days, how we take accountability for that," Kinzinger added.
Some context: Kinzinger has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and was one of 10 House Republicans to vote for his second impeachment. Kinzinger served in the Air Force in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He continues to serve in the Air National Guard as a pilot.