Jan. 6 committee asks GOP Reps. Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs, and Ronny Jackson to testify

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is asking three Republican congressmen to voluntarily testify.

The Democratic-led committee sent letters on Monday to GOP Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama, and Ronny Jackson of Texas.

"As we work to provide answers to the American people about that day, we consider it a patriotic duty for all witnesses to cooperate," Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) wrote in a press release.

"We urge our colleagues to join the hundreds of individuals who have shared information with the Select Committee as we work to get to the bottom of what happened on January 6th," they said. The panel is facing a time crunch before midterms this fall, when Republicans may take back the House and dissolve the committee.

In the letter to Jackson, the panel says that texts obtained from members of the anti-government Oath Keepers militia show that the group attempted to protect the congressman on Jan. 6 because he possessed "critical data."

The panel wants to know what information Jackson possesses and are willing to meet with the congressman in his district if needed.

In the letter to Brooks, the committee asked the congressman to testify specifically about a statement he made in March about the election. 

"President Trump asked me to rescind the 2020 elections, immediately remove Joe Biden from the White House, immediately put President Trump back in the White House, and hold a new special election for the presidency," Brooks said, as quoted by the committee. "As a lawyer, I’ve repeatedly advised President Trump that January 6 was the final election contest verdict and neither the U.S. Constitution nor the U.S. Code permit what President Trump asks."

The Select committee asked Biggs to discuss his "participation in certain planning meetings, both in person at the White House and remotely, regarding various aspects of planning for January 6th." The group also asked him to elaborate upon his alleged involvement in working to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The panel has sought information from other sitting members of Congress before, such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).