Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) broke down in tears during a Monday hearing on the January 6 Capitol breach.
Schiff became “visibly emotional” after hearing an officer testify about the riot. “I’d like to think, as Amanda Gorman so eloquently said, that we’re not broken — we’re just unfinished,” Schiff said, according to the Washington Examiner. “Because if we’re no longer committed to a peaceful transfer of power after our elections if our side doesn’t win, then God help us. We deem elections illegitimate merely because they don’t go our way rather than trying to do better the next time, then God help us.”
“And if we’re so driven by bigotry and hate that we attack our fellow citizens as traitors if they were born in another country or they don’t look like us,” the Democrat added, before tearing up. “Then God help us. But I have faith because of folks like you.” “I didn’t expect this would be emotional either,” Schiff added. “It must be an Adam thing today.”
Kinzinger also openly cried. “I never expected today to be quite as emotional for me as it has been,” the Republican said. “I’ve talked to a number of you and gotten to know you. I think it’s important to tell you right now, though: You guys may, like, individually, feel a little broken. … But you guys won. You guys held.”
“Democracies are not defined by our bad days,” he continued. “We’re defined by how we come back from bad days, how we take accountability for that. For all the overheated rhetoric surrounding this committee, our mission is very simple: It’s to find the truth, and it’s to ensure accountability.” Kinzinger was approved to the January 6 select committee after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) rejected both GOP Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Jim Banks of Indiana.