OnPolitics: House Jan. 6 hearing reveals march to Capitol was planned

Greetings, OnPolitics readers!

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., want to know: Did Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch lie under oath?

In a joint letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued Monday, the two Democratic lawmakers said "multiple" Supreme Court justices "misled the American people during their confirmation hearings about their views on Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood."

The letter accuses "at least" Kavanaugh and Gorsuch of not telling the truth.

Ocasio-Cortez and Lieu said they respect the justices' personal beliefs; however, "we cannot have a system where Justices lie about their views in order to get confirmed. That makes a mockery of the confirmation power and of the separation of powers."

Kavanaugh and Gorsuch were among the conservative justices who ruled against upholding Roe in June. During their confirmation hearings, both justices agreed that Roe v. Wade was settled, a legal precedent that should be respected.

It's Amy and Chelsey with today's top stories out of Washington.

Jan. 6 committee shows march to Capitol was planned in latest hearing

The special committee investigating the violent Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, revealed new evidence Tuesday indicating former President Donald Trump used his huge social media following to summon an armed mob to Washington, D.C., as part of an "unhinged" effort to stay in power.

Trump proceeded with his plan despite White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Cabinet officials and other top aides advising him to concede his presidential election loss to Joe Biden, according to witnesses and other evidence presented Tuesday. But committee members said he continued to use his bully pulpit online, where he had millions of followers, to make unproven claims – even after losing 60 lawsuits – that the 2020 election had been stolen.

"Craziest meeting" in the Oval Office: The committee focused heavily on a Dec. 18, 2020, meeting in the Oval Office, where Trump advisers Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn met to discuss overturning the election. The meeting broke into a screaming match, according to testimony, with the White House counsel challenging ideas put forward by Powell, Giuliani and Flynn and saying they lacked evidence of widespread voter fraud.

Witnesses spoke about direct involvement in Jan. 6 riot: Stephen Ayres, an Ohio man criminally charged for his actions during the Capitol insurrection, said he lost his job and that Jan. 6 “changed my life, and not for the good.” When asked how it makes him feel that Trump is still promoting falsehoods about the 2020 election results, Ayres told the committee it “makes me mad, I was hanging on to every word he said.”

Trump called a witness: In closing statements, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., committee vice chair, said the panel learned that Trump tried to contact a witness after the last hearing held in June. The witness, though part of the committee’s investigation, has not yet been seen in the hearings, Cheney said.

“This committee has supplied that information to the Department of Justice,” Cheney said. “Let me say one more time, we will take any effort to influence witness testimony very seriously."

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Real quick: stories you'll want to read

• Islamic State Leader killed in drone strike: The Pentagon said Tuesday that Maher al-Agal was killed in a U.S.-led drone strike outside Jindaris in northwest Syria.

• U.S. bolsters Ukraine with more aid: The government provided another $1.7 billion to ensure Ukraine can continue to provide healthcare and other essential services.

• State-level candidates run on Roe: Candidates in state legislative and gubernatorial races say the Supreme Court's decision on abortion has given their campaigns a boost.

• DOJ taps Ore. official for leadership role: Colette Peters, longtime chief of the Oregon Department of Corrections, will lead the federal prison system.

Biden no longer treating Saudi Arabia as a 'pariah'

The looming shadow of high gas prices follows Biden as he travels to Saudi Arabia this week to meet with leaders of the country.

As a presidential candidate, Biden vowed his administration would make the Middle Eastern kingdom a "pariah" state because of its human rights abuses, notably the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

The trip has already attracted criticism from democracy advocates but pragmatists say Biden must balance geopolitical realities and human rights commitments.

Biden has said the trip will focus on reducing tensions in the Middle East and increasing interactions between Israel and its neighbors — not lowering gas prices. The president has also downplayed direct interactions with Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, whom U.S. officials believe ordered Khashoggi's murder.

“When I meet with Saudi leaders on Friday, my aim will be to strengthen a strategic partnership going forward that’s based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values,” Biden wrote in an op-ed published in The Washington Post Sunday that acknowledged “there are many who disagree with my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia.”

Nominations for the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Tuesday. Was your favorite show nominated? -- Amy and Chelsey

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House Jan. 6 hearing reveals march to Capitol was planned