House on January 6, select committee will postpone a hearing scheduled for Wednesday in connection with Hurricane Jan, The Independent learned
A source familiar with the group’s internal deliberations said the postponement of the committee’s ninth open session would allow one of the panel’s nine elected members, Rep. Stephanie Murphydeal with any business that arises in her Florida area in connection with the approach of the storm.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Select Committee Chairman Benny Thompson and Commission Vice Chair Liz Chaney said: “Due to Hurricane Ian’s impact on parts of Florida, we have decided to postpone tomorrow’s hearing. We pray for the safety of everyone in the path of the storm.”
They added that the task force’s investigation into the Capitol attack was “moving forward” and said they would “announce” the date of the rescheduled hearing “soon.”
Currently a Category 3 hurricane, Ian is expected to make landfall along Florida’s west coast this week and could cause significant damage to parts of the Sunshine State that haven’t been hit by a hurricane in about a century.
News of the delay to the commission’s next hearing came hours after President Joe Biden said his administration was already trying to help Florida authorities in their response to the storm.
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Mr Biden warned that what experts are calling a storm could be a “very strong hurricane” with “life-threatening and devastating” impacts, and said he wanted to make clear his administration was “on alert and in action to help the people of Florida.”
The president said he approved the disaster declaration for Florida “immediately after receiving” a request from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and said he had spoken with the mayors of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
“They are focused on keeping their communities safe and doing everything they can to save people from danger,” he said. He added that he told each of the mayors they could contact him directly for “anything they need.”
“I already have a lot of staff there. We are here to support them in every possible way,” he said.
