McCarthy threatens to strip GOP members of committee assignments if they accept an offer from Pelosi to serve on 1/6 commission

(CNN) House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday issued a blanket threat during a meeting with freshmen members of his caucus that he would strip any Republican member of their committee assignments if they accept an offer from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the select committee to investigate the January 6 insurrection, according to two GOP sources with knowledge of the matter.

McCarthy's threat comes after the House voted to establish the committee. Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois were the only two Republican members to vote in favor of its formation. Pelosi, who can appoint eight members to the committee, announced Thursday that Cheney will serve on the committee.

McCarthy said Thursday that it's "shocking" that Cheney would accept an appointment to the select committee and did not deny that Cheney could lose her committee assignments as a result.

"I'm not making any threats about committee assignments, but you know how Congress works," McCarthy said when asked why Cheney would lose her committee assignments over the appointment. "You get elected by your district and you get your committees from your conference ... I don't know in history where someone would go get their committee assignments from the Speaker and expect to have them from the conference as well."

Two GOP sources told CNN McCarthy's threat speaks to one thing -- that the GOP leader is threatened by the select committee and once again is doing everything he can to try to kill it.