Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) has been appointed as vice chair of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, according to a statement Thursday from the panel.

       “Every member of this committee is dedicated to conducting a non-partisan, professional, and thorough investigation of all the relevant facts regarding January 6th and the threat to our Constitution we faced that day,” Cheney said in a statement. “I have accepted the position of Vice Chair of the committee to assure that we achieve that goal.”

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       The move further cements Cheney as a major player in the investigation. She was originally tapped to join the committee in July, after she was ousted by fellow House Republicans from her leadership position in May over her challenge of President Donald Trump’s false claim that the presidential election was stolen.

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       Cheney’s position will boost Democrats’ arguments the probe is bipartisan even as many Republicans oppose it — with some GOP lawmakers going so far as to threaten telecommunications and social media companies that comply with the committee’s requests.

       Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), the select committee’s chair, welcomed Cheney’s appointment and said her presence “underscores the bipartisan nature” of the effort to get to the bottom of events that led to the attack on the Capitol earlier this year.

       “Representative Cheney has demonstrated again and again her commitment to getting answers about January 6th, ensuring accountability, and doing whatever it takes to protect democracy for the American people,” Thompson said in a statement.

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       The Jan. 6 committee is tasked with investigating the facts related to the attack on the Capitol in which pro-Trump rioters clashed with police and threatened the orderly certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

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       In June, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced the formation of a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack after Senate Republicans blocked an effort to form an independent, bipartisan commission.

       Cheney, 55, has called her decision to publicly fight Trump a matter of principle, warning that allowing him to falsely claim that the election was stolen amounts to an attack on democracy and is destructive to the GOP and its values.

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       Trump has publicly reveled in Cheney’s ouster from her House GOP leadership position, calling her “a bitter, horrible human being” in a statement and saying that she was “bad” for the Republican Party.

       On Monday, the committee asked 35 companies to retain phone records and other information related to the attack as it ramps up its investigation ahead of the return of Congress next month. Several of the companies indicated this week that they intend to comply with the panel’s requests. However, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Republicans “will not forget” the actions of telecommunications and social media companies that comply with the committee’s requests.