Ted Cruz has been accused of a sneaking through an attack on abortion rights as the House select committee to investigate January’s Capitol riot began.

       The inquiry began on Tuesday without the blessing of Republican leadership, and within a day of Mr Cruz asking the US Supreme Court to throw out Roe v Wade’s ruling on abortion rights for women. Mr Cruz argued in an amicus brief that Roe and related legislation were “untenable” and “should be returned to the states”.

       On Twitter, commentators called out Mr Cruz, and his co-signatory senators Josh Hawley and Mike Lee, for filing the amicus brief with the court as the House select committee into the Capitol riot held its first hearing on Tuesday. All three have criticised Democrats for investigating the riot, and false allegations of a stolen election.

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       A Twitter user wrote: “Awesome, I urge the Senate to investigate where Hawley, Lee and Cruz were on 6 January. And I respectfully ask this trio of doofuses to keep their treasonous noses out of my reproductive health, thanks.”

       “Ted Cruz is the absolute most vile human being,” added another, who accused the senator of “attempting to strip women of their rights” with the “cover of the 6 January hearing”.

       All three Republicans rejected a bipartisan committee into the January riot, which led to the formation of the smaller House select committee set-up by House speaker Nancy Pelosi, starting on Tuesday.

       The inquiry was left with only two Republicans — Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger — following a disagreement between Ms Pelosi and House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, who wanted to install Trump allies. Ms Pelosi refused, prompting Mr McCarthy to withdraw all his nominations.

       Mr Cruz, meanwhile, was among the Republicans who downplayed the riot in its aftermath — and defended the former president.

       At least five individuals lost their lives in an attempt to overturn the result of the 2020 election, after Mr Trump and Mr Cruz claimed it was “stolen” or “rigged”.