WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. House Republicans on Wednesday voted to remove Liz Cheney from their leadership, punishing her for criticizing former President Donald Trump’s false claims that last year’s election was stolen from him through election fraud.
Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, voted in January to impeach Trump on a charge that he incited an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
In recent days the House No. 3 Republican Cheney said the false claims of a stolen election were “poisoning our democratic system” and that anyone who makes such a claim is “spreading THE BIG LIE.”
It was not yet clear when House Republicans will choose a replacement for Cheney in the position of party conference chair, who helps develop Republican positions on legislation and assists rank-and-file members on an array of issues.
Trump and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy have touted Rep. Elise Stefanik as the next conference head. But she has drawn criticism from some Republicans for a voting record that they portray as being out of step with conservatives.
On Tuesday, Cheney spoke on the House floor to chastise her party colleagues for not standing up to Trump and his false claim that the November election was stolen.
“Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that,” Cheney said.
“I will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president’s crusade to undermine our democracy,” she said.
“Millions of Americans have been misled by the former president. They have heard only his words, but not the truth as he continues to undermine our democratic process, sowing seeds of doubt about whether democracy really works at all,” Cheney said.
Most Republican lawmakers, including McCarthy, have sought to placate Trump, who continues to insist falsely that he lost November’s election because of widespread fraud, a claim that has been shot down in multiple courts as well as by state and federal election officials.
“It’s clear that we need to make a change,” McCarthy told his fellow Republicans in a letter announcing Wednesday’s vote. “These internal conflicts need to be resolved, so as to not detract from the efforts of our collective team.”
U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wy., speaks to the media as she arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., May 12, 2021.
REUTERS
