Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney predicted dire consequences if the Jan. 6 select committee does not hold those responsible for the attack accountable — which includes investigating the Trump White House.
She expressed a preference for the original bipartisan, bicameral Jan. 6 commission format, but she warned against undermining the work of the Democratic-controlled body, noting that many other Republicans immediately condemned the attack.
“If those responsible are not held accountable, and if Congress does not act responsibly, this will remain a cancer on our constitutional republic, undermining the peaceful transfer of power at the heart of our democratic system. We will face the threat of more violence to come and another Jan. 6 every four years,” Cheney said.
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Following House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s rejection of two Republican committee member suggestions from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Cheney was elevated by Democrats with her role in the committee. Only she and Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the committee, made opening statements.
While Republican leaders are pointing the finger at Pelosi for being unprepared for Jan. 6, Cheney called for more investigation of the environment around former President Donald Trump.
“We must know what happened here at the Capitol,” Cheney said. “We must also know what happened every minute of that day in the White House — every phone call, every conversation, every meeting leading up to, during, and after the attack.”
Cheney, under fire from members of her own party for being appointed by Pelosi to the select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 riot, also restated her identity as a conservative Republican while criticizing bitter partisanship.
“I have been a conservative Republican since 1984 when I first voted for Ronald Reagan. I have disagreed sharply on policy and politics with almost every Democratic member on this committee. But, in the end, we are one nation under God,” Cheney said.
“The framers of our Constitution recognized the danger of the vicious factionalism of partisan politics, and they knew that our daily arguments could become so fierce that we might lose track of our most important obligation: to defend the rule of law and the freedom of all Americans,” she continued.
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“Will we adhere to the rule of law, respect the rulings of our courts, and preserve the peaceful transition of power? Or will we be so blinded by partisanship that we throw away the miracle of America?” Cheney asked.
