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WASHINGTON (AP) – Tory lawmakers lobbied Thursday to launch Republican Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger out of the House GOP because the two party leaders challenged and joined the special House committee investigating the January 6 attack on Capitol Hill by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.
The far-right House Freedom Caucus effort faces uncertain prospects. Republican House leaders have shown little interest in moving quickly against the two Mavericks, which could fuel a fight that would distract from the party’s preferred focus on issues such as inflation, crime and immigration.
The move is the latest example of turmoil around the GOP’s message and image, even as Trump’s shadow continues to hang over the party.
Banning Cheney, R-Wyo., And Kinzinger, R-Ill., From the Republican House organization known as the GOP conference would threaten the end of their committee assignments. It would also deny them other normally routine privileges, such as attending closed-door Republican strategy meetings.
Representative Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, who heads the 40-member Freedom Caucus, told reporters that Cheney and Kinzinger chose to “join the Democrats in a witch hunt” against the Republicans. He said it made little sense to let them participate in private meetings where GOP lawmakers strategize against Democrats.
Biggs said letting the two participate in such sessions would be like having “two spies sitting right there.” You knew they were spies, but you couldn’t suppress them.
Cheney and Kinzinger are outspoken Trump critics who agreed to let House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Nominate them to the investigation committee on January 6.
It is the wrath of the Republicans. They refused to nominate members to this panel after Pelosi blocked two GOP candidates whose staunch pro-Trump views, she said, would put the integrity of the investigation at risk.
Cheney spokesman Jeremy Adler said the 11 Freedom Caucus members at Thursday’s press conference “represent a dangerous rot that is rooted in the big lie, conspiracy theories, bigotry and lack. respect for the rule of law and our law enforcement “. He said Cheney was working to “save the party from Lincoln and Reagan”.
Kinzinger spokeswoman Maura Gillespie said that “these are the same members who are pushing conspiracy theories to their constituents.” She said Kinzinger wanted “the truth and the answers the American people deserve.”
The Freedom Caucus wants the House GOP to approve a rule automatically removing conference lawmakers who accept a committee assignment the party has not approved.
It only takes a majority of House Republicans to change an internal rule. That’s a weaker hurdle that Republican two-thirds majority rules require to remove a lawmaker from conference.
But the entire House, including Democrats, formally assigns tasks to committees and could theoretically overturn an internal GOP vote.
Cheney had quickly risen to the No. 3 leadership position of the House GOP and is the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. She angered Tories this year when she voted to impeach Trump for encouraging his supporters to attack the Capitol. Republicans voted to remove her from her post in May.
Kinzinger was also among 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump.
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