Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) could be removed from the Republican Conference if one lawmaker gets his way.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) penned a letter to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday where he noted the request is “not because of a policy or political difference, but because some members have chosen to work with the Democrats to investigate and potentially remove Republican Members from the House.”
Noting his two colleagues’ roles on the House select committee investing the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, Biggs added, “Congresswoman Cheney and Congressman Kinzinger are two spies for the Democrats that we currently invite to the meetings, despite our inability to trust them.”
He also wrote:
“We cannot trust these Members to sit in our Republican Conference meetings while we plan our defense against the Democrats.”
Check out the letter below:
Biggs also denies January 6 was insurrection, saying many of the upcoming internal House GOP discussions "will likely revolve around our defense against the Democrats’ perpetuation of the false narrative that January 6th was an insurrection."
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) September 1, 2021
McCarthy, however, has shown no appetite to punish Cheney and Kinzinger after they accepted seats from Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the select committee.
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) September 1, 2021
A senior GOP member predicted the effort would fall flat: “Is Biden paying them to change the subject?”
Kinzinger responded to Biggs’ letter, writing on Twitter, “I think this is interesting. Just coming off a member declaring bloodshed will happen, many pushing Covid denialism and Jan 6 trutherism…. The GOP has a choice. I am even more committed to getting truth now.”
I think this is interesting. Just coming off a member declaring bloodshed will happen, many pushing Covid denialism and Jan 6 trutherism…. The GOP has a choice. I am even more committed to getting truth now. https://t.co/TQKoILS6FO
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@AdamKinzinger) September 2, 2021
Cheney was appointed to the select committee by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Prior to that appointment, Cheney was ousted from her leadership role as the House Republican Conference chair. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) was then elected as the new No. 3 House Republican.
Cheney was previously asked if she would “ever consider leaving the Republican Party and becoming an independent,” to which she said, “I’m not leaving the party.”
According to an announcement on Thursday, Cheney was named vice chair of the select committee.
She wrote in a statement, “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. I have accepted the position of Vice Chair of the committee to assure that we achieve that goal. We owe it to the American people to investigate everything that led up to, and transpired on, January 6th. We will not be deterred by threats or attempted obstruction and we will not rest until our task is complete.”