Rep. Cheney is only GOPer to honor the fallen
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) was the only Republican lawmaker who attended a moment of silence marking the anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — and she brought her famous dad along to make a point.
Accompanied by former Vice President Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney stood alone on the GOP side of the aisle as the House of Representatives solemnly remembered the violent attack that took place exactly a year ago.
“The future of the country is at stake,” Rep. Cheney said. “There are moments when we all have to come together in order to defend the Constitution.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led what was intended to be a bipartisan effort to mark the anniversary of the attack, in which many lawmakers thought they would be killed or taken hostage by violent supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Dozens of Democratic lawmakers joined the tribute to the Capitol Police officers who died after defending the Congress on Jan. 6, 2021.
After the moment of silence, Pelosi and other top Democrats greeted both Cheneys on the floor of the House.
The elder Cheney said he is “deeply disappointed” at the failure of Republicans leaders to stand up to Trump.
“It’s not a leadership that resembles any of the folks I knew when I was here for 10 years,” said Dick Cheney, who served in the House before becoming vice president under President George W. Bush.
The ex-veep said he came to show support for his daughter but suggested she is no stranger to bare-knuckled political fights.
“My daughter can take care of herself,” Dick Cheney said.
Liz Cheney is one of just 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 attack.
The outspoken critic of Trump is serving as vice chairwoman of the congressional select committee that is investigating the attack, a panel that includes only one other Republican, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)
The presence of Dick Cheney is a reminder that Trump remains a deeply divisive figure among GOP mandarins even though he maintains the unquestioned support of the vast majority of Republican voters.
Lawmakers say Congress was mostly united across party lines in recognizing the danger posed by the Jan. 6 attack and Trump’s enduring grip on the GOP in the days after the attack.
The vast majority of Republicans now seek to avoid discussing the attack or try to downplay it.