House GOP leader McCarthy shoots down call to remove Cheney from leadership post, report

Cheney became the highest ranking Republican to support the impeachment of the president

Published: January 15, 2021 7:35am

Updated: January 15, 2021 8:53am

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has rejected calls from members of his GOP conference to remove Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership post for voting to impeach President Trump.

Several members demanded Cheney's removal from her post as chairwoman, the conference's third-highest position, after she voted Wednesday to impeach Trump.

A McCarthy spokesman told Politico that the California lawmaker ended the effort to remove Cheney from leadership.

Among those calling for Cheney's removal are Reps. Jim Jordan, Ohio; Matt Gaetz, Florida; and Andy Biggs, leader of the House Freedom Caucus.

Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans to vote with House Democrats to impeach Trump and the highest ranking among them.

In a Tuesday evening statement, released just as the House began voting on their request to Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment, Cheney said, "There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution."

On Wednesday, when the House officially voted to impeach the president, Cheney, who is a representative of Wyoming, told Politico, "I'm not going anywhere. This is a vote of conscience."