RNC censure heats up Hill, Stefanik says RNC had 'every right' to admonish Cheney, Kinzinger

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik said Tuesday the Republican National Committee had "every right to take any action" to admonish fellow GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for participating in chamber Democrats's Jan. 6 committee – extending the brewing, intra-party feud over the matter.

Stefanik became the third-ranking House Republican after Cheney was ousted from the post for voting to impeach President Trump over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 

At a Capitol press conference on Tuesday, Stefanik said Cheney, of Wyoming, and Kinzinger, of Illinois, would ultimately face the consequences of their actions at the ballot box but supported the RNC's decision to hold a censure vote against them.

"The RNC has every right to take any action," the New York lawmaker said. "And the position that I have is that you're ultimately held accountable to voters in your district. Voters who you represent. And we're going to hear the feedback and the views of voters pretty quickly here this year," she said. 

Cheney is running against the Trump-backed Harriet Hageman for Wyoming's sole congressional seat, while Kinzinger has opted to retire at the end of his term. 

Stefanik would not go so far as to give her seal of approval to the language used in the censure resolution, which indicated that those those who engaged in the riot were "citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse." But she called the Democrat-led Jan. 6 select committee an act of "political theatre."

"It's about punishing partisan opponents and not getting to the real facts which should be how can we ensure that the Capitol complex is safe, not only for those of us who work here but for the American people to come continue to advocate for policies they believe in," she said.

She spoke after several Senate Republican were critical of the RNC's censure vote Friday at the group's annual winter meeting.

Among those who essential argued the RNC and Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel should be looking forward – not backward – amid a good opportunity in November to retake the chamber from Democrats were Sens. John Thune, Lindsey Graham and Rick Scott, a Trump ally. 

House Democratic leadership also had something to say Tuesday on the issue, as it appears on the verge of losing control of the chamber to the GOP this midterms.

"If that's what the RNC thinks of as legitimate political discourse, that party is in deep, deep trouble," House Majority Whip Steny Hoyer said Tuesday.

He also described Cheney and Kinzinger as " prepared to look at the facts and ... prepared to call out activity which is violent ... and an obstruction of the work of our democracy in the Congress." 

House Republicans have not spoken out against the censuring. However, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has made clear that he does not support the idea of expelling them from his conference, which would be a far more drastic move.