May 15, 2021 Share U.S. House Republicans approved Representative Elise Stefanik on Friday for a top leadership spot, sending a powerful message about the direction of the party by elevating the New York congresswoman noted for her support of former president Donald Trump. The 36-year-old Stefanik takes over the position of House Republican Party conference chair from Representative Liz Cheney, who was removed Wednesday after calling Trump’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election “a big lie.” Stefanik’s elevation to the third-most powerful position in the House Republican Caucus caps a shift from a largely unknown lawmaker with a moderate voting record representing the once-Democratic New York 21st congressional district to a media star who earned the attention of Trump during his first impeachment trial.