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Pelosi in a statement released by her office following Republican lawmakers’ overwhelming vote in favor of dumping Cheney as the No. 3 House Republican said, “For the sake of our democracy, reasonable Republicans across the country must take back their party.”
“Congresswoman Liz Cheney is a leader of great courage, patriotism and integrity,” the Speaker wrote. “Today, House Republicans declared that those values are unwelcome in the Republican party.”
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Pelosi went on to say, “The Republican denial of the truth presented by Congresswoman Cheney is reflected in their denial of the need to seek the truth in a January 6th commission and to repair the damage of January 6th with a security supplemental immediately.”
The decision was made by voice vote, meaning there will be no tally of the lawmakers who voted to dump Cheney, or of those who wanted her to stay on. Sources inside the closed-door vote said it was an overwhelming vote against Cheney. Some guessed the split was three to one.
That represents a remarkable shift from a similar challenge to her leadership status in February, when she won handily. And it marked the first time in recent memory that a congressional GOP leader was toppled by rank-and-file Republicans in the middle of their term through a formal vote.
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Buck, a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus, suggested Cheney has every right to air her grievances with former President Trump and his false narrative surrounding his election defeat, even from a leadership position. That criticism was the reason she was dumped from the No. 3 leadership spot on Wednesday.
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Most conservatives, backing Trump, said Cheney was the wrong fit to remain conference chairwoman, since her message bucked that coming from other Republican leaders. You can t have a conference chair who recites Democrat talking points, said Rep. Jim Jordan
Yet Buck, a former aide to Cheney s father, Dick Cheney, when he was a Wyoming congressman, noted that removing Cheney won t prevent Trump from continuing to air false claims that the election was stolen. Buck warned that Wednesday s vote to oust her will likely haunt Republicans at the polls next year.