Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) has been selected as the vice chair of the House committee investigating the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol and President Trump and his allies' role in it. The move has already sparked outrage among House Republicans. In May, they stripped Cheney of her role as the third-ranking Republican in the House for her criticisms of President Donald Trump and her vote for his impeachment due to his role in the January 6th insurrection.
Committee head Rep. Bennie Thompson’s (D-MS) addition of Rep. Cheney adds another Republican to the almost all Democrat committee. Prior to Cheney’s selection, the only Republican on the committee was Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), who also voted for President Trump’s impeachment in the wake of the January 6th insurrection.
Due to Republican support for President Trump and Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) rejection of strong Trump allies to the committee, House Republicans have boycotted the committee altogether, leaving Democrats in a political bind. Either they have an all-Democrat-led committee, allow strong Trump allies onto the committee, or the Republicans that accept their selection to the committee will be branded, anti-Trump Republicans. This reality makes it difficult for Democrats to overcome calls that the committee’s investigation is simply a partisan witch hunt.
Rep. Cheney, in the wake of the January 6th insurrection, has been one of the lone Republican voices critical of President Trump. With her new role as vice-chair on the January 6th committee, her stance on the former President will once again be front and center.