Republican National Committee members advanced a resolution to censure Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).
According to Politico, the members did not call for Cheney and Kinzinger to be expelled from the House Republican Conference.
RNC officials told the outlet the RNC body will likely approve the resolution during its winter meeting on Friday. Politico noted the resolution takes aim at Cheney and Kinzinger over their involvement on the January 6 select committee.
Harmeet Dhillon, national committeeperson from California and one of the sponsors of the resolution explained, “This is not about them being anti-Trump.”
She added, “There are plenty of other people in the party who are anti-Trump whose names don’t appear in the resolution. These two took specific action to defy party leadership.”
The outlet pointed out the resolution is a weaker rebuke of Cheney and Kinzger than what was originally proposed.
Additionally, Politico reported that Dhillon said RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel spoke in favor of the resolution.
Kinzinger issued a statement responding to the censure.
“I’ve been a member of the Republican Party before Donald Trump entered the field. My values and core beliefs remain the same and have not wavered. I’m a conservative who believes in truth, freedom, and upholding the Constitution of the United States,” Kinzinger said.
Kinzinger argued his fellow Republicans “have chosen to censure two lifelong Members of their party for simply upholding their oaths of office. They’ve allowed conspiracies and toxic tribalism hinder their ability to see clear-eyed.”
Concluding his statement, Kinzinger said, “My efforts will continue to be focused on standing up for the truth and working to fight the political matrix that’s led us to this point.”
My statement on the RNC censure. I am now even more committed to fighting conspiracies and lies: pic.twitter.com/NzKK2s2kkC
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) February 4, 2022
Cheney also released a statement, saying leaders of the Republican Party “have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy.”
She continued, “I’m a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump. History will be their judge. I will never stop fighting for our constitutional republic. No matter what.”
